Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Missy

The Rainy Day

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The weather has been volatile today as you can see by the clouds menacing the sanctuary with the promise of rain.

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What better way to spend a rainy, blustery Sunday than curled up in a nest with some of your favorite things? I certainly can’t argue with that!

Annie nesting in the greenhouse:
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Missy in a nest on the catwalk in the playroom:
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Jamie inside with her boots:
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Jody peeking out from a nest on the catwalk:
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Negra from underneath the blankets:
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And while I personally would prefer the nap, I have it on good authority that although rain is threatening, that’s no reason to cancel a perfectly good walk around Young’s Hill!

Happy Birthday, Missy!

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Missy turned 38 today, and to celebrate we made the day all about her. Volunteers Patti and Annie brought some of Missy’s favorite foods and toys, and we did forages in the greenhouse and on Young’s Hill for breakfast. We also harvested cattails from the pond. Tonight, we’ll put out Kongs after dinner, which are her favorite food puzzles.

The Cle Elum Seven really have aged backwards since coming to the sanctuary – it’s hard to believe that playful, active Missy is 38 years old. Let’s hope she never acts her age.

The Explorers Club

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Everyday, Jamie goes on walks around the perimeter of Young’s Hill. Her day is not complete until she surveys the boundaries, checks to see what the neighbors horses are doing, and pokes a stick into a ground squirrel nest or two. From the top of the hill, she can view the entire canyon and even the mountains in the distance.

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Missy often tags along with Jamie for her daily walks, but she tends to get distracted halfway through. Jamie is too slow, too methodical. Missy can only walk for so long before she needs to climb something and jump off it.

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I consider Annie an involuntary member of the explorer’s club. She’s just along for the ride because she can’t let her best friend Missy out of her sight.

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Jody loves to pick and eat wild plants. There’s a great patch of prickly lettuce and mustard at the top of the hill, and that’s all the motivation that Jody needs.

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Young’s Hill is only two acres, but the top of the hill can seem like a world away from the safety and security of the building so not everyone is comfortable spending a lot of time up there. Foxie, Burrito, and Negra all tend to stay in the lower half of the enclosure. But we’ve already seen them push the boundaries of their comfort zones this year, so maybe one day we’ll find all seven of them looking down on us from the top of Young’s Hill.

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Summer Sun

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It’s a warm, quiet afternoon in sanctuary and the chimpanzees are spending time each according to her(or his) nature. Jamie and I took some new footwear for a walk around Young’s Hill after lunch. Missy accompanied us for part of the way and then we all returned to the greenhouse to escape the heat. The greenhouse appears to be the place to hang out on a hot summer afternoon!

Providing options for individual choice is one of the many perks of working at the sanctuary and it makes me proud to be able to share quality time with each chimpanzee in the manner that most appeals to them.

Here is Jamie, ready to groom the now traveled boot.
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Missy, enjoying the relative cool of the greenhouse after the eastern Washington summer sun.
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Annie stayed put in the greenhouse. Here she is gazing in the direction of the helicopter overhead.
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Burrito, playful as ever!
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For Ned and Noreen O’Flaherty

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Today was sponsored by Joan O’Flaherty in memory of the anniversary of her parents, Ned and Noreen O’Flaherty.  Ned and Noreen shared a love of animals, and concern about conservation and environmental issues, and Joan is certain that they would have loved the chimpanzees.  Joan, thank you so much for thinking of the chimpanzees in such a special way.  It makes my heart happy to know people think of the chimps when thinking of their loved ones.

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