Sunshine, chimpanzees, and melting pathways. What could be better?
northwest
Jody: Head, Shoulders….
Part of being a Level II volunteer at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is working towards passing identification tests for all of the chimpanzees.
We have some new interns from Central Washington University’s Primate Behavior and Ecology Program right now who are working on their id skills.
Something about helping with id today got a song stuck in my head…
Here’s Jody’s…
Head
Shoulders
Knees
and Toes
Knees
and Toes
AND
Eyes
and Ears:
and Mouth:
and Nose:
…. what do you think? Could you id Jody now?
Actually, a few years ago, Elizabeth did some blog posts for each of the chimpanzees to help blog readers with id that are probably much more helpful – check them out if you’re interested!
Balancing act
Each time we build a new play structure on Young’s Hill, we connect it to nearby structures using fire hose. This allows the chimps to move from place to place without touching the ground, a feature that is particularly handy when that ground is covered in snow. We also shovel pathways for them, but hey, tightrope walking is way more fun.
Their balance is incredible, aided in part by those opposable big toes.
And when they lose their balance, they can always fall back on their superhuman strength.
Fall in Love with Negra
On Valentine’s Day/Share the Chimp Love day, we are sharing the last of the “Fall in Love with” videos.
The seventh video in the series is all about Negra, the Queen of the sanctuary:
Big thanks to everyone who has made a Share the Chimp Love donation or has become a Chimpanzee Pal!
The heart is getting fuller, though there’s plenty of room left for lots more love, and a whole day for you to Share the Chimp Love.
Share your favorite video on social media today! You’ll find all seven of them on the Share the Chimp Love page and on the sanctuary’s Facebook page.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Fall in Love with Missy
Watching the video below, there’s no question that Missy fills the sanctuary with energy. Just watch.
Thanks to all of the chimps’ fans for filling the heart with love with your Chimpanzee Pal sponsorships and Share the Chimp Love donations so far. Tomorrow is the big day!
Winter Adventures
The sun came out this morning and the chimpanzees eagerly ventured outside for some snow.
I’m pretty sure that Jody was feeling the love from her new Chimpanzee Pals!
Thank you to everyone who is an existing or new Chimpanzee Pal and to everyone who has made a Share the Chimp Love donation so far!
Here’s Missy with Jody behind her:
And here’s Foxie with Annie behind her. The path through the snow makes it a single file adventure:
We understand that Dr. Elliott Sumers, whose birthday is tomorrow, and his family are experiencing their own winter adventures. We hope they had fun in the snow today too!
Fall in Love with Jody
Jody has just 29 Pals right now. Watch the video, fall in love, and become Jody’s Chimpanzee Pal!





















































