Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

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A kiss

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This afternoon, Jody went outside to pick some raspberry bushes. On her way back, she passed by Missy and the two stopped for a kiss.

It’s not uncommon for chimpanzees to kiss like this. Sometimes these kisses resemble our own, with one chimpanzee’s lips pressed against the cheek, lips, or hand of another chimpanzee. Other times they more closely resemble a bite, but with the lips covering the teeth, and may be placed anywhere on the body. Kisses can serve as a greeting, a form or reassurance, or an act of submission. They can reduce tension in moments of conflict, and may serve as a request for permission to hold onto something valuable like food (as Jody may be doing in the photo above) or one’s place in a desirable location. At times they are rough and playful, accompanied by panting or laughter. At other times, they are gentle and loving.

Foxie greeting Burrito

Annie bite Missy browridge

My favorite photo of a kiss is still the one below. When Annie was frightened and screamed for reassurance, Missy leapt to her side and allowed Annie to give her a big open mouth kiss on the lips.

annie kiss missy

A Welcome Change

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The sanctuary is located on the site of an old homestead. While the original house is long gone, many of the barns and outbuildings remain, as does the orchard. These trees produce Rainier, Bing, and pie cherries, as well as apples, Italian plums, and enough pears to feed a hundred chimpanzees. At one time there was actually a railroad stop here in the canyon, and the extra fruit from this orchard would likely have been sold in a bustling farmer’s market. There was even a saloon and dance hall in what is now our lower pasture, shown on an early 20th century map as being nestled between a barn and a chicken shed.

These days the orchard is the domain of our dogs, Wilson and Abbey, but they are kind enough to let the staff and volunteers go in and pick fruit for the chimps from time to time.

Yesterday we picked pears and plums from the old trees, and the chimps had them for breakfast this morning. They were a huge hit. Luckily there are a few hundred more pounds where that came from.

The onset of fall is a welcome change around here. In addition to the orchard’s harvest, it also brings relief from the intense heat and relentless sun of Central Washington summers. The chimps choose where to spend their time, and during the summer much of their time is spent indoors. Now we are more likely to find them relaxing on the play structures, walking through the tall grass, and otherwise enjoying the space and relative freedom of Young’s Hill, their two-acre enclosure.

You could argue that Jamie gets the most out of Young’s Hill, the way she patrols its boundaries throughout the day. But no one exploits every swing, structure, and tight rope like Missy.  Now that fall is upon us, I expect to see a lot more of her outdoor antics. If only we could resurrect that old dance hall for her; I think she’d fit right in.

A snake in the garden

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The intensity of a snake alarm call is usually proportional to the snake’s size and proximity to the chimps. Basic alarm calls mean a snake has been spotted. Screams mean it is an imminent threat. But you have to recalibrate your understanding of snake calls when Annie is involved because to her, every snake is an imminent threat.

Even if it is a tiny garter snake, taking a nap on a grape vine well outside of the chimps’ greenhouse enclosure.

Ageless Annie

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This beautiful chimpanzee is turning 44 on Monday. It’s hard to believe because she never seems to age. Some of Annie’s youthful look could be attributed to the fact she occasionally spikes her hair, as seen in these photos from this afternoon (this is actually due to the unique way that she washes her face and head each day).

But I’d like to think it has something to do with living the sanctuary life.

Make sure to check back on Monday for photos and video of Annie’s birthday bash – a day filled with all of her favorite things (like sunflowers and green onions by the handful!).

 

A Fine Forage

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First things first – the Summer Biddin’ online auction is crazy! As I write this (way later than I intended to be writing a blog post), the total is up to $21,761! Thank you to everyone who has bid on items and donated to Raise the Barn. Bidding ends Monday night!

Now, for the chimp day.

We were planning for a lunch forage on the hill, and I noticed that we had a bounty of corn in the fridge, so we decided to put out whole ears still in the husk as part of the forage.

Negra was pretty much in heaven:

She also picked up some cattails for later:

Volunteer Chad did a really good job of corn distribution and everyone got in on the action.

Missy:

Foxie:

Burrito:

Jamie:

Annie eating corn in her nest:

Jody also got some corn leftovers, but she was more focused on a very novel treat that her friend Stephanie had delivered – banana blossoms!

Burrito found a blossom on the hill on his second trip to the buffet:

Apparently it was a lot of work to eat it, or he was taking a cue from Jody who often eats in a reclined position, because he finished it off lying down:

It’s very satisfying to see the chimpanzees satisfied, isn’t it?

Soaking up the sun

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Jody was so eager to go out on to the hill this morning that she took off before finishing her breakfast.

I am always hesitant to read too much into the chimps’ behavior, but I really do believe that Jody has a renewed appreciation for Young’s Hill this week after having been restricted to the indoors for a few days during her recovery.

She later came back for her chow bag and sat at the entrance to the hill, savoring each bite while basking in the warm sun.

While Jody’s eye still has some healing to do, Dr. Zamzow and our team of veterinary advisors are happy with the progress.

On another topic, here’s something I found interesting: This morning I discovered what can only be Jamie’s handiwork – a piece of blanket tied with a double knot to the caging. Jamie often secures her nests to the caging by threading the blankets through the mesh and she is well known for her knot-tying abilities (most likely learned when she was a youngster living with humans in the entertainment industry). Either this was meant to be the foundation of an incredibly stable and secure nest, or Jamie has started creating enrichment puzzles for the caregivers.

And in other news, have you checked out our Summer Biddin’ Online Auction yet? Your bids and donations will help us care for seven amazing chimps, support the expansion of the sanctuary so that we can take in even more chimps, and aid in the construction of fencing and a new barn for the five cows that will soon call the sanctuary home.

The other day I was repairing fencing on the View Property when this doe approached to politely inquire as to why I was in her barn. This area will be part of the winter pasture for Whitaker, Betsy, Nutmeg, Honey, and Meredith. Isn’t it incredible? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for both cows and deer.

The online auction is going on now and ends Monday at 7pm Pacific – check it out now before it’s too late!

Jody on the mend

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Jody is recovering right now on a big, comfortable pile of blankets after undergoing a procedure to repair an injury to her eye.

Yesterday, during lunch, the chimps got into a fight. There’s nothing unusual about that, as you probably know by now. And it’s not unusual for a chimp to get bitten or scratched during these kinds of fights either but they don’t often require much in the way of treatment. However, during this fight Jody’s eyelid became partially detached and a quick surgical repair was required.

The staff and Dr. Zamzow quickly isolated Jody in Front Room 1, our medical treatment enclosure, and prepared Jody for anesthetization. When Jody was safely under, Dr. Zamzow reattached the eyelid with a few subcuticular sutures and we did a quick health exam before letting Jody recover.

Jody getting prepped in the enclosure for an IV catheter after receiving the anesthetic:

Whenever we do these procedures, we get the other chimps out into the Greenhouse and Young’s Hill to allow the patient some peace and quiet inside during induction and recovery. By evening, Jody was starting to come around while the other chimps were eager to check in on their friend.

Jody recovering after the procedure:

Missy, Jamie, Burrito, and Foxie checking on Jody through the windows to the playroom:

When Dr. Zamzow finished suturing, Jody’s eye looked so good that I had to try to remember which eye had been injured! But the challenge in treating chimps is getting them to ignore their wounds and leave sutures in place. For the next couple of days, Jody will remain separate from the other chimps, though she can have contact with them through the caging. Foxie and Annie in particular have expressed concern for Jody and check in on her regularly.

We’ll be keeping a close watch on Jody’s eye as it heals and hoping that no follow up procedures are necessary. For now, she’s happy being catered to and seems to be really enjoying some quiet time on one of the largest nests she’s ever built.

The Princess and the Pea: