Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Missy

Blue Skies

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Though the air might be chilly, the skies are blue, and for January, that’s really all we can ask for! As soon as the sun peeked through the clouds, Jamie’s group couldn’t resist soaking up some much needed Vitamin D. A little sunshine can do wonders, especially in the middle of winter!

Burrito, Annie, Foxie, and Missy were ready to get out and explore:

Burrito climbed up and enjoyed the view:

More of Burrito:

  

Missy adventured past the path and into the snow:

Foxie came out with her doll to see what was happening:

Jamie went out onto Young’s Hill for a quick lap and then tried to get some snow to go. Unfortunately, this snow is pretty hard and compacted so it wasn’t very fruitful:

If you’re looking for ways to support the chimps, our Wish List is a fantastic way to make a direct impact on their care!

Chimpanzee Locomotion (in Snow)

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Yesterday, Krissy posted a video of Rayne getting snow snacks following our first snowfall here at the sanctuary on November 17th.

You can tell in that video that the sky was a bit overcast. With a few notable exceptions, that’s how the sky has looked for most of this winter so far. The appearance of the sun receives a great deal of excitement from the humans these days.

And today, it was visible!

Perhaps Missy and Annie were equally excited for the sight of the sun because Ellen spotted them on one of the climbing structures on Young’s Hill.

I was able to climb up to the top of the observation deck and snap some photos of Missy walking back inside.

There was a path shoveled from a couple of weeks ago for the chimps to follow, but, still, they had to get their hands and feet in the snow some.

When I was looking at the photos I took, what came to mind is the way chimpanzees move.

Most often, when on the ground or a flat surface, chimpanzees are quadrupedal. That means they walk on both their hands and their feet. Their particular quadrupedal walking utilizes the flat part their feet, like humans, and the knuckles of their hands.

Chimpanzees can also walk bipedally like humans, just utilizing the bottom of their feet and allowing their arms to hang by their sides (or hold a bunch of foraged food like the photo of Missy below).

Their heads sit differently on their spine than humans and their hips are different, so bipedal walking is not as easy for them.

Missy, however, often does a “jump through” movement, especially when traversing the outdoors. In scientific circles this is known as “crutch-walking.”

You can see it in the photos below. Her arms are parallel and she pulls both of her feet through her arms at the same time.

After doing that once or twice, she moved on to the more common quadrupedal locomotion:

Finding Comfort & Joy

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Where does one find Comfort & Joy?

For me, it’s a hot drink, a fuzzy blanket, and a good book on a cold day with nothing important to do.  Caregiver Ellen finds Comfort & Joy in the great outdoors with her pups, or a good meal!  Caregiver Anna finds Comfort & Joy in her ginormous beanbag chair, trash TV and a cup of tea or a relaxing massage.  Caregiver Jenna finds Comfort & Joy spending the holidays at her parents home, thunderstorms, freshly washed sheets and mashed potatoes!  Caregiver Chad, when I asked “Where do you find Comfort & Joy?” answered with “I follow the link.”   I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Chad finds Comfort & Joy snuggling his precious kitty CC (Cat Chad) in his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajamas (Chad says I nailed it!).

Where do the chimps find Comfort & Joy?

I think it’s safe to say that Missy and Annie find great Comfort & Joy in their dear friendship.  Jamie finds Comfort & Joy in a well crafted nest with a boot and a good book tucked into her pelvic pocket.  Foxie loves her baby dolls and a delicious smoothie.  Burrito finds so much Joy frolicking with his many human friends!  Negra is happiest tucked into a cozy nest with just her face peeking out, watching a caregiver dance, and munching lettuce.  Of course, you’ll never find Cy without a magazine in his possession, ideally a good gossip rag!  Honey B, Dora and Mave, collectively known as Mora B, like to spend quality time together thwarting the shifting plans of the caregivers.  Willy B finds Joy watching chimp videos on caregiver’s phones. What brings Gordo Comfort & Joy?  A box, of course!  Rayne also loves a good box, positive reinforcement training, and when her caregivers serve her meal in the correct order.  Lucky loves Jenna, I mean, she REALLY loves Jenna!  And last but certainly not least, our dear Teeny Tiny Terry finds Comfort blowing raspberries, and Joy grooming caregiver boots and licking the backs of our hands!

Where do YOU find Comfort & Joy?  We can help with that!

Our annual Comfort & Joy Quid Pro Throw online auction is in full swing! Register to bid on items for the chimps, that we will give to them on your behalf, and also bid on unique items for yourself or for a loved one! We will be adding new items regularly, so you’ll want to check back in throughout the auction, which ends November 20th.  Our CSNW calendars just dropped at a special pre order price!  I’m pretty sure you need one for every room in your house!  Also, WE HAVE CHIMPANZEE TRADING CARDS!!  What!?  Yep, you heard it here first!  Chimp trading cards!  How fun is that?  I wonder if they include a rock hard stick of gum?  I digress.  Do what Chad says, and follow the link!  The holidays are just around the corner!  It’s a great time to pick something up for the chimps, for yourself and for your most favorite person!  (And, if I happen to be your most favorite person, I’d like the Wearable Hoodie Snuggle Blanket with Chimpanzee Photos for You, please and thank you!)

 

 

 

Chimps Chimp

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I thought that today I’d talk about the chimps’ human vs. non-human relationships and their personal preferences. Avid blog followers often hear us use the phrase “chimps chimp.” We use this phrase to explain a chimp like Missy. For example, though Missy does have human relationships, she seems to prefer to be surrounded by her chimpanzee friends (which we love). While other chimps, like Burrito, specifically seek out their caregivers for many interactions.

It is important to acknowledge that every chimp has a different background. While some of the chimps were raised in labs, others started their lives as pets. Those like Jamie and Burrito, who were owned by humans, tend to be more human-oriented. Despite this, we always want to encourage the chimp’s relationships first. For example, if we walk out to a greenhouse and see all the chimps grooming, we will walk away and come back another time, so we don’t disturb the grooming session.  Again, there are a lot of different factors that go into why chimps choose who they want for their company. The special thing about sanctuary is that the chimps are provided with as much choice as we can possibly provide, and choosing who they want to spend time with is one of them!

Jamie:

I think it will come as no surprise that Jamie is more human-oriented. Jamie does have close relationships with her group-mates, especially Burrito, but she is often looking for a caregiver to go on a perimeter walk with.

Missy:

Missy, like I have mentioned before, is more of a chimps-chimp. Missy is the closest to Annie, but she does seem to have strong relationships with everyone in the group. Missy does seek out caregivers every once in a while for a game of chase or tug-a-war, even some grooming! When Missy does seek you out for any interaction, it feels like a huge honor that you drop everything for!

Annie:

Annie leans a bit more chimp oriented. Annie’s closest friend is Missy. However, Annie will seek out caregivers sometimes, especially when she has a tool and groom her caregivers toes!

Foxie:

Foxie is a little of both. Foxie does spend a lot of time with her chimp friends, especially Burrito. However, Foxie does really enjoy playing with her caregivers! It usually involves entrusting her caregivers with a doll. As well as us holding an doll, throwing a dolling, or playing troll-ski!

Burrito:

Burrito might be pretty obvious. He is very human-oriented, play all day! Burrito is always looking for a caregiver to play with, especially to run around Young’s Hill with. However, Burrito does have good relationships with his group members and can even get the most serious chimps like Jamie to let out her silly side.

Negra:

Negra is hard to describe. I can’t say she sways one way or the other. She is well respected in her group and has strong relationships with all the chimps, but everything is on her terms and that goes for humans too. She will interact with who she wants when she wants. When she does decide to play with her chimp friends she is rougher than people would expect!

Mave:

Mave would be described as a chimps-chimp. She has always been very invested in her chimp relationships. Mave was a magnet to Dora and it has been that way ever since we integrated the two groups. Mave is still loyal to her friends Honey B and Willy B, but she spends a lot of time on her relationship with Dora. This year in particular I do find Mave seeking a rare game of chase with her caregivers, grooming, or giving more kisses out. So maybe we are growing on her :).

Honey B:

Honey B can be described as leaning towards more human-oriented. However, as her relationships grow in the group of nine, it seems like Honey B does seek out her chimp friends more, which is huge! As a caregiver, that is the hope to provide more social enrichment! However, Honey B also seems to like her alone time, which I can’t blame her for.

Willy B:

Willy B is definitely a chimps-chimp. Though he can be a troublemaker and start drama in the group, Willy B does seem to value his male relationships, especially Cy. Willy B also loves his friend Rayne, who seems to really get him.

Cy:

Cy is interesting because I think he wants to be more human-oriented, but is duty bound in his role as the male leader. Cy is well respected in this group and is seen in a lot of the grooming trains in the greenhouses. Cy really does love seeking out his human caregivers for a game of chase or grooming. Terry might be Cy closest chimp friend.

Gordo:

Gordo is another interesting one! I don’t think we consider Gordo either one. He is more peripheral – watching from the background. Gordo does likes to go out onto the Bray and watch the girls on Jamie’s side. Gordo is usually seen spending time with Dora, Mave, and Terry.

Rayne:

Rayne is a chimps chimp, she is very socially savvy! Rayne has a lot of strong relationships with everyone in her group. However, she does like to spend time with her caregivers grooming or sporadically playing chase.

Lucky:

Lucky seems to be more human-oriented, but with specific humans. She is slow to warm up to most new people. Lucky is known to put new caregivers through a hazing period. She is probably closest to Rayne, but also likes to have a little alone time.

Terry:

Terry seems to be a chimps-chimp, but loooooooves his human caregivers! Terry, like Cy, is often in the grooming trains throughout the day. Terry spends lots of time with all the girls. He is one of the girls 🙂

Dora:

Dora shocked us all! Dora is a chimps-chimp. Dora is now a social butterfly. Everyone wants to spend time with her. She spends a lot of her time with Mave, Honey B, and Gordo who she was closest to when she first arrived. When Dora first came to CSNW, she seemed to be a bit more closed off, but has really seemed to flourish in the group of nine.

Pumpkin Season

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Pumpkin season is finally here! As a Fall-lovin’ girl, this is my favorite time of year. I love watching the PNW trees change color, the air gradually getting colder, and having to unpack my sweatshirts from storage bags. It’s the best!

Today, despite it being in the 60’s, it was a beautiful day for a forage on Young’s Hill and The Bray. Along with vegetables, the chimps enjoyed pineapple as well as mini pumpkins! We don’t usually have pumpkins ahead of Jamieween, so they were extra amped to see them on the menu. Even Queen Negra left her warm cozy nest to venture out to score one of the pumpkins, food squeaks and all.

I’d also like to give a special shout out to Caregiver Chad for snapping these photos for me! I knew he’d be my best bet to get some quality shots of the chimps grabbing the pumpkins. Enjoy!

Annie foraging:

Burrito:

Foxie pant hooting:

Jamie (left) and Burrito (right):

Jamie:

Missy:

Neggie:

Photo Roundup!

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Today has been a busy day. As I was starting to put together my blog, Jamie started alarm-calling, which most often means a snake has found its way through our snake fencing and is in the chimpanzees’ space. We quickly jumped into action to recall her group, asking them to come off of Young’s Hill and into the Greenhouse and their indoor spaces, and thankfully everyone except for Annie and Jamie was already inside. Annie made her way in quickly, and everyone was rewarded with strawberries while we waited for Jamie to be convinced that the humans could handle the snake problem and come back inside. Everyone is back inside now and enjoying their strawberries as a reward for participating in recall. Dessert before dinner, what a day!

Here are some photos from the day:

Missy enjoying her nest (reimagined from Negra’s earlier nest) in the Greenhouse this afternoon

Foxie with her doll

Mave taking some time for self-care, and grooming herself

Burrito with a block in his mouth, mid play-session!