Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

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What a Year

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Each year, our wonderful friend and amazingly talented graphic design volunteer, Kathleen, sends us a custom advent calendar for the chimp house.

I know that for many of us, 2021 has felt like another lost year at best. But for the past month, this calendar has served as a daily reminder that we have so much to be thankful for.

Behind one door, we were reminded of Jamie and Burrito’s newfound friendship.

A Blossoming Friendship

Behind another, we saw the cattle experiencing the simply joy of an open pasture.

The 3rd Annual Running of the Cows (and One Steer)

We were reminded of the time Jody put on a master class in foraging on Young’s Hill on Love a Chimpanzee Day.

The Celebration

We got to see the chimps explore new playrooms and greenhouses,

Into the Thick of It

and enjoying some time outdoors.

The Wolf of Walnuts

We recalled the day we welcomed six more chimpanzees to the sanctuary,

They’re Here! They’re Here!

and the process of getting to know them.

Two Ways to Spend a Rainy Day

There were reminders of challenging times as well. Burrito was bitten yet again by a rattlesnake,

Not Again

but he survived to grow even stronger and, somehow, even happier.

Exhilarating Day

We were reminded of times the chimps met new human friends,

When Honey B met Luna

and began making new chimp friends.

Let’s Try This Again

2021 was not the year we had all hoped it would be, but thanks to you there was still so much to celebrate. And whatever happens next year, you can be sure that there will be even more highlights and accomplishments to look back on next New Year’s Eve. Which makes me wonder…what will Kathleen use for her advent calendar photos next year? Cy’s group exploring The Bray, their new open-air habitat? Willy B climbing to the top of Ryan’s Lookout? Honey B racing throughout the new 5,000 sq ft flex-fence outdoor enclosure? Jamie climbing a towering pine tree at the top of the renovated Young’s Hill? We can’t wait to find out!

Happy New Year, everyone, and thank you for your ongoing support.

The Night Before Christmas

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We try to have fun with holidays here at the sanctuary. To state the obvious, the chimps have no idea what we’re celebrating on Christmas or New Year’s or solstice. They do, however, enjoy a good party, and holidays are a great excuse for the staff and volunteers to treat the chimps to some creative food and enrichment.

I often wonder if by now some of the chimps – particularly the Cle Elum Seven, who have spent the last 13 Christmases with us – feel any sense of anticipation when the days grow short, the trees and decorations go up, and the snow begins to fall. When Jamie sees us move the potted Christmas tree from the hallway into her greenhouse on Christmas morning, does she know that she’ll soon find a new pair of boots underneath?

The chimps made the most of this particularly snowy Christmas Eve Day by scooping up snow and plucking the tomatoey eyes from Diana’s diminutive snowman.

We had a tradition in my house when I was a kid. On Christmas Eve, we’d get to open one gift, which would always contain new pajamas and a magazine. In hindsight, I realize that this may have been a way of working us kids down from our candy- and toy-fueled delirium and into bed. Nevertheless, at 44 years old I (and now Diana) still receive pajamas and a magazine from my wonderful mom. I know that Cy has no use for pajamas but I think he’ll like the other half of this tradition.

For our chimpanzee family, there’s no Santa Claus, no elves, no reindeer, and no magical snowman. But maybe, as they watch us assembling toys in the foyer and wrapping last minute gifts, they’ll go to bed knowing that tomorrow will be a special day filled with many of the things they love most.

Merry Christmas.

Bless this Mess

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Knowing what you should do and doing what you should do are two very different things.

When a chimpanzees refuses to cooperate with the daily routine, you should take the opportunity to problem solve. Why do they refuse to shift? Are they anxious about being confined to certain areas with other chimps? Is there something about the space they won’t leave that is particularly appealing to them? Or are they simply looking to exert control over their environment? Then you use your hypotheses to create a plan. For example, you could desensitize them to whatever is causing their anxiety through positive reinforcement, make the other areas more appealing to them, or find other more fruitful ways for them to exercise their autonomy.

What you shouldn’t do is catch them off guard and close them out when they least expect it. But like I said, knowing and doing are two very different things! This is why I like teaching – the students never have to know that you can’t even follow your own advice.

Our latest example of what not to do involves Honey B. Honey B has decided that the Mezzanine does not need to be cleaned. We beg to differ, as do our licensing and accrediting agencies, one would assume. So each morning after breakfast, when the playrooms and greenhouses have been cleaned, we ask her to leave the Mezzanine so we can wash it down. And each morning she politely declines.

Honey B, age 32. Likes obstinance and filth.

Now, one day without cleaning is not that big a deal. It’s not routine but it happens. But after two days we have a problem. And this morning, Honey B was looking to throw another wrench in the works. After several minutes of pleading with her, I gave up and accepted defeat. Honey B would get to keep her Mezzanine – and its mess – yet again.

Later in the afternoon, I walked through the greenhouse hallway and was greeted by Honey B. It occurred to me that I just walked by Mave and Willy B in the playroom. THE MEZZANINE WAS EMPTY. We didn’t have much time.

I grabbed my radio.“J.B. to Anna…No one is in the Mezzanine now if you and Kelsi want to close the door!”

Oh, you’d like to close this door?”

Upon hearing the sound of the hydraulics, Honey B headed towards the Mezzanine but the door was already closed. Feeling guilty, we gave her and the gang some gum and jumped into cleaning like a NASCAR pit crew. Pick up! Rinse! Scrub! Rinse! Squeegee! Put out fresh blankets and enrichment!

As the locks clicked shut we did our final security checks and we were ready to let her back in. I knew that she’d be so relieved to be back in her favorite space.

I opened the door and she…just stayed in the playroom.

Nah, I’m good.

Well, at least we have more data for our problem-solving sessions, once we finally get around to doing the right thing. And maybe a new hypothesis: She just likes the mess?

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If you’d like to help Honey B create more messes and help us continue to clean them up, please check out our wish list full of enrichment and supplies!

The Eternal Dilemma

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Each morning, Negra is forced to choose between her two greatest loves: food and bed.

The arguments in favor of food are myriad. Let’s start with the obvious – we all need to eat to survive. So put a point on the board for breakfast. In fact, maybe this isn’t such a difficult decision after all.

On the other hand, bed is really soft and comfortable.

But food is so much more than just sustenance. Nothing tastes better than fresh fruit, peanuts, and a hard boiled egg from the caregivers’ rescued hens.

Bed is warm.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skip breakfast and you’ll get off on the wrong foot.

But you’re already in bed! And you know, Newton’s first law and all…

A little sunshine along with breakfast doesn’t hurt either, does it?

Outside has snakes and the sun shines perfectly well through windows. That’s the whole point of windows.

The longest we go between meals is the time between dinner and the next day’s breakfast. By morning, our bodies need to refuel.

Bears go a whole winter without eating…

 

Out of the Fog

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When I set out on my perimeter walk this morning, the sanctuary was blanketed in a dense fog.

Climbing the 80 or so feet in elevation to the top of Young’s Hill was all it took to escape into the first rays of morning sunlight.

This morning’s walk was particularly enjoyable because I got to imagine myself walking through the expanded outdoor habitats, which are just now beginning to take shape. The first of the massive steel corner posts were set this week by our friends at Sage Mechanical.

When we started building Young’s Hill back in 2010, we were working under a number of constraints, the most significant of which being that we didn’t own any of the vacant land beyond the pasture above the chimp house. In order to avoid any problems with future neighbors, we kept the fence line far away from the property boundaries. Since then, however, we’ve bought up all of the adjoining land and that has allowed us to push the fence line out as far as topography and underground utility easements will permit.

While most of the area we’re expanding into is also pasture, we were able to cut a little slice into the woods so that the chimps can enjoy the shade of a few tall pines, in addition to the less mature trees that we will be planting.

Those trees that had to be cleared for the fence line will become part of the numerous climbing structures we plan to build next spring.

Plans are also moving ahead for the large, fully-enclosed outdoor area on the west side of the building, which should get underway as soon as weather allows early next year. Meanwhile, the chimps continue to enjoy the greenhouses. Honey B actually let me close off the mezzanine for cleaning so that she could spend time out there (after only a short protest).

Mave was keen on getting Willy B to groom with her. Her invitation? Looking his way and shaking a large bamboo plant vigorously.

He finally obliged.

Rayne was keeping an eye on things from across the hall.

When you hear someone blowing raspberries in her group, it’s usually Terry. But this morning it was Cy, telling me to put the stupid camera down and play chase.

Throughout the morning, we have to shift the chimps around their various enclosures so that we can clean, and each time we do so we have to perform a series of safety checks that involves finding each of the chimpanzees. This morning, Cy was making that difficult. When this happens, we check the security cameras. He was just above us and out of view, engaged in his favorite activity – reading magazines.

Each time the chimps shifted to a new area, Cy would bring his reading material and find a new place to camp out.

By mid-morning, the fog had lifted completely and Jamie and Burrito set out to survey the upcoming changes to their sanctuary home.

I keep trying to tell Jamie that those trees will be hers. So far, she seems far more interested in the equipment. Which reminds of the time she wanted me to chase her with a chainsaw. Not safe, Jamie. Not safe.

Greenhouse Days

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Running a chimpanzee sanctuary in snow country does have its downsides but you can’t beat the cost- and calorie-free enrichment that snow provides. This was the first snowfall for Lucky’s group and they certainly enjoyed their tub of the white stuff in the recently buttoned up greenhouse. It was great to see them peacefully enjoying their warm, sunny space.