Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Missy

St. Patrick’s Day Party – in brief verse

by

There were seven chimps of Cle Elum
Who were ready for breakfasts of melon.
The party was set
In the greenhouse the fete.
At foraging they were excelling!

And, yes, I apologize in advance for my less then ideal rhymes, it’s very difficult to come up with words that rhyme with Cle Elum. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!!

Annie forages for nuts in a sock:
web_Annie_forage_sock_stpatricksday_party_GH_ls_IMG_9996

Foxie forages for strawberries on the wooden platform:
(Jody’s drinking from a tiny cup in the background.)
web_Foxie_forage_stpatricksday_party_GH_ls_IMG_9888

Jamie takes up two chairs while she forages for treats:
web_Jamie_sit_on_two_chairs_stpatricksday_party_GH_ls_IMG_9895

Negra forages for chow with the bamboo behind her:
web_Negra_forage_stpatricksday_party_GH_ek_IMG_9892

Missy forages for treats from the party bags:
web_Missy_open_treat_bag_stpatricksday_party_GH_ls_IMG_9923

Jody forages for fruit on the platform in the greenhouse:
web_Jody_forage_stpatricksday_party_sit_on_platform_GH_ls_IMG_9904

Burrito also forages, but for chow, on the platform:
web_Burrito_forage_stpatricksday_party_GH_ls_IMG_9982

Jamie
web_Jamie_look_towards_camera_hold_firehose_GH_ls_IMG_9963

Missy
web_Missy_sit_in_window_look_toward_camera_GH_ls_IMG_9922

Negra
web_Negra_closeup_GH_ek_IMG_9891

Jody
web_Jody_hold_nut_in_hand_stpatricksday_party_GH_ls_IMG_9899

Foxie
web_Foxie_closeup_look_toward_camera-ish_GH_ek_IMG_9883

Burrito
web_Burrito_profile_bamboo_GH_ls_IMG_9959

Annie
web_Annie_closeup_happy_look_up_food_in_hand_GH_ek_IMG_9870

Scale

by

We tend to use the zoom lens when taking photos of the chimpanzees on Young’s Hill. This allows for a close-up view of the chimps, but doesn’t give much of a sense of what it’s like to see the chimps on two acres of land. Some of my favorite photos are those in which the chimps are just specks on the larger landscape.

Foxie and Missy:

web_Missy_Foxie_steal_dora_skywalk_YH_jb_IMG_5582

Jamie, Missy, and Jody:

web_multiple_chimps_shaky_bridge_enrichment_structure_yh_jb_IMG_9769

Jamie:

web_Jamie_log_bridge_YH_farm_in_background_jb_IMG_7284

Negra:

web_Negra_sit_YH_ek_IMG_7988

Missy and Foxie:

web_foxie_missy_sit_dora_shaky_bridge_bamboo_fall_yh_IMG_5002

Jamie:

web_Jamie_bipedal_top_of_YH_smoke_masatash_fire_jb_IMG_3886

Spring and Missy have sprung

by

The chimpanzees (and humans) are continuing to enjoy the arrival of warmer spring days and many forages on Young’s Hill. Missy, never one to miss an adventurous moment, has been warming up her fire hose tightrope walking skills:

web_missy_climb_fire_hose_tight_rope_taken_from_visitor_platform_YH_jb_IMG_7953

I particularly love her great form in this photo:

web_missy_climb_fire_hose_tight_rope_taken_from_visitor_platform_YH_jb_IMG_7954

web_missy_climb_fire_hose_tight_rope_taken_from_visitor_platform_YH_jb_IMG_7955

During one of the forages, Missy spotted a piece of corn on the cob which had gone unnoticed. Corn on the cob is a highly prized favorite among the chimpanzees and you can see her casually looking around to make sure it’s OK for her to take it, before scooping it up:

web_missy_look_out_forage_YH_dm_IMG_7877

web_missy_look_toward_camera_YH_dm_IMG_7878

Here she is enjoying some of her spoils as she relaxes in the sun:

web_missy_eat_forage_log_YH_dm_IMG_7915

web_missy_eat_forage_log_YH_dm_IMG_7922

It was warm enough yesterday that we were even able to open the barn doors at the end of the playroom. When these doors are open, the chimps have a view of part of their garden and it’s a great spot to sit in the afternoon sun. Most of the chimps get pretty excited when the doors are open, but Missy in particular loves it! She asks us to open them all winter long, as if she hopes it might be spring out that side of the building, and it’s always hard to tell her we have to wait for warmer weather. Needless to say, between forages, tightrope walking, an open air playroom, and countless adventures, Missy seems pretty thrilled that spring has sprung at the sanctuary.

Play, play, play

by

Annie and Missy are quite well-known for their excited games of chase and wrestling throughout the chimp house. Negra, however, isn’t always the most likely play partner—and when she does play, she’s got her own speed (kinda slow). This time Negra was keeping up with the experts!

This video is a little longer than some of our others but I thought you wouldn’t want to miss a second of this fun play session. Thanks again to Patty W. for sponsoring today for us and for being Negra’s Pal!

)

Here Comes the Sun

by

We had a cold, snowy, gray February here in Cle Elum – not the kind of weather these chimpanzees appreciate. So we’re all thrilled that spring is imminent. The skies are blue again, the sun is out, and the temperatures are mild.

The weather was so beautiful as I was driving to the sanctuary this morning that I decided we’d try to set up a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill for the chimps. But soon a cool wind picked up, so we opted for the sunny and warm greenhouse instead. The chimps thought this was a great idea.

Burrito:

web_Burrito_breakfast_forage_eat_hold_chow_food_look_at_camera_GH_ek_IMG_9631

Annie:

web_Annie_breakfast_forage_sit_on_tire_hold_apples_food_GH_ek_IMG_9610

Missy:

web_Missy_GH_ek_IMG_9659

web_Missy_breakfast_forage_food_in_mouth_GH_ek_IMG_9660

Foxie:

web_Foxie_breakfast_forage_hold_eat_food_GH_ek_IMG_9616

Negra:

web_Negra_look_toward_camera_GH_ek_IMG_9628

web_Negra_profile_GH_ek_IMG_9639

Jody:

web_Jody_drooped_lip_GH_ek_IMG_9663

Satisfaction

by

There is a look I am privileged to see on the faces of the chimpanzees living in sanctuary here and it is a look that gives me chills every time I see it. It is the look of satisfaction, which, to me, is even better than joy. Merriam Webster defines the word as follows:

sat·is·fac·tion \?sa-t?s-?fak-sh?n\

: a happy or pleased feeling because of something that you did or something that happened to you

: the act of providing what is needed or desired; the act of satisfying a need or desire

: a result that deals with a problem or complaint in an acceptable way

I can’t think of a more fitting description of the act of sanctuary. Knowing that we have provided the satisfaction of freedom of choice whether large or small is an incomparable gift. It can be an elusive look to try to capture on film though. Can you see it?

Jamie:
web_Jamie_close_up_profile_brush_hair_GH_ek_IMG_9374

Negra:
web_Negra_mardi_gras_forage_profile_sit_in_sun_look_toward_tire_chow_in_hand_GH_ls_IMG_9406

Burrito:
web_Burrito_close_up_profile_chow_in_mouth_GH_ls_IMG_9418

Missy:

web_Missy_sit_near_doorY_look_toward_YH_from_GH_ls_IMG_9580

Foxie:
web_Foxie_close_up_profile_GH_ls_IMG_9572

Jody:
web_Jody_lie_down_selfgroom_look_toward_camera_stairs_PR_ls_IMG_8898

Annie:
web_Annie_mardi_gras_forage_close_up_eat_grapefruit_look_down_GH_ls_IMG_9446

Enjoying the winter sun

by

We have continued to get quite a bit of snow off and on at the sanctuary over the last week and while the chimpanzees do have access to Young’s Hill, they have understandably chosen to stay indoors and make good use of their caregivers by asking us to fetch snow for them to eat. Maybe not so much asking, as demanding. But that’s why we’re here and we wouldn’t have it any other way. They each took handfuls, mouthfuls, and “footfuls” (that could be a word…) and swung up to the upper level of the greenhouse, or the southern facing windows, to enjoy it while lounging in the sun. Smart chimps.

The sun has been out intermittently today so the chimps have spent a lot of the day napping and grooming in the warmth. Before lunch, I found Burrito (left) and Missy (right) grooming one another in the sun:

web_Burrito_Missy_groom_RP_kd_IMG_9012

Notice Missy’s prehensile lip action while grooming Burrito.

web_Missy_groom_Burrito_lips_kd_IMG_9014

Of course, Jamie is a busy lady and doesn’t have much time to relax. In the midst of everyone else lying about, enter Jamie, pant hooting (notice the hoot face) and pounding on her barrel:

web_Jamie_display_PR_barrel_kd_IMG_9019

As a result, Missy and Burrito’s grooming session came to an abrupt halt. As you can probably tell from the photo, they may have just been a little too relaxed to respond:

web_Missy_Burrito_stop_grooming_Jamie_display_kd_IMG_9022

Jamie’s display was short lived and I think everyone else was feeling so relaxed they chose to ignore the outburst for the most part and just continue enjoying the warmth of the winter sun.

web_Burrito_profile_sit_sun_PR_kd_IMG_9026

web_Burrito_look_at_camera_sit_sun_kd_IMG_9027

And THANK YOU to all of our amazing supporters who have not only helped us reach our Share the Chimp Love goal, but surpass it!! It’s truly because of each of you that the chimpanzees are able to enjoy their “day in the sun” so to speak. We are so grateful to all of you who have been able to contribute! We still have 8 days left so please continue to share your love for the chimps and spread the word about our fundraiser!