Missy

Chimp Lesson #7: It Can Wait

November 15, 2023 by Grace

Last month, caregiver Sabrina wrote the first in a series of blogs titled ‘Lessons the Chimps Have Taught Us‘. Today, I would like to add to it. 🙂

We mention it quite often, but our days here are buuuusssyyy. We have a lot to do and time tends to slip away from us, or maybe time really does just go faster when you’re in the chimp house. Either way, we have to make conscious decisions throughout the day about how we spend our time to make sure we get everything done and also spend time with the chimps.

This morning, Sabrina and I went and did our perimeter check of Young’s Hill and the Bray. I was standing by the raceway (the connecting enclosure from the Greenhouse to Young’s Hill) while giving caregiver Jenna my safety report over the radio and Burrito was already being his wild self! Wanting to play a game of chase, he would run over to me, stomp his back foot, and go running off- with me following, of course. I thought that I would need to take a few minutes to play chase with him before doing the rest of the lead caregiver’s morning responsibilities, but he had other things in mind.

As soon as I opened the door, he was running! And, not just running, but looking back at me, clapping, breathy panting, and stomping his feet. Not only was he going for a morning jog around the hill, but I was about to go with him.

I always get really happy when a chimp asks me to spend time with them- whether it be a walk outside, a quiet grooming session, or a game of chase. It’s just, well, special. And it never gets old.

While I was happy to spend time with Burrito, my mind was definitely on everything that I had to get done today. A few steps around the hill, though, Burrito paused our race to sit down while looking back at the chimp house. The winter chill could definitely be felt this morning and there was a layer of fog around the foothills, but the blue winter-y morning light made everything extra breath-taking.

I grew up in Ohio and while the Midwest has it’s own charm and beauty, I don’t think there’s anything like the mountains on a cold winter morning.

So, all this to say that today I was reminded of one of the things that the chimps have taught me.

Your to-do list will always be there and it will always be just as important. But- taking the time to spend quality, fully present moments with people you love is a pretty good reason to put it on hold. It can wait… Burrito can’t. 🙂

I hope you enjoy this mornings walk as much as I did.

Photos from My Vault

Gordo, enjoying a sunny lunch forage:

Terry, looking out to the Bray:

Don’t forget to participate in our Comfort & Joy Online Auction– be sure to get your bids & donations in before the event ends this Saturday, November 18th. 🙂

Never a Dull Moment

October 25, 2023 by Kelsi

I don’t think I have ever experienced a dull day here at CSNW. I truly don’t believe that there is such a thing with chimps. Especially when you have a chimp like Honey B always keeping you on your toes, or a chimp like Missy who seems to want nothing to do with humans, but all of the sudden you are playing chase and tug-a-war. Or when you put out enrichment, like a giant box, just hoping a chimp like Cy will hide in it while his friend Willy B playfully beats the box from the outside. Everyday there a lot of things happening here, even when we are there to observe. I think it is a testament to what sanctuaries like Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest can do. Sanctuaries offer dedicated care, security, stability, and opportunities so that every chimp can flourish and grow.

If you think we are as great as I do, we have an opportunity for you to spread your kind words! We would love it if you shared your love of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest TODAY by going to this site: https://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/chimpanzee-sanctuary-northwest and giving us a rating. The deadline for us to be a “top rated” nonprofit for 2023 is October 31st and we need nine more people to submit a rating. You all say such nice things about the chimpanzees, the staff, and the sanctuary everyday, so we thought you’d take this challenge. You can even take something you’ve already said and copy and paste it as a rating. And we can update the silly badge on our website and feel good at the same time. Thank you!

a special request and the human climbing structure

October 8, 2023 by Diana

First for the request:

We are working on the Comfort & Joy online auction and virtual gathering (more details to come), and we’d like to include short (30 sec or less) clips from YOU telling us which chimpanzee at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest brings you joy and why! These are super informal videos you can just take on your phone in selfie mode and send them to me [email protected] using WeTransfer or some other file sharing service of your choice. Feel free to email me with any questions!

This can be your platform to express your love of a particular chimpanzee!

Speaking of platforms, we have a physical (wooden) platform, above the seated observation area, where staff only can access to get photos of the chimpanzees.

I climbed up there today and wondered if the chimpanzees below thought of me as being on a climbing structure, similar to the structures they have in their outdoor habitats. Maybe we should have a human forage up there some day.

This time of year serves up the potential for some contrasting photos, with the dark hair of the chimpanzees standing out against the muted yellow and beige tones of the grass.

Here’s Burrito, coming back down the hill after looking for leftover breakfast forage food:

And Foxie, who brought along a blue-haired friend as she traversed Young’s Hill:

Missy, as she was slack-lining across the fire hose:

I looked over to my right, and spotted someone on the Escher structure on The Bray. I did a bit of a double-take because I was not expecting the chimp to be Lucky! Look how relaxed she looks up there. She’s really embraced The Bray these last few weeks and continues to show off her adventurous side.

Is your favorite chimpanzee one of these four or someone else? Let us know by sending in your video clip!

Who’s Who and the Power Moves

September 26, 2023 by Chad de Bree

There are those days when nothing too terribly exciting is happening so writing the blog can be a little tough. On the other side of the coin, however, there could be many things happening it can be just as daunting to try to pick just a few of the things to write about. Today is a latter. So for the sake of time and strained eyes looking at screens, I just chose three.

Morning:

As I was making sure Young’s Hill was safe for Burrito’s group to venture out on this morning, I saw Missy draped in an orange blanket.

I exchanged morning greeting with her via a head bob, and continued to check the gates and doors that lead to Young’s Hill. A minute or two later, I went back around to open the door that gives Missy access to the outdoor enclosure. Still seeing the orange blanket, I blurted out, “Are you ready to go outside Missy?” To my surprise, Missy was already at the door waiting to go outside. So who was in the orange blanket?

It was Negra!

They pulled the ol’ switcheroo on me!

Funny enough, I had just greeted Negra as she was still nice and comfortable in her nest inside the playroom right before Missy in their greenhouse.

Afternoon:

After cleaning was done, I glanced at our security cameras to see where everybody was. In the Marmot Mountain Playroom, I saw Honey B and Rayne taking the “play” part of playroom seriously. Or not seriously, depending on how you look at it. As I was watching them, Rayne showed off some of her moves! No need to fret, I have included the clip in today’s video. If you were to name this move, what would it be called?

Yesterday:

If you read yesterday’s blog, then you know (and hopefully celebrated) Mave’s *real* birthday! In the description, you may have read that Mave was having some problems getting one of the prized young coconuts. Luckily for her, her new best friend Dora allowed her to have one of the two she acquired! I wasn’t quick enough to submit my footage to J.B. before the video was completed, so I included the unfolding of that event. We cannot definitively say Dora was actively sharing (wanting Mave to have it and physically giving her it), but she was at least passively sharing (not getting mad she took it).

Yesterday I also randomly glanced at the security cameras and saw Mave’s power move! One of the most endearing things we all love about Mave is the “Mave plop.” I’m trying to think of the words to use to describe the “Mave plop,” but am coming up short. Caregiver Kelsi said the only way she says she can describe it is “it’s like a Jason Bourne move if he was lazy.” That is a fair assessment because it’s like a dive-roll type of move. I digress though. None of us have seen the “Mave plop” in quiet this fashion as we saw it on the cameras. We were trying to think of names to call it. Some said it’s the “help I’ve fallen and can’t get up.” Some said it’s “the catwalk flop.” To some it’s “the failed flying chimp-in-a-blanket maneuver.” After watching it, what would you call it?

Bonus Photos:

Annie with her coconut yesterday

Cy and his coconut

Gordo and his coconut

Teeny Tiny Terry and his teeny tiny pine cone

Mavis!

And don’t forget, Giving Day for Apes has begun! Be sure to find out about the different Power Hours on Oct. 3rd. You can even create your own fundraising page with your own goals and send it to family, friends, and well wishers!

Lucky Honey B

September 19, 2023 by Chad de Bree

If you have been following the blog recently, you probably have seen the videos of Honey B and Lucky playing hooky during cleaning to spend some time together. To my recollection, I remember during the introduction process they would play with each other, but when the full integration commenced, I haven’t really seen them together. But lately, with their play sessions while playing hooky, I began to wonder if there was a friendship we were completely glossing over.

Since the day when Anna posted the video of them playing in the front rooms, I began watching them a little more closely. Here is what I have noticed:

Honey B and Lucky do have some pretty epic play sessions. These play sessions aren’t exclusive to just holding out when caregivers are shifting the group. (I should have noticed this when I posted the video of Honey B literally pulling Lucky into an ongoing play session she was in with Rayne.)
During conflicts, Honey B has been seeking Lucky out first and foremost for reassurance, which Lucky always gives her. When the conflicts are over, they reconnect and groom (or play).
During some downtime, they can be found grooming with each other

On the surface, this may seem like an odd pairing. On one hand, there is Honey B. Somewhat social. Not afraid to be scrappy with anybody. Loves to play. On the other hand, there is Lucky. Mostly found by herself. Isn’t too involved during conflicts. And only plays when she feels like it (though as mentioned before, Honey B seems to be her ticket). At the same time, this pairing makes sense in a weird way. There is a meme out there that says, “Introverts don’t make friends. They get adopted by extroverts.” I’m not saying Lucky is fully introverted or that Honey B is fully extroverted, because they’re not. On some level to me though, this seems to be what is happening.

I’m not entirely sure when this budding friendship started, or even if it will last. I am, however, a person who likes to take time to just relish the now and I am all for this friendship pair. They are, in fact, two rockin’ sisters!

Here are some bonus photos!

Annie on Young’s Hill

Annie made a stop at Jody’s burial site this morning

Foxie in the morning

Gordo during breakfast and lunch

Dora helping herself to some of Honey B’s nightbag (Only Dora is allowed to get away with this!)

Lucky in the Riverview Greenhouse

Jamie on her morning patrol (That is a Troll doll in her hand! She is playing a game of keep away with Foxie)

During their morning patrol, Jamie, Missy, and Burrito would stop to eat the greenest of grass patches

Burrito!

A patch of bamboo beginning to grow in between Young’s Hill and The Bray

Lastly, a pair of unidentified track outside the top of Young’s Hill! We are unsure of who made these tracks, but we suspect maybe a badger?

Testing, Testing 1-2-3

September 5, 2023 by Chad de Bree

It has been a little while since we have talked about enrichment for Rayne’s group. If you happen to have been wondering, yes. They are still destructive in comparison to Jamie’s group. We have been taking it slow to see what works and what doesn’t. The problem with that is that it is what it is; slow. Though more and more things are added to their growing repertoire of enrichment, some in that group have a burning desire to eat plastic, stuffing from stuffed animals, and some other things. Just because they are destructive, does that mean we should stop trying? If you’re hardheaded and stubborn like myself, then you know the answer is “no.”

It has been a slow process of introducing them to new things, but things are still moving along. We recently attempted to introduce them to firehose cubes. Before Mave, Honey B, and Willy B integrated into the Lucky Six, firehose cubes were on the list of food puzzles they received. Since the cubes are pretty durable, we decided that was going to be the next step. The first trial run was overall a success! There was some minimal damage when caregivers were able to retrieve the next morning, but nothing that would stop the second trial run.

Though six of the group of nine have not experienced firehose cubes before, they had some to show them the ropes.

Mave working her way through a firehose cube as Dora looks on

Willy B reunited with one of his favorite food puzzles

For others, it came naturally. For instance:

Rayne, the queen of all natural intuition, didn’t even hesitate to grab one and rummage through it

(Cy is to the right perusing through a magazine and Lucky is in the back)

Hopefully (fingers crossed) you all will be seeing some more photos of firehose cubes with Rayne’s group.

Here are some bonus photos from today:

Mave being silly with a sock

A photo montage of Missy before and during a lunch forage today

Jamie during today’s lunch forage

(Always has to keep an eye on what everybody else is doing)

Negra looking like the queen that she is

Burrito returning from a “walk” (read run) around Young’s Hill

For the Love of Chow

September 2, 2023 by Sabrina

During mealtime here at CSNW there isn’t much that Burrito looks forward to more than receiving his chow bags, he is careful to make sure not a speck of chow dust is left behind. Today I was able to document this love affair, enjoy!

A Boy and His Chow: A Series