Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Lucky

Lucky to know her

by

     Before I came to work here at CSNW I would read the sanctuary’s blogs and when there was mention of Lucky it was always about how excited she is to see her caregivers in the morning and how she is the best at greeting them and lifting their spirits. So of course I assumed we would be fast friends since I had met and worked with so many chimps in the past, obviously this would be an easy one. Not so. With Lucky trust takes time.
     Over my first few months here Lucky did a good job of hazing me; I was given the cold shoulder, she would interrupt when I was shifting the group between areas, and occasionally she would try to poke me during meals if I wanted to hand her an item. After awhile I noticed how Lucky tends to hang in the background and is less outgoing than some in her group so I went out of my way to hang out with her when the rest of the group was otherwise occupied. Just the other day during lunch Dr. Erin was helping serve watermelon to the group and at the end of the meal she offered leftover watermelon juice to some of the boys and I could see Lucky watching from above with a look of longing so I mentioned how Lucky would probably like some of the juice and when Dr. Erin offered her a drink I could see the absolute joy in her eyes to be noticed and included. I think this is the key to Lucky’s heart – respecting her more introverted personality but offering to include her in case she is interested.
        I am happy to say that after about six months working with Lucky we have slowly started to build our own relationship and most mornings now include a friendly greeting and some grooming before we start our day. Some days the quiet moments in the morning with Lucky is the only quiet time I get that day so I definitely enjoy these those zen moments with my fellow introvert.

Foxie & Her Disney Princesses

by

As we have mentioned the past few days, it’s HOT, but we are almost through our excessive heat advisory! Foxie’s way to beat the heat is to eat cucumbers and play with her new Disney dolls. This morning we gave Foxie a few new dolls that were belated birthday gifts! Foxie’s eyes lit up when she saw the princesses, especially Mirabel from Encanto! Later, we handed her a Bruno doll she has never had before. Foxie was very curious about it!

Foxie’s girl gang:

Bruno- (sadly Bruno eventually lost his head…):

Foxie crunching into her cucumber:

I think we should do some bonus photos!

Sweet Lucky. A world without Lucky would be a travesty:

Jamie:

Dora resting before breakfast:

Honey B eating chow series:

Gordo 🙂

 

National Relaxation Day

by

Today is National Relaxation Day! According to the Economic Times, National Relaxation Day is observed to “encourage individuals to slow down and unwind.” Though chimpanzee life can be very chaotic and dramatic, they all find some time throughout the day to let their hair down and relax. It’s all about balance, right?

In homage to National Relaxation Day, please enjoy some photos of the chimpanzees in relaxation mode!

Honey B taking a quick nap after her play session with Lucky.

Foxie taking a rest after breakfast.

Gordo taking a breather after returning from the Bray.

Burrito taking a break in his Greenhouse (though I am convinced he was playing because seconds later he had caregivers playing chase).

Dora enjoying the shaded part of the Chute.

And as you might have guessed, right next to her is Mave.

Willy B taking advantage of the large fan in the front room area on a hot day.

And of course, the Queen of Relaxation, Queen Negra.

We hope you are able to find some time to get your relaxation in today!

The Unification of the Stubborn Shifters

by

As longtime blog readers might know, Honey B can be a challenge for staff when we are trying to close off certain enclosures for cleaning. She likes to throw an obstinate wrench in our best-laid plans. Lucky is also one of those chimpanzees that doesn’t always see the need to cooperate with the shifting schedule from time to time. Today Lucky and Honey B joined their strong willed forces together and stayed behind in the front rooms rather than shifting with their group during morning cleaning . Much to our surprise, their “quiet alone time” morphed into a wrestle session of epic proportions. Shout out to staff caregiver Grace for grabbing all the video for today’s blog!

Sheets & Giggles

by

Thank you to everyone who donated new or gently used top bed sheets. I promise it has been non-stop play and nesting since they have arrived! This blog is a part II for all the fans who loved watching the chimps, mostly Honey B and Rayne, play with the sheets! For those who may have missed all the fun a few weeks ago, there is a blog about how fun sheets can be. Not all sheet fun was able to be captured over the weeks, but Honey B sure is enjoying them! I hope you get a few giggles out of this one. 🙂

Rayne nesting with a beautiful lavender sheet (might be her favorite):

Bonus photos! This morning as I let Foxie’s group out onto Young’s Hill and caregiver Jenna let Lucky’s group out onto the Bray, I was able to capture some photos from both sides.

Foxie was the first out to greet the day and found a little leftover forage along her way:

Lucky set out for the hammock this morning:

Eventually, she climbed up higher for a better view:

Gordo went out this morning too (maybe to get a glimpse of a tiny little chimp across the way):

After a little while he sat down and took in the view:

Jamie was very focus on listening to her noisy neighbors:

Later, I found one of my favorite versions of Jamie, upside down Jamie! Upside down Jamie is goofy and usually very playful (note the HOOT! Book in her pocket):

Jamie is still holding on to her HOOT! Boot Book very tight:

And the handsome devil, Burrito napping in the window:

Life

by

I’ve had this thought for awhile that is really just a vague notion in my head. More of a feeling, really. I haven’t been able to articulate it even for it to make a lot of sense to me, but I going to give it a try. Maybe someone who reads the blog can take the notion and form it into something more solid and eloquent.

Our sanctuary if fortunate to have loyal and long-term supporters. People who have been following the stories of the chimpanzees for years. People who feel a genuine connection to the individuals in our care. This blog, as we’ve said many times, is a labor of love. It helps us process events, articulate feelings and ideas (sometimes poorly, like now), and share the personalities of the sanctuary residents in a personalized way. It’s been a gift for me, and I’m so grateful for those who tune in – whether on an everyday basis or just from time to time.

I often wonder what it is that keeps people engaged, including myself.

I think it’s because what we really write about and share is just… life. Life, with it’s ups and downs, challenges and celebrations. In life you never know what the next moment will bring.

We have the unique privilege of seeing and sharing life through the lens of these amazing beings who are so incredibly resilient, who surprise us every day and help us grow and understand our own lives from a different perspective.

That’s it. It’s a simple idea, but somehow profound in my mind.

Here’s Rayne climbing to the top of Ryan’s lookout with Gordo below early this morning:

 

Today, we put out a few buckets with watered down Gatorade as part of the forage on the hill. Foxie went right for a bucket and drank it in one sitting:

Missy did the same:

 

While Foxie, Missy, and their group were foraging on Young’s Hill, Rayne, Lucky, and Gordo were hanging out watching them on the Bray:

The Morning After Jubilee

by

After yesterdays festivities, today has been pretty low-key for everyone. I think both chimps and humans are exhausted from such an awesome day of nonstop partying! If you didn’t see yesterdays blog, STOP EVERYTHING you are doing and look now! And if you missed Diana talking about Negra’s story, be sure to check that out too! Don’t forget that until the end of June all donations will be doubled until we reach $30,000. Follow this link to learn more about how you can help us reach our goal!

Cy on the Bray:

Lucky hanging out by the hammock:

Gordo heading back from exploring:

Willy B:

Guess who!

It’s Rayne!

How did we get so lucky to have such a sweet and kind soul like Terry?! It has been so fun to watch Terry grow in just the few years he has been at CSNW and watch him make new friends. I am not sure if we share this often, but he is quietly good friends with Honey B (maybe don’t tell Honey B). I often will see them on the cameras grooming or hanging out in the same area together. She even grooms with him from time to time! And I don’t know if I have ever met a gentler chimp than him. What I am trying to say is that Terry is just such a nice guy with a really good heart <3.