Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Jody

Thank you, Roni!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Roni Seabury! Roni is a long-time supporter and friend of the sanctuary. She is such a beautiful soul whose heart and life are filled with helping all animals however she can, from living a vegan lifestyle, to working with rescued farm animals, to sharing her home with her companion animals as well as fostering those waiting for their forever home. We’re so lucky to have her as part of our chimpanzee family. Roni shared this sweet message about today:

“For my love of Burrito’s shy cuteness, Missy’s energy, Jodi’s nest making skills, Annie’s playful friendships, Negra’s Queen-like naps with blankets over her head, Foxie’s love for dolls and loyalty and Jamie’s boss like attitude with cowboy boots on. I love each of them so much. The amount of joy they bring me is immeasurable. Thank you for all you do for them.”

Roni, thank you so much for sponsoring today for the chimpanzees and for loving them for the special individuals they are! And thank you for your compassionate heart and your dedication to making the lives of so many animals better. We’re awfully glad you’re in the world.

Roni’s pal, Burrito:

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Missy:

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Jody:

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Annie (R) chasing Missy (L):

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Negra:

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Foxie, Troll and Dora:

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Jamie:

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Celebrating Valentine’s Day Chimp Style

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How did the chimpanzees celebrate Valentine’s Day? Well, with a party of course!

Volunteer caregivers Patti and Debbie prepared today’s breakfast smoothie and enrichment along with the help of staff member Elizabeth.

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After we finished cleaning the Playroom (one of the chimps’ indoor enclosures), we laid out blankets in the shape of hearts on the floor and placed pomegranate seeds and organic red roses inside. We also hung three pink, heart-shaped pinatas with nuts inside and scattered the Valentine-themed cups and treat boxes (with nuts hidden inside) throughout the enclosure. Unfortunately, I accidentally erased all of the photos of the setup, so you’ll have to use your imagination for that or see if you can spot some of it in the following video taken today.

And here are a few photo highlights from today as well. Unfortunately, the setup photos weren’t the only ones I erased by accident; I also erased photos of Negra, Jody and Missy enjoying the party.

Jamie
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Burrito
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Annie
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Foxie
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Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! And if you haven’t already, it’s not too late to Share the Love for the Cle Elum Seven! This Share the Chimp Love fundraiser will provide funds for the direct care of the chimpanzees now and will help with our plans for the future.

Negra Share the Love pic

Happy Valentine’s Day, Arlene!

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This beautiful Valentine’s Day was also sponsored by Michael in honor of his wife, Arlene! Michael and Arlene are also special friends of the chimpanzees who always have the chimpanzees in their hearts.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to Arlene who is a big fan of the chimpanzees and shares their love everyday.”

Michael, thank you so much for such a heartfelt gift for both Arlene and the chimps! We are so happy to have you both as part of our chimpanzee family and are grateful for all that you do to ensure the chimps’ lives are filled with love in all it’s many forms. Happy Valentine’s Day to you both!!

Best friends, Missy and Annie:

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Foxie and her beloved troll:

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Jamie and her cherished boot:

Jamie with her boot

Burrito and his love of food:

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Jody and her love for bamboo:

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And Queen Negra and her love for a comfy nest in the sun:

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Happy Valentine’s Day Chimpanzees!

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We are so happy to have two Valentine Sponsor-a-Days today! Our first sponsors are Donna and Doreen Hughes, two of the chimpanzees dear friends in New York City who are sponsoring today in honor of the chimpanzees! Donna and Doreen have hearts full of love for all animals and do so much to help them. They shared this sweet message about today:

“Happy Valentine’s Day to the chimpanzees! For Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy and Negra – you guys are the Sweetest – you are all Valentine’s and we wish you a Very Happy Valentine’s Day! We love reading about your lives and love seeing your photos! We are so glad you are all safe and thriving at the Sanctuary! Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! Love, Donna & Doreen”

Donna and Doreen, we are so thrilled to have you both as part of our chimpanzee family! Thank you for always holding the chimpanzees in your hearts and for all you do to make the lives of so many animals better. You are such special souls. And we all hope your recent birthdays were the best ones yet!

As I’m sure you already know, your beloved Pal Foxie may be tiny, but she is a joyful soul who has an awfully big heart. She’s peacekeeper, protector, and friend to all in her chimp family and probably the only person who can get serious boss Jamie to cut loose and really laugh. Thank you for helping to provide a home in which her heart can bloom.

Foxie and Annie (and Troll):

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Foxie and Burrito:

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Foxie and Jamie:

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Foxie and Jody:

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Foxie and Missy (and Dora):

with Dora, sitting next to Missy

Foxie and Negra:

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Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Be sure to check out our next sponsor a day later this morning and of course, preparation for the chimps’ party is underway so there’s a lot more love headed your way!

And to all of you who so generously contributed to our Share the Chimp Love fundraiser, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! You’re not only helping to ensure these seven chimpanzees’ lives are filled with love and care, but you’re helping us prepare for the expansion of their family so that other chimps will get to live out their days with hope, love, home and sanctuary. And if you haven’t had the chance to participate yet, there’s still time to share in the love! Every day that they get to live the lives they deserve is because of you and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Thank you, Joanna!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Joanna Morris in honor of the chimpanzees! Joanna shared how much she loves the chimps’ different personalities and today she wants to celebrate each of these amazing beings.

Joanna, thank you so much for not only recognizing and honoring how special and unique each of the chimpanzees are, but for helping to give them the lives they deserve in their sanctuary. We are so grateful to you for your compassion and generosity!

Best friends, Missy and Annie playing chase on Young’s Hill:

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Courageous Foxie exploring with Dora:

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Burrito accompanying Jody on one of her foraging adventures:

Burrito and Jody with bamboo

And of course, Boss Jamie and Queen Negra:

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What a perfect Sponsor-a-Day to be gifted with as we kick off our Share the Chimp Love fundraiser for Valentine’s Day! See how your support has not only changed the lives of Annie, Missy, Foxie, Burrito, Jody, Jamie and Negra, but has also made it possible for us to begin our Sanctuary Expansion Fund so that other chimpanzees in need may experience the hope, love, home and sanctuary they deserve.

Just the right piece

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There is no shortage of snow on the ground in Cle Elum, so the chimpanzees don’t have to step far outside for a cold snack. They don’t have to, but with this sunny weather they’ve been venturing farther and farther onto Young’s Hill just to grab a handful of snow and bring it back inside to eat. It seems the snow is just an excuse to have a quick outdoor adventure.

This morning Jody walked outside with purpose, climbed up onto the shaky bridge, gathered a very specific chunk of snow from the bridge, and immediately climbed back down and went back inside.

The ordinary is extraordinary

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Throughout the course of any given day here at CSNW, the chimpanzees are either eating, resting, playing, displaying, grooming, exploring, climbing, running, foraging, napping, inspecting enrichment, interacting with one another and/or human caregivers and a host of other activities. So, it’s always great when we are able to capture clear photos and video clips of them engaged in the myriad of activities listed above to share with blog followers. And it’s pretty special when we are able to capture any of the chimps doing something unexpected.

But sometimes it’s the ordinary things in the day that are extraordinary. The fact that these chimps are able to run, laugh, play, rest, explore and simply just be is what I consider to be pretty extraordinary (given their prior lives in biomedical research and in the entertainment industry). So, here are a few “ordinary” moments from today that I wanted to share with you.

Annie just being beautiful as she rested on the catwalk this morning.
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I love this photo of Jamie running out of the Playroom on her way to Young’s Hill.
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Missy often grooms herself with some sort of “tool” and today she brought it with her (in her mouth) when she went out onto Young’s Hill.
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Burrito’s pursed lips while eating snow.
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Jody gathered snow to go with her alfalfa cubes.
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