Negra

Cuckoo for Coconuts Pt. 2

July 20, 2026 by Krissy Brasfield 4 Comments

Just the other day you got to see Burrito enjoy a coconut! If you missed the blog post, you can see it here.

Today we get to see Foxie, Annie and Negra enjoy their coconuts.

Foxie and Annie visited Negra in the greenhouse, so it was a good opportunity to let them have whole coconuts without the stress of group drama. Because Foxie and Annie are considered low ranking chimps in their social group, they don’t always get to fully participate in extra special treats and enrichment without some stress. It was so nice to see them fully enjoy their coconuts!

It was a beautiful, warm summer afternoon. Perfect for a special treat with special friends!

World Chimpanzee Day 2026

July 14, 2026 by Chad de Bree 7 Comments

Happy World Chimpanzee Day, everybody!

World Chimpanzee Day is celebrated every July 14th to honor the day Dr. Jane Goodall first stepped foot in the Gombe forest to begin her studies of one of our closest living relatives. That landing in Tanzania marked the beginning of what has been an incredible adventure in our knowledge and understanding of chimpanzees.

One aspect of her studies I will kind of focus on today is the her method of naming the chimpanzees within the Gombe chimpanzee communities. Before her studies, it was common practice to not name the individuals she was studying. The old thought process behind that was to separate feeling and emotion from the study as to not get attached to them. Please remember it was a different time and the mentality wasn’t what it is today. We had to work up to where we are today in our way of thinking, and Dr. Goodall had a role in that shift.

I could not imagine working here and not seeing them as individuals. It’s unfathomable to me to think they each wouldn’t have their own likes and dislikes, or run through a gauntlet of emotions in the split of a second. They aren’t just mindless creatures you can just throw food and water at and call it a day. They are highly intelligent and need the proper care the reflects so. Hence why chimpanzees, or any primate for that matter, are not and should not be pets among a plethora of other ethical reasons.

So this World Chimpanzee Day, please become that advocate for them! Preach about the perils the face in the wild like poaching and deforestation! Donate to your favorite sanctuary! Politely inform people when the dreaded “I want a pet chimpanzee” comes up in conversation! Advocate! Advocate! Advocate!

Here are some photos from today!

Annie standing bipedally to search for food during a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill.

Jamie climbing up a structure to get a better vantage point than Annie!

Willy B excited for his ear of corn for dinner!

Burrito drinking his breakfast smoothie…

Before going onto Young’s Hill to gather food.

Foxie returning from foraging for her food!

Negra is hoping somebody forgot about the peanut butter in their peanut butter magazine from last night.

Sweet Negra & June News

June 23, 2026 by Diana 3 Comments

I had a few clips of Negra on my phone from the last couple of weeks that deserved to be compiled into a video.

Are you on our e-newsletter list? Check your inbox to see if you received an email sent out this afternoon that includes these stories:

Your Impact
George found his family. The Support Building broke ground. A memorial garden took shape. And an outdoor space for Honey B, Willy B, and Mave’s side of the building is the next big project. If you’d like to read the full stories of what your support makes possible, email [email protected] with ‘Your Impact’ in the subject line to receive an electronic copy of our recent print newsletter!

June: Help Us Celebrate

June continues to be chock full of celebrations! Multiple chimpanzees celebrate their birthdays in June, including the oldest chimpanzee at the sanctuary, Negra, who is at least 53 and may be several years older than that.

Negra was captured in the wild and then used in biomedical research for more than three decades. She had multiple babies removed from her during her years in the lab.

Looking back on our first impressions of Negra, written on our blog here, we said Negra “showed her age” in 2008, that it was difficult to say how many more years she would live, and that we couldn’t wait to give her the things she deserves, especially big piles of blankets to make her nests.

She and her group have now been at the sanctuary for 18 years and she has made big, sometimes giant, nests out of blankets every single day.

Negra is now experiencing mobility issues, but has been adapting with resilience. She especially appreciated the extra-special treats she received on her celebrated birthday.

Join us in celebrating Negra’s 53rd birthday, her group’s 18 years of sanctuary, Terry’s 36th birthday, Honey B and Dora’s 37th, the upcoming anniversary of the Lucky Six’s arrival five years ago, and Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day!

Before June ends, help us reach our $10,000 goal with a gift that honors the blankets, tireless care, and daily joys that a life in sanctuary provides.

Chimp Prints from Winter Water Factory

Winter Water Factory makes sustainable, organic cotton clothing for kids and adults in a U.S. factory with fair labor practices. And they have the cutest prints! They are donating a portion of sales of their chimpanzee print line to the sanctuary, so your purchases are a win-win. Shop now for your favorite primate!

Dru Bru Fundraiser this Saturday

This Saturday, June 27, Dru Bru in Cle Elum is hosting a pint night for the sanctuary, 6–8 p.m. CSNW staff will be there to share updates and answer your questions. Pick up a custom CSNW pint glass, and know that $1 from every pint and mug, plus $4 from every pitcher, will be donated to the sanctuary, with an additional donation option at checkout. Full beer, cider, wine, soda, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available at the taproom bar, and food from Cle Elum Pizza Co. will be available to order in the pizzeria.

Join and share the event on Facebook.

The email included photos, of course. If you didn’t receive it, subscribe here!

Family Time in the Greenhouse

June 22, 2026 by J.B. 5 Comments

Today, Negra had a nice, quiet lunch by herself in the greenhouse. Afterwards, her family came to spend the afternoon with her.

It was a hot afternoon, but pleasant under the diffuse light of the greenhouse. While Annie and Missy groomed Negra, Foxie played with one of her dolls, pausing at times to pass it to her caregivers.

Jamie has been a good sport about these afternoons with Negra. We are trying to navigate the risks of Negra falling or being injured in a fight by restricting these whole-group visits to the greenhouse and Young’s Hill and to times between meals. As many of you know, Jamie doesn’t like having any limitations placed upon her. This is a face that says I am approaching the limits of my patience.

I found it difficult to take photos of Missy and Annie grooming because Missy kept leaving Annie and putting her back against the caging for me to groom. There’s something about the upper level in the greenhouse that elicits more socialization between the chimps and their caregivers. Because the wall panels are only off in the warmer months, these daily invitations from Missy to groom are essentially seasonal. I was happy to oblige, as long as Annie was still included.

Missy is the kind of chimp that grooms up the hierarchy. I see her directing her grooming toward Jamie, Negra, and Burrito most often. When she is being groomed by Annie, she sometimes reciprocates, but she also tends to focus more on herself. Here she is using a wood chip as a grooming tool.

The chimps have different levels of tolerance for having their photos taken. Burrito and Foxie will do their best to knock the phone out of my hand, while Missy will let me hold the phone in her face for hours on end without complaint.

She showed the same level of tolerance for me today, but interestingly, that tolerance did not extend to me taking photos near Negra. The chimps certainly know that Negra is in a more fragile state and Missy, being protective, responded with a threat bark the first time I pulled my phone out next to Negra. It’s nice to know Negra has so many friends looking out for her.

Favorite Photos

June 20, 2026 by Sabrina 9 Comments

Sometimes caregivers go through their phones and realize they have so many pictures that they took and never used for our blog that they end up going to our staff folders and being forgotten. So instead I’m leaving some of my favorite photos from the last week here for you all to enjoy!

Annie and Negra having a relaxing day together in the greenhouse:

Foxie, relaxing in the greenhouse with friends:

Dora, enjoying her cherry tomatoes:

Windows

June 19, 2026 by Dusty Cavaliere 7 Comments

There are several windows around the sanctuary; find out who’s looking at who!

The Gatorade Heist

June 17, 2026 by Kelsi 8 Comments

Today was one of those rare quiet and peaceful days where the chimps were all busy doing their own thing. However, I was able to snag a few photos!

Annie ever-so slyly got Negra’s Gatorade bucket that she didn’t finish. Miraculously, Jamie didn’t even get mad once she realized Annie had it. But Burrito and Foxie intensely supervised Annie drinking the bucket of Gatorade. Annie also declined the opportunity to offer or share any.