Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Missy

Come on Down!

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Animal exploitation begins with greed… They want to make money and they’ll make money at the expense of any kind of animal, be it a puppy or an elephant. It’s disgusting. ” – Bob Barker

Like a lot of Americans, I have spent some time curled up in a blanket, eating noodle soup, drinking 7-Up, eating saltine crackers, and watching Bob Barker on The Price Is Right when I was at home sick from school. Even though he always ended the show with his famous closing of “Get your pets spayed and neutered,” like clockwork, it wasn’t until I became older I found out how much of an animal lover he was, which in turn made me appreciate him even more.

As some of you know, he was very supportive of the plight of chimpanzees in the Untied States used as biomedical subjects, entertainment, or in roadside zoos. By now, you may have read some of the other accredited sanctuaries who have posted about the passing of Bob Barker and the amazing support he has given them. We are no different. Through his DJ & T Foundation, he has supported Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and our efforts, and we will always be grateful of him.

To honor what I personally think his vision was, here are some photos from today of the chimpanzees enjoying their day free from testing, abuse, and neglect.

Burrito at the start of our morning patrol/run

Jamie at the top of Young’s Hill walking amongst the trees

And Missy… Missy was really all over the place during the first morning patrol.

Trying to get a peep at the neighbors from a higher advantage point

Sprinting off to her next stop

Running down the log used to get to Jamie’s Tower to make it in time for breakfast

Rayne not letting a hole in a cup getting in her way of enjoying a Gatorade pool

And then there’s Gordo.

Handsome

Lovable

Uniq… Gordo… What are you doing?

Oh! Please don’t!

Okay! I get the hint! The photo session is over.

Joking aside, Gordo was just in a playful mood. In fact, he has been in a really good mood all day. Suspiciously in a really good mood.  I’m starting to wonder what is up his sleeve for the rest of the day…

Whatever it is, it is his choice.

As Diana said in this 2017 post, “Choice. This, above all else, is what increases primate welfare the most. When you think about it, much of what we share on the blog are the choices that the chimpanzees are freely making on a daily basis.”

The freedom of choice is by far the greatest enrichment chimpanzees in captivity can experience.

Unexpected Commonalities in Grief

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I thought I would share a moment from yesterday morning, before Missy’s birthday festivities began, that is a testament to how human grief looks so similar to non-human grief. In attempt for you to better understand the sentimental meaning behind the moment I witnessed, I will first share something personal that has happened to my family in the past week. I want to preface that I don’t want this blog to be about me, but I want to provide context for the relatability in the moment that I witnessed.

A week ago today, I had an emergency with my dog Oliver. My husband, Adam, and I had to make a lot of hard decisions regarding Oliver’s life, which at one point we thought we were in the clear, but sadly in the end, we had to make a choice that felt impossible to make. We chose to say goodbye. Oliver had been with me since I was 23. He had been with our family for almost 9 years. The word “dog” underestimates just how special and important Oliver was in my life. Oliver followed me to Canada. He traveled everywhere with me, I was never alone when I was with him. Oliver came into my life at a time when I was silently in my deepest grief after losing my father. Oliver gave me purpose and he gave me a reason to move forward. How do you grieve when the individual who carried you through everything else, isn’t there to get you through this one?

Tuesday was my first day back at work and all the chimps were so nice, I mean they always are :). But it felt different, more gentle. However, a moment that sticks out was with my friend, Missy. Missy is an individual who loves her people. It’s hard to know where humans stand in that, because well, she doesn’t need us, she has her people. On occasion, Missy will ask me to play. And that occasion happened to be on Tuesday. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe she knew I needed a distraction, but I will never know the answer to that. Missy and I spent a long while playing lazy tug-of-war, knuckle rubbing her back, and playing a short game of chase. She made my sad heart feel a little bit of warmth.

Yesterday (Wednesday), I was carrying grief on my shoulders, I could feel the physical weight of losing Oliver. At one point in the morning, I came back inside near the front rooms after having give Foxie her dolls in the Green House. Jamie started to breathy pant at me and got very excited to touch my boots (a pair of boots that do not necessarily wow her anymore). She playfully laid on her back and flailed her arms and legs around, laughing the whole time. She would bend over, stick her butt in the air and start laughing harder. Eventually, she asked me to put her favorite pair of Doc Martins on and go on a walk around Young’s Hill with her. I quickly apologized to Chad for leaving him alone to deep clean the Playroom, and I took off to join Jamie. Nothing could prepare me for the walk we took. It felt like a walk with individuals who were grieving – it’s hard to explain. Initially, things were normal. Jamie had requested I drive the Sidekick with her boots around the Hill. Missy joined us, so it ended up being Jamie, Missy, and I going for a walk. We started up the steepest part of the Hill, but less than halfway through, Missy peeled off to the right and Jamie paused. I was trying to take a video of Foxie carrying her dolls on her back when I noticed what everyone was doing… gathering. It looked like Burrito, Foxie, Annie, Missy, and even Jamie (from a far) took a moment to themselves to pay their respects to Jody around her burial site. I understand that this is my interpretation and that we may never actually know what they were thinking or doing in that moment. However, all these grieving people were in one place. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful moment and it struck me. Later, after everyone started going further up the Hill, Foxie hung back to climb up “The Twister”, which used to be something Jody would do with her, while always giving her encouragement and the courage to climb higher. But today, Foxie climbed it “alone”, but maybe someone was nearby giving her that same encouragement she had before. Foxie only went up a little more before she ultimately climbed down and joined everyone else at the top on the Hill.

Personally, this year has been a hard one, losing both Jody and my Oliver. Grief is a funny thing. It’s never completely gone and you never know when it is going to decided to show up and smack you in the face. There are good days and years, but also waves of sadness that makes things feel like they are crashing down. The date, May 1st, is always hard for me and this year marked 9 years since the passing of my dad. Some years have gone by and I have noticed his presence missing but have been able to keep moving on, while other years, like this year in particular, I feel like I lost him all over again. I know that in my own grief with losing Jody, I often will think about her during forages for the chimps or when I’m ordering produce thinking, “Oh, Jody will love this!”, only to feel a pain in my heart realizing she is no longer here. On party days, I think about how she used to walk bipedally down the Hill with an arm-load of leafy greens! Jody had been with her group members for most of their lives so it’s normal for their to be a continued absence. Though the chimps are doing quite well and have gone back into a routine since Jody’s passing, I think it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that the chimps do have the same stages of grief that we do. I am sure that they too have good days and others where there is a hole that only Jody could fill.

Thank you for letting me share this story.

Just a bonus photo of Foxie with a doll on her back:

And for my Oliver, who I will forever be thankful for and will always stay in my heart. I miss you. I love you so much.

Happy 48th Birthday Missy!

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Today we celebrated Missy turning 48 years young! Life with Missy is a very fun ride. She is a loyal friend to her very core, she would do anything for her family, she is adventurous, she is attentive, she is thoughtful to the ones she loves most, and also she is fast! As you can see from the video, Missy was not disappointed in her party. Watching Missy try to carry 7 giant tomatoes in her arms is an image that I hope we all cherish forever. Something that may not surprise any of you is that she also requested more tomatoes at dinner! I made a very long video, which has now left me here late at the chimp house. I will leave you with the extra long video and a few photos captured from today.

And our heartfelt thanks goes out to Paulette Wrisley, the second wonderful human to sponsor today in celebration of Missy and the amazing chimpanzee woman she is. We are so grateful to Paulette and Marcie for helping to make today special and for helping to ensure Missy could eat tomatoes to her heart’s content.

Missy on the Hill his morning:

Our vet Erin captured these beautiful photos of Annie and Missy!

Annie:

The Birthday girl:

Eventually Missy had enough of the camera and turned her back on all of us (very Missy):

All Around the Raspberry Bush

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When caregivers are assigned to be the lead caregiver on a certain day, one of our first tasks is to “open up” the Chimp House. For me, this is one of the best times of day because it’s still early in the morning and some residents are still not fully awake. Case in point: Negra

To walk in the morning to see Negra still in bed, you kind of watch in real time what kind of mood she will be in that particular day. And yes. She has been in a really good mood today.

Since she was in a good mood upon awakening, and because today’s high temperature in Central Washington is 70º, it was a perfect day for a lunch forage on Young’s Hill. As of this typing (almost dinner time), they have been going on and off Young’s Hill looking for anything they may have missed. On today’s forage menu was: baby iceberg lettuce heads, prickly pears, and sweet potatoes.

Foxie

Burrito (and Foxie) enjoying some baby iceberg lettuce

Missy does the same

Negra: (Iceberg) Head Hunter

With everybody in high spirits, it was also a great day to set up a browse of raspberry branches! Jamie could not have been more content!

And just like the chimpanzees’ night bags, here is a final treat of bonus photos to end today’s blog!

Rayne fishing for cherry tomatoes yesterday

Gordo keeping an eye on the medical staff during a tour after Willy B’s procedure yesterday

And finally, this guy! If you look carefully, you can find an “Easter egg” within this photo

Life

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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 Great Potato Pilferer

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This afternoon we put out a lunch forage and everyone quietly and calmly collected their own meals. Missy gathered a large cache of potatoes and headed bipedally back to the greenhouse.

Here’s a poor photo of her forage efforts so you get the idea:

Once she made it back to the greenhouse, she sat down to leisurely finish her lunch:

Meanwhile, Negra went directly to “Negra’s Cabin” and sat down to collect the primate chow we had scattered in there before heading back inside with a big mouthful:

Look out Missy! The Queen charges an income tax.

Missy is a loyal subject and knows when to step aside, no drama necessary. Negra knows an easy “forage” opportunity when she sees one.

Her Royal Highness and her potato plunder:

Holy Sheet!

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We recently asked for a few new sheets on the Wish List. As some of you might know, Rayne and Honey B seem to really like sheets, whether they are used for nesting, fashion, or playing! So overall bedding sheets are a great form of enrichment! The chimps can only have the flat sheets due to the elastic on the bottom sheets, however once we received and checked that they were chimp approved we put the sheets out on Rayne’s side. It was the first thing Rayne grabbed as you will see in the video! Honey B likes to think outside of the box, so she decided to use her sheets a little differently! If anyone has new/gently used top sheets they would like to donate for the chimps, we would be happy to take them off your hands!

Rayne with new sheets:

Just pictures of Rayne:

Jamie also likes to use them for nesting:

Now for the bonus photos!

Jamie scored big today on the forage, she only wanted corn apparently:

Negra was happy with her one ear of corn:

Jamie grooming Negra while Missy grooms Jamie:

**Reminders corner** Don’t forget we have lots of stuff still on the Wish List for Gordo’s birthday! Yesterday, we started selling tickets for HOOT!, you can join us in-person on September 9th or virtually! We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone, don’t miss out on the early bird pricing happening right now!