The new ladder (click on link to left for video of Jamie and Foxie’s reaction to the new ladder) has created a new space for Jamie to keep an eye on things:
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
by Diana
The new ladder (click on link to left for video of Jamie and Foxie’s reaction to the new ladder) has created a new space for Jamie to keep an eye on things:
by Diana
by J.B.
Our volunteers are amazing. Over the last two months, they’ve turned out every weekend and often during the week to help work on the hill despite the rain, wind, and sometimes frigid temperatures. Thanks to them, we’ve finished putting the posts in and have begun preparing the posts for the electric wire.
Currently, we are working on fastening the black plastic insulators to each post. They are fairly easy to install, but there are over 6,000 of them! Doug took materials home to finish making all of the brackets for the tops of the posts – our volunteers are even doing homework.
Sarah managed to photograph a rare moment when Anna was not working last weekend. Anna installed hundreds of insulators and got our irrigation system for the bamboo up and running.
The welders are almost finished with the gates and tunnels, and this weekend, volunteer Ken will begin digging the foundations for them. Below you can see the steel plates that will be embedded in the concrete to support the gate posts. This 8′ tall by 22′ wide section of fence will sit at the corner of the enclosure closest to the driveway. It will allow us to access the enclosure with a vehicle and, because the lower section will not be electrified, it will be the main place where caregivers can interact with the chimps when they are out on the hill.
Volunteers have also been helping with quality control to ensure that all playground equipment meets Missy’s standards.
by Diana
The crowd gathers as J.B. hands out dinner. (Jamie and Foxie. Note the troll torso in Foxie’s right hand.)
For Burrito, it doesn’t really matter what’s for dinner – he’s excited about all food.
Foxie’s not that keen on vegetables, but red peppers meet her approval.
Missy loaded up on the peppers. Good thing she has a big chimp mouth and opposable toes.
Sometimes the chimps get exotic vegetables the humans aren’t even familiar with, like Thai eggplant. (Jody)
Potatoes and radishes round out the meal. (Missy)
And of course dinner is not complete without a night bag. (Burrito and Missy)
(Missy)
We are fortunate to receive a lot of donated food from volunteers, supporters, Spud! in Seattle and Safeway in Cle Elum. Many thanks to all of you for keeping the chimps happy and healthy!
by Diana
Happy 3rd anniversary to the Cle Elum Seven and happy birthday to Negra!
Before we post about the party that’s happening this evening for the chimps (we know you’re looking forward to party photos!), we wanted to share with you, from our perspective as staff members, what we’ve learned from the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest these past years. We wrote these independently, but you might pick up on some common themes.
If you want to know a little more about who we are – take a look at the recently updated staff page.
From Sarah (Executive Director):
The Cle Elum Seven have taught me what’s important and what’s not. Play is important. Rest is important. A cozy bed, friends and family, respect. Good food. Alone time is important. What’s not important? That traffic jam, those weeds in the garden, that two-hour long meeting, that rude guy who cut in line at the grocery store. In the world of the Cle Elum Seven, none of that matters!
Negra has taught me that it’s never too late. Taken from the wild (and probably her mother), slapped in a cage for 30 years, held in solitary confinement, poked, prodded, darted. In her shoes, I’d be angry and lost. But not Negra! She’s always beautiful, quietly confident, knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to tell us when we’re doing it wrong, and takes pleasure in little things like sunshine and peanuts. And seeing her play – there are no words for how special that sight is! It’s never too late to play.
From J.B. (Director of Operations):
Negra doesn’t ask for much. All she seems to need in life is a pile of fresh blankets, a warm spot in the sun, and a steady supply of night bags.
Night bags, of course, are a nightly ritual here at CSNW. After dinner, the chimps each receive a paper lunch sack filled with a small handful of nuts, seeds, dried fruit and other healthy snacks. It’s something that Diana and I picked up while working at the Fauna Foundation, and it has been part of our routine here from the beginning. After three years in sanctuary, Negra has eaten approximately 1,095 night bags. You’d think she’d be sick of them by now. But you’d be wrong.
Think of the happiest moment of your life – that brief period of joyful anticipation when you realized that the thing you had always wanted was about to come true. That happens to Negra every night.
Negra eats dinner the way that a kid finishes her brussels sprouts so that she can have dessert. Dinner is but a means to an end for her. After she scarfs down what she considers to be enough to satisfy her caregivers, she begins clapping for the wait staff to fetch her the good stuff. When we return with the night bags, Negra breaks into an ear-to-ear grin – not a smile, but a full fledged chimpanzee grin, an expression that is reserved for intense fear or excitement. The grin is accompanied by a vocalization that is a cross between a food squeak and a scream, but it’s all straining and no voice, like the sound can’t find a way out.
Then comes my favorite five seconds of the day. At the moment when you pick up Negra’s night bag to give it to her, a calmness sets over her. Her ears go back a little and her face relaxes. Her gaze fixes upon the bag and nothing else seems to exist in her world. After waiting an agonizing 23 hours and 55 minutes, she finally has a night bag again, and for a moment everything is right with the world.
I don’t know how she does it. How do you maintain that level of excitement over something so mundane? Maybe, after a lifetime in the laboratory, you learn to appreciate the small stuff. Or maybe she just has a rare hereditary peanut addiction. In any case, Negra reminds me to never take anything for granted.
From Jackie (Development Coordinator):
I’ve learned so much from the Cle Elum 7, it’s hard to even know where to begin. I’ve learned to laugh, to play, to love, to enjoy my home, to enjoy time with my friends, to relax, and to appreciate all that I have, rather than to dwell on what I don’t have. The chimps’ forgiveness of us humans astounds me and inspires me to let go of the past and to move forward in my day to day life. Negra, above others, has shown how one can move forward from past experiences. The nightmare she lived for so long before coming to her sanctuary home saddens me to no end. I remember when I first came to CSNW, she didn’t trust me (or anyone, for that matter). She still had many signs of PTSD, including threat barking and poking at us when we moved towards her to offer our wrists (even when she initiated it by sticking her lips out of the cage, asking for a kiss). It took her a while, but I haven’t seen her do that in a long time, which to me, says so much about what sanctuary means for her. She has learned to trust us and is more comfortable in her home… and that is what sanctuary is about. And to me, after all she has been through, there truly isn’t anything more special than a kiss from the Queen.
From Elizabeth (Volunteer Coordinator):
From Jamie, I’ve learned to speak up when I disagree with something.
From Missy, I’ve learned that a sense of humor can get you through just about anything.
From Burrito, I’ve learned to forge ahead, even if you’re out of your element.
From Annie, I’ve learned to always expect surprises.
From Foxie, I’ve learned that it’s never too late for a second childhood.
From Jody, I’ve learned to be serious about comfort.
From Negra, I’ve learned the importance of being unapologetically oneself.
From Diana (me, Director of Outreach):
The Cle Elum Seven have taught me unconditional love. I love each of them so much for who they are and who they are becoming.
My love for Negra was immediate – I’ve had a big soft spot for her ever since I met her at Buckshire. She and I get along well, but she’s not someone who interacts with humans that much, and I’m probably not on the top of her list of favorite people. And this is totally okay. I really appreciate this about the chimps’ sanctuary lives – they can do what they want, like who they choose and just be themselves. Pretty much everything Negra does endears me to her more. I really admire her for knowing what she wants. I have learned the importance of routine from Negra. My favorite Negra routine is when we show her the little bowl of nuts on the breakfast tray. It’s there every morning, but every morning we have to show it to her in order to get her moving for breakfast. Most often, once she sees the nuts, she throws off the blanket she has around her shoulders, lets out an excited food squeak, and comes downstairs. It’s a ritual that makes me so happy.
This past year, I’ve learned the most from Annie. Though chimpanzee hierarchy can be a bit fluid and definitely more complicated than a strict linear hierarchy, it was clear that Annie was at the bottom in terms of ranking within the group. I’ve known other chimpanzees in the least dominant position before. Low ranking chimpanzees that I have known often choose to spend time by themselves and seem to be anxious a lot of the time, particularly when interacting with others. From my perspective, they often overreact in social situations which can cause a cycle that seems to reinforce their low ranking status. I think the same scenario plays out in human social groups (both kids and adults). To be honest, I thought Annie would be in this least dominant position in the group possibly forever. I’ve never witnessed the lowest ranking individual successfully and calmly begin to assert themselves. I do not pretend to know all of the nuances of chimpanzee behavior or all of the subtle dynamics of the Cle Elum Seven. No doubt there’s a lot going on that I’m not aware of, so I don’t know what caused Annie to change. But I do know she has changed dramatically. She doesn’t overreact as much anymore and she asserts herself when she wants something and even during conflicts. We’ve been joking about how one day she might be the leader of the group, but perhaps it’s not a joke at all. From Annie, I’ve learned that anything is possible and everyone can change.
From all of us:
It’s not just the chimpanzees who have taught us these past three years. We’ve learned a tremendous amount from you, the supporters of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. We’ve learned that your generosity is boundless, your energy is contagious, your ideas are brilliant and your dedication is unmatched. Perhaps most importantly, we’ve learned to update the blog regularly because you are as hooked on the Cle Elum Seven as we are.
by Diana
We’ll be celebrating Negra’s birthday on Monday in addition to the anniversary of the arrival of the Cle Elum Seven to the sanctuary.
We’re not sure of her exact age, but records indicate Negra was captured in Africa some time between 1969 and 1973. She spent many, many years as a biomedical research test subject.
She has won many hearts as the “Queen” of the Cle Elum Seven, and the photos below (just a few of my favorites) show why:
Negra in the cage on the transport truck 3 years ago today:
Thanks again – for all of your support in giving Negra a sanctuary life!
by Diana
Exactly three years ago today, the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees left their laboratory lives behind and began the journey to the sanctuary.
And today we reached our 3rd anniversary fundraising goal – all 220 fence posts on Young’s Hill have been adopted. We have a LOT to celebrate!
The seven individuals we have cared for these past three years have changed and grown so much, and we’ve been so happy to be able to chronicle these transformations.
As amazed and in awe of the Cle Elum Seven as we are, we are equally amazed by the supporters of this organization.
We are all so grateful to you – the people who read the blog, connect with us on Facebook, send donations, attend events, volunteer, and write emails and letters on behalf of great apes.
There would be no Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest without you.
Here’s the first chimpanzee photo we posted on this blog, taken from this June 10, 2010 blog post.
Jody in her transport cage on the way to sanctuary:
and here are just a few of my favorite photos of Jody over the last few years:
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