Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Jamie, as you probably know, is a very industrious chimpanzee person. Sometimes we create enrichment projects for her. Other times, like today, Jamie assesses the objects that we put out for the chimps and takes it upon herself to come up with a project of her own making (see video below).
Jamie took a well deserved rest this afternoon after all of her industrious work. Note the carefully placed boots in her nest:
Once and a while we put out buckets of soapy water, using plant-based soap, for the chimps’ enrichment. Jamie likes to use the soapy water to clean. Jody shoves handfuls of soapy foam into her mouth as she makes her “dinosaur noise” (actually a combination food grunt and low moan).
I don’t know if she did it intentionally, but the other day, Foxie was actually blowing bubbles.
The chimps were so excited for the Christmas party this morning. We hung the tree (still decorated with beads, trolls, and cowboy boot ornaments) and placed all the presents underneath. Many thanks to Jayne Roepke, Jeff and Lori Anderson, Lori Kiers, Dick and Robbi Brown, and Patti Simms for supplying the amazing gifts and decorations.
On the menu this morning was Field Roast with bean gravy, baked yams, cranberry sauce, and pomegranates. We also put out some of Denice’s beautiful cranberry-stuffed mini-pumpkins and cups of sparkling cider.
Burrito and Jody loved the pumpkins.
As soon as they finished all the food, it was time to open presents. The gifts had started the day under the tree but by the end of the morning, the entire pile had moved ten feet as Jamie went through each and every bag.
Annie’s not much for toys, but there’s always a chance that we might have hidden a few snacks in with the gifts.
And we all could have guessed who would end up with the Christmas pinata, right?
Foxie got a bunch of new trolls this morning but her favorite, which she has been sharing with us throughout the day, is also the most appropriate for today.
Pictures don’t do justice to the excitement of the party, so here’s a short video. Our thanks again to all of you that helped make today special, and to those who helped support us throughout 2012. We’d also like to thank our dedicated team of volunteers. There are no days off here at the chimp house, and we couldn’t make it through the holiday season (or any time of year) without your help.
The chimpanzees are currently busy snacking on a giant tub full of snow in the greenhouse.
Burrito:
Foxie:
Meanwhile, volunteer caregivers Denice and Seana are busy preparing today’s lunch plus cooking up a storm for the feast tomorrow and wrapping presents delivered by the Ellensburg Santa.
Tomorrow is going to be a great party at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest! Thank you again for all who have contributed to the chimps’ happiness this week and for the last four and a half years!
As we’ve mentioned before, grooming is an important aspect of chimpanzee culture. Between lunch and dinner in the afternoon is probably the most popular time for grooming among the Cle Elum Seven.
Even though she’s the boss, Jamie is not always the center of grooming. Missy grooms Jamie fairly often (see some photos from about a year ago on this blog post).
But Burrito is a less frequent grooming partner to Jamie.
Today Burrito and Missy were both grooming Jamie at the same time as they all sat in front of one of the windows on the catwalk of the playroom.
Burrito kept looking at me while I was taking photos.
I can’t imagine Foxie without dolls. She is almost never without one, and they obviously bring her a lot of comfort and happiness. What many people may not realize is that dolls can also be an outlet for Foxie’s frustration.
In the past, Foxie has “adopted” troll dolls, Dora the Explorer dolls, Bratz dolls, and some Madame Alexander Happy Meal figurines. But most other dolls tend to get ripped to shreds immediately, especially stuffed primate dolls. And even her beloved trolls and Doras are not always treated with care.
I think it’s easy to read too much into her behavior, but some things scream out for interpretation. Clearly, Foxie shows some displaced maternal behavior with her trolls and Doras. She had five babies in the lab, and all were taken from her. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that she enjoys getting a chance to care for her dolls in a way that she never did with her real children. But most of the other female chimps at CSNW had children in the lab too, and they don’t show the interest in dolls that Foxie does. Maybe Foxie just has a more active imagination.
We’ll never really know how Foxie feels about her dolls. In school, we learned about chimpanzee behavior, but this is more like psychoanalysis. At some point, most chimpanzee caregivers stop trying to explain every detail of behavior in the chimps they care for and just accept what they see. Foxie loves her troll dolls. She also beats them up from time to time. That’s the Foxie we know and love.
It sure is a busy time of year for a nonprofit. With the holidays and the end of the year, I’m really grateful to say that we process a ton of donations in December. And we need them! If you haven’t given yet this year, and you have a little bit to spare, please consider making a donation today (sorry, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t include a little pitch!).
Anyway, the Cle Elum Seven are fortunate to have so many devoted supporters. That means you! Although we rely on financial donations to keep us in bananas and night bags, there are plenty of things you can do to keep us going without spending a dime:
Have other ideas? Please share them in the comments!
And, just for kicks, here’s an oldie but goodie. Almost 4 years ago to the day, the chimps experienced their first snowstorm (before Young’s Hill and the greenhouse). Check it out.
