A very happy 36th birthday to the one and only Burrito.
northwest
Fog breaks
Waves of dense fog rolled across the sanctuary all morning.
We’d set out for walks when the fog would break but another wave would quickly overtake us. Jody was not a fan.
Missy wasn’t fazed in the slightest.
When the fog lifted it felt almost like spring. Even Negra came out to bask in the warm sun.
By afternoon the fog was gone and the sun was out to stay. Annie quickly went to work gathering snacks. She has taken a real liking to eating raspberry plants – not the raspberries, mind you, but the plants themselves. Because the ones we transplanted last fall have yet to fully root, she is easily able to take them to go.
When you catch Missy standing still, it’s tempting to think that she might be taking in the scenery or sitting for a moment in quiet contemplation. But no. She is just making sure that everyone is watching when she blasts down the hill at full bore.
Sometimes when I am walking around the hill with the chimps, it feels like someone is watching me. And asking for grain.
This morning there were still patches of snow lingering in shadowy sections of the hill. As the day wore on, they were getting harder and harder to find. By late morning, the only source remaining was at the very top of the hill. Either Annie was the only one who knew this secret or she was the only one willing to hike all that way.
Jamie the Tool User
She’s really smart.
Christmas Eve Eve
It looks like it might be a White Christmas! While all the chimps were inside this morning I found Negra out in the Greenhouse alone. Negra was sitting by the raceway eating snow, she spent quite a bit of time out there. Negra really seemed to be enjoying her alone time! You might even notice her beet lips (I think they might have had some beets yesterday)…
Later, I found Burrito laying on a barrel looking out at the snow and stomping his feet:
Jamie’s Mission
This morning, as I was putting away a squeegee, I accidentally knocked a broom off of the tool rack. I watched it slide to within inches of the playroom caging and before my brain could finish processing the thought that Jamie might be able to grab it, Jamie grabbed it.
Now, the most important thing to convey here is that Jamie really likes to stab and/or threaten to stab humans when she obtains contraband like this. So the first thing you do in this situation is take a big step back. Then you watch helplessly as she tries to knock smoke detectors off the ceiling (a real possibility) and jimmy open every door and window in the chimp house (not going to happen with a broom stick, thankfully).
But today was different. As soon as she had the broom she walked off with clear purpose and intent. And the whole gang gathered behind her as if Jamie had given the cue and the secret plan they had been hatching for weeks was finally called into action.
Their mission: To see inside the new addition.
We’ve given them glimpses into the new quarantine and introduction area connected to their playroom before, but during the construction process we’ve largely kept the door covered with a piece of plywood to protect workers from getting spit on and to keep the building heat in. Clearly we didn’t consult the chimps about that plan, and they were forced to take the matter into their own hands.
The New Boot Ritual
Jamie received a new pair of boots from our wish list this afternoon. She has a specific series of rituals that must be followed when she receives a new pair of boots. First, one of the staff or volunteers must wear the boot and join Jamie on a walk around the hill. After returning, Jamie expects the boot wearer to meet her in the greenhouse for a grooming session.
Jamie begins by inspecting the boots carefully.
She encourages the caregivers to show her all of the features of the new boot, such as Velcro or zippers.
Then she begins to groom the boot with a tool – in this case, a wooden chopstick given out earlier as part of a food puzzle.
Eventually Jamie will ask to groom the caregiver herself, pointing and gesturing toward specific areas she wants to groom. Sometimes it’s a freckle, other times it’s a scab or hangnail. She also likes to untie our shoelaces with her grooming tool. Her dexterity is incredible, even when she’s holding the tool with the very tips of her fingers.
With a brand new pair of boots, Jamie will often insist on being given them immediately after the grooming session is finished. With boots that she’s had for a while, she will typically ask for them back when the staff are doing their closing rounds. But you can only give them back to her when she’s ready. If you drop them in the chute too early, she will take them out and throw them back to you (or rather, at you) from an opening high up on the playroom caging. When she is truly ready to receive them, she will wait by the chute and issue a low moan of contentment as they are dropped in. Eventually she will make her nest for the night include them or even use them as a pillow. Only then can you close up for the night, knowing that Jamie is satisfied.
Seattle Times article and Adventures on the Hill
Yesterday, the Seattle Times published a great article about CSNW online. It will also appear in the print version of the Seattle Times Pacific NW magazine this Sunday. Please share it widely if you can – we are so grateful to writer Sandi Doughton and photographer Alan Berner for giving the sanctuary and the movement to rescue and retire primates such great coverage.
This morning, the chimps took to the foggy, rain-soaked hill to play and explore.
As usual, Missy led the group outside but quickly sped away and forged her own path across the fire hose vines.
Annie struggled to keep up since she is reluctant to walk quadrupedally (on all fours) outside – especially in wet grass.
Burrito had spent the early part of the morning engaged in wild and varied dominance displays, which did not exactly endear him to the rest of the group. As a result, the girls gave him a chance to cool off for a bit by himself. Here he is wadging what was left of his breakfast chow bag and probably wondering what everyone is so upset about.
Jody managed to keep the Thanksgiving buffet alive for another day after discovering some leftover green beans on the hill.
Foxie kept her Strawberry Shortcake doll close by throughout the morning adventure.
