Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Missy

Coconut crackin’

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As part of the chimpanzees’ enrichment theme for the day, they have been enjoying forages all day! In the wild, chimpanzees spend most of their waking hours foraging for food, often traveling many miles. We try to offer forages as often as we can not only to encourage their natural foraging behavior, but to give them something exciting and interesting to do.

It’s probably the warmest day of the year here so far and we were able to put breakfast and lunch forages on Young’s Hill. What’s also great about Young’s Hill forages is that it keeps the chimpanzees engaged for much of the day as they frequently venture out throughout the day to see if they missed anything.

Dinner forage was set up in the playroom which included sweet potatoes, roasted squash, tomatoes, the best smelling yellow roses from Diana and J.B’s yard, and, the piece de resistance? The chimps’ friend and supporter, Pat C., gifted them with whole coconuts today! As we were setting the forage up I think it was the “food squeaking heard ’round the world.” We broke up a few to make sure everyone would find some and then hid a couple of whole ones as special treats for a couple people to find. Well, let’s be serious, for Jamie to find, and hopefully someone else.

As predicted, Jamie found the first whole coconut and made sure to hang onto it while foraging for everything else:

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Thank goodness for those opposable toes:

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Foxie found a cup of tomato juice and seemed to enjoy licking spilled coconut milk off the floor:

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Negra enjoying her coconut:

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Everyone got plenty of coconut pieces, but we couldn’t see who found the other whole coconut. Then we heard someone cracking it on the floor and found Missy looking pretty pleased:

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Thanks so much to Pat C. for bringing the chimpanzees such a special treat! Jamie carried her coconut around in a box with her until she finished all the other forage options she wanted. The chimp house is closed up for the evening and most of the chimps are making their nests for the night as they snack on the last bits of the forage. As I type this, I’m smiling because I can hear Jamie finally trying to break that coconut open. Crack…crack…crack…

The lush life

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Today has been steamy and warm, dark skies threatening to rain in between bursts of hot sun, but not a drop has fallen. Life is full and lush this time of year. It feels as though you could see things grow if you watched close enough. The air is heavily scented with wildflowers and woven with the trilling of birds, the hum of honeybees, and the slow whine of grasshoppers.

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Our bluebird pair, despite being gifted with some lovely bluebird houses made by Daniel Anderman and kindly donated to the sanctuary by he and his family, have seemingly chosen to nest on Young’s Hill. Not the wisest choice, but so far they’ve gone undisturbed by the chimpanzees:

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While all this was happening outside, this was happening inside: Foxie napping.

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When Foxie is happy and content she rubs her toes together. I wonder what she was dreaming about?

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It must have been an adventure, because minutes after these photos were taken, Foxie suddenly woke up, swung through the greenhouse with her hair standing on end (pilo erect), Dora the Explorer in hand, and marched with purpose toward Young’s Hill. Her behavior was the same she exhibits when she wants her caregivers to chase her, but what happened next? Everyone, even Jamie, suddenly fell in line behind this mighty little lady with a purpose, as she led them out onto Young’s Hill.

Foxie and Dora lead the way with Jamie, Jody, and Burrito following:

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Foxie, Jamie and Jody:

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Annie and Missy bringing up the rear (Negra was fast asleep in her nest for this adventure):

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Everyone began to disappear into the tall, lush grass as they foraged for wild plants. Occasionally, I caught glimpses of them in between the structures and bamboo.

Jamie and Foxie:

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Burrito:

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Foxie:

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Missy:

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Jamie:

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Who knows what, if anything, Foxie may have been dreaming about before leading the way onto the hill, but it brings to mind the words of Thoreau, “Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.”

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Waiting for the rain to stop

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As is happening in many parts of the world, we’re have already been experiencing a dry start to the season. The past couple of days have brought much needed rain to the area and while the humans are thrilled, the chimp house has been particularly quiet today. In between rain showers, several of the chimpanzees have enjoyed quick jaunts around Young’s Hill while trying to avoid the tall, lush (but very wet) grass. They’ve been up for one lap at a time and then quickly return to the chimp house and tuck away in corners for a nap.

Missy has spent much of her time at the top of the greenhouse, her little runner’s legs stretched out before her, as she watched the rain fall over Young’s Hill from the comfort of her nest.

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These feet!

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Just waiting for that break between showers, she decided to make herself really cozy:

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Watching and waiting patiently:

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At last:

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Celebrating Jody on Mother’s Day

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In honor of Jody’s “adopted” birthday, we chose to celebrate today with a party!! Parties are a great way of celebrating special days and the chimpanzees love them. This morning was full of excitement as staff and volunteers Anna and Jake set up the party in the Greenhouse, complete with many of Jody’s favorite things, including streamers, blankets, socks, toys and fresh lilacs and grass.

This morning’s breakfast included fresh pineapple and kiwi and a grapefruit and banana smoothie with protein powder. We supplemented the fresh fruit with peanuts and primate chow as well.

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Fresh flowers for Jody’s 40th birthday!
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Once all of the party pieces were in place, it was time for the celebration to begin. The lilacs were a huge hit with the birthday lady as well as some of the other ladies in the group. The smoothie cups were a close second, at least for the ladies. Burrito went straight for the primate chow.

Jody
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Negra
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Missy
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Foxie
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Jamie
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Burrito
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Annie
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Today we honor Jody for the strong, intelligent, beautiful and independent woman that she is. We truly admire her for her ability to make the most elaborate nests with blankets, bamboo, paper and whatever else she deems necessary for maximum comfort. We also admire her foraging ability (being able to gather as many food items as possible in her arms and mouth and still be able to walk). And we love her for her enthusiastic greetings, helping us out by getting stray blankets out of the doorways when shifting the chimps and rounding everyone up for meal times.

Happy birthday Jody and happiest wishes for all mothers of all species everywhere! And thank you again Tracy for sponsoring today for Jody and the rest of her family!

Photo shoot to photo bomb

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Missy isn’t typically one to sit and have her photo taken. She isn’t really a fan of the camera and let’s be honest, she has better things to do, places to go, and chimp friends to chase. But for whatever reason she was quite tolerant of me with the camera this morning as we sat in the sun together.

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What isn’t seen in the above photos is Missy’s best friend, Annie, who was doing her absolute best to get Missy to play while I was taking these photos. Missy remained so poised, ignoring Annie’s efforts to engage her with play slapping, play biting, and stomping. That is until Annie decided to just photo bomb the photo shoot, hence, the blur of Annie’s face to the right of the photos below:

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Of course, Missy couldn’t resist Annie’s attempts to play after this, not to mention it’s a little hard to pose for the camera when your friend is biting your hand.

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If peace had a face…and toes

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The chimpanzees have all appeared particularly serene and at peace today. It’s a beautiful spring day, but the wind is especially cold and everyone has spent a lot of time lounging in the warm greenhouse as they looked out over Young’s Hill.

While we often try to imagine what these moments must feel like to the chimpanzees after decades of trauma and uncertainty, I doubt we ever fully could. I am grateful and hopeful that with each passing day these moments outweigh those that came before. And I am grateful and hopeful that these faces (and toes) say it’s so.

Annie:

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Annie feet:

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Burrito:

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Foxie:

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Jamie was tucked away in a cozy nest in the front rooms, one arm splayed out over her eyes and the other hugging her boots to her chest, sound asleep. Unfortunately, not a spot the camera can get.

And you’ll never believe who the chimpanzees were watching from the comfort of the toasty greenhouse…

Negra. Hair blowing in the wind, the hill to herself, and how peace looked for her today.

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