Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Missy

An afternoon on the hill

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Today after lunch I stepped outside to see what the chimpanzees were up to. I found Annie all alone on Young’s Hill, having a quiet moment.

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Considering Annie is the lowest chimp in the hierarchy, she’s looking awfully confident these days.

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A while later, boss Jamie (right) came outside and Annie offered her a submissive greeting.

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Eventually Missy came out, and she and Jamie started up the hill for a perimeter walk. But just when they were getting started, a brief scuffle broke out in the greenhouse and Jamie ran inside to sort things out.

After that bit of drama, the boss was ready for a nap.

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The relentless hawk

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The hawk saga has continued this week and the chimps are still on high alert. Last week, J.B. posted about a hawk that caused the chimps to be somewhat apprehensive.

Here’s a couple shots of the hawk (we’re calling him Hank).

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Since Hank has been hanging out this whole week, the chimps are more used to his presence, but they are still very territorial. Today, Missy was still a little apprehensive and took cover inside the tunnel, and then ran back toward the safety of the chimp house. But Foxie, Jody, and Jamie were on patrol letting Hank know who’s in charge.

Missy emerging from the tunnel:
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Foxie, Jody, and Jamie on alert:
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And then on patrol to secure the rest of the territory:
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Jamie took one last look back to make sure Hank learned his lesson:
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It’s really great getting to see the chimps exhibit such a naturalistic behavior—patrolling the fence line and defending their home.

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More ways to help the chimps!

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One of my favorite things about our gala auction (and online auction, too!) is that people who bid on items not only give generously to support the chimps, but they get a nice tangible item too. Win-win! There are many different ways to help support the chimps, from sponsoring a day of sanctuary to becoming a pal to one of the Cle Elum Seven, to participating in our fundraising events, and even just in your everyday shopping!

Awhile back we posted about how Amazon’s program AmazonSmile will donate a portion of sales from everyday things you shop for on Amazon to the sanctuary (read more on how to set that up here). We also have a program set up through Fred Meyer, a northwest one-stop-shop store, and a way to help the sanctuary when buying or selling on eBay through eBay Giving Works. You also can apply for a credit card that helps out the chimps! All win-win deals. Check all those options out on this page.

One new thing we added to that page was our connection with Cars 4 Causes, an organization which takes vehicles, gets them prepped for sale, auctions them off and then gives a chunk of the proceeds to the sanctuary! My family actually recently took advantage of this opportunity and donated our boat that I remember taking camping trips in as a child. It went up for auction and did really well—but unfortunately, the high bidder backed out last minute for financial reasons and so the boat is back up for auction. Seattle-area friends, please spread the word about this auction! And if you or anyone you know is thinking about getting rid of a vehicle, consider donating it to Cars 4 Causes to support CSNW.

Here’s some pictures of the chimps, as a reminder of who you are supporting with all these fun and unique ways to donate:

Annie
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Jamie
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Missy
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Foxie
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Chimp mothers

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Yesterday was Negra’s son Noah’s birthday, and Save the Chimps posted a photo of the birthday boy which I shared today on our Facebook page. We’ve shared stories of Noah before (as well as Negra’s daughters Angel (also at Save the Chimps) and Heidi (she’s sadly still in a lab).

A question we almost always get is whether the chimps would recognize their kids should they ever have the chance to. For the kids that are no longer in labs (Negra’s kids Noah and Angel at Save the Chimps, Foxie’s daughter Angie at Save the Chimps, Jody’s kids Andrea, Bart, and Clay at Save the Chimps, Annie’s kids Mariah and Virgil at Save the Chimps and son Tobias at Chimp Haven, and Missy’s kids Josh and Honey B at Wildlife Waystation) that will likely never happen. It’s also not too likely that their kids who are still in labs would ever be reunited with them (Foxie’s kids Kelsey and David, Negra’s daughter Heidi, and Jody’s son Levi) because they are fully grown adults and it would be difficult to integrate them into our existing group.

But if at another sanctuary a mother were reunited with her children, would they recognize each other? My response to this question is usually simply: probably not. As is the case with most lab births, their babies were taken away from them within days (sometimes just hours) so the likelihood that they would recognize their fully grown children is pretty slim. I think of human births where the babies are given for adoption — would they recognize their biological child 20 years later? Probably not… but maybe. There have been stories of chimps being reunited with their mothers after being separated from each other very early on, who showed signs of recognizing each other. So, I guess the answer should be: probably not, but it is possible.

Here’s some recent photos of our chimp mothers:

Annie

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Foxie

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Jody

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Missy

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Negra

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We are grateful to the sanctuaries who are caring for the Cle Elum Seven’s children, and hope that one day soon Levi, Kelsey, David, Heidi, and the hundreds of other chimps still in labs will find a sanctuary to call home.

Best of today

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There were so many good photos of each of the chimpanzees that I had to share them all on today’s blog. It’s really hard to pick a favorite.

Annie’s beauty is beyond words.
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Missy actually sat still long enough for us to get a few photos.
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Foxie enjoyed her pears at breakfast. Perhaps they taste better by the mouthful.
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Burrito spent part of the afternoon playing with his wooden blocks and his own arm.
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Jamie took a moment to pose for the camera before going for a walk on Young’s Hill.
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Jody took some time to groom herself and ponder her surroundings.
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Negra in her favorite nesting spot on the catwalk.
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Missy in the portrait studio!

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I’ve been trying for awhile to collect images of all the chimps in our “portrait studio” — it’s a spot on a bench in the front rooms right next to the window, which allows for the best lighting and background for close-ups of the chimps.

When the chimps first arrived, they spent a couple days in the front rooms before shifting into the playroom (to ease the transition into a big, expansive room—probably scary after years inside tiny cages) and so many of our photos of the chimps when they first arrived are on that bench. For some of them that was the first time in decades they’d had a chance to look out a window.

Anyway, a few months ago I complied some of the more recent portrait studio photos and compared them to the photos of the chimps from those first few days in sanctuary. The changes are so extraordinary! Missy, however, was absent from that post because we didn’t have a recent photo of her in that spot. She is always on the move and doesn’t sit on the bench long enough for us to grab the camera and get a good close-up. The other day, finally, Katelyn was able to snap a couple of quick photos of her before she jumped off. So, without further ado, I present you with Missy’s before-and-after comparison:

Missy, a couple days after the chimps’ arrival:
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Missy, over six years later:
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