Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
Lately we’ve been getting large bags of paper donated to us by one of our local stores, Jerrol’s, who we get supplies from and have a wish list through. So yesterday we had a paper party for Cy’s group of 9 and put some of their lunch forage in the paper for them to search for and they had a blast, especially Lucky!
Bonus photos of Lucky in a state of bliss in her paper pile:
Today is Mave’s 35th Birthday! We celebrated Mave with paper boats full of berries topped with vegan whipped cream and of course a banner of Dora, her favorite person! Mave is one extraordinary chimpanzee. We have always described Mave as a laid back gal, she can be known as the peace keeper, and she is also know to be a little more of a serious chimp at times. For the most part, I think her friends find her to be a calming presence, however Gordo might not agree. Mave can also be described as very loyal to the individuals she holds most dear. Mave had lived in a small group for a long time. We can’t say for sure that the group of 3 (Mave, Honey B, and Willy B) necessarily chose each other, but they most definitely are loyal and have a bond with one another. However, during the introductions process, one of the highlights for me was watching Mave grow in her friendships and have more choice in building different relationships. Mave and Dora chose each other and it was the coolest thing to watch because Dora was also known to be reserved and a little more in her own world before introductions. I think that Mora or even Mora B has really helped Mave come out of her shell and that everyone’s quality of life was enhanced. We observe Mave laugh more, play more, and do things that make her get our of her comfort zone, like venturing out into the Bray! Life is just better with Mora!
Cheers to the very beautiful and magnificent Mave:
Mora:
This morning, Jenna and I were cleaning the playroom when we were greeted with delightful chimpanzee laughter coming from the front rooms. Can you guess who? Of course, it was Burrito and his good friend Foxie! Wrestling, poking, tickling, biting, pushing, pulling…all the things required for a raucous play session. We really wanted to capture this fun time without catching the ire of the fun police. How do you think we did?
As we all know, Burrito has a serious obsession with his beloved Jolly ball. We have to take it away from him periodically to give everything a good scrub and disinfect, but that just builds up the anticipation for when they’re reunited again. Well, today was the day Bubba got his prized possession back. We couldn’t resist grabbing the cameras to capture the fun and excitment for you all to see in today’s video!
Burrito is not the type to ever turn down a friend! He will never miss a moment to play, groom, or even display! He is a special guy who does not take life for granted. And because of that his caregivers also will never miss a moment with him as well!
Bonus photos!
Yesterday, I gave Jamie some lavender from our garden, she seemed to enjoy it:
Rare portraits of Missy:
The other morning, I was turning on lights and greeting the chimps to start the morning. As I turned on lights for Gordo’s group, he jumped up and initiated a game of chase with me, and off we went! Somehow, as I was running to catch up to him in the front rooms, the fun was doubled when Rayne decided to join in our game. As we ran through their spaces, Gordo decided to take a rest, but pretty soon that quick game of chase between me and Gordo had turned into a train of chimps playing together, and I was just the third (well, fourth) wheel! Rayne, Honey B, and Terry chased each other, with Honey B grabbing at Rayne’s feet playfully as they went. Once they were done playing chase and sat down to play more, Gordo appeared again and joined in on the fun. It made me think of dominoes, as it only took that one quick game of chase with Gordo to start up a chain of play among his group. I hope you enjoy today’s video!
As I close in on one year of working at the sanctuary, I am still welcomed with many “firsts.” This past week I was graced with two firsts for me that both made my day, and surprised me! Watch today’s video before proceeding to the rest of the blog so that I don’t spoil anything!
Here’s a picture of Negra with pasta sauce lips after a recent party, making sure there are no accidental spoilers!
Now for those exciting “firsts”! As you all got to see in the video, I had my first long play session with Gordo, where he showed me his play face and laughed quietly as he let me tickle him and play chase with him. This is a big milestone in our friendship, especially considering that not that long ago, I was the one that hand injected him to allow for his veterinary check up. We spent several months training for that moment, but I wouldn’t blame him for holding a grudge. Thankfully he seems to have forgiven me, for which I am very grateful.
My next “first” was getting a kiss from MISSY. I could hardly believe my luck! And somehow I also managed to snap a photo, for proof!!
A kiss from Missy!
Missy has allowed me a few, very special one-on-one interactions within the past few weeks that leave me feeling so happy and fulfilled that I could take on the world. One such interaction included her putting out her toes from both feet through the caging for me to tickle with the back of my hand, then turning around to let me groom her back. Another morning, as I walked in to greet the chimps, Missy quickly jumped up from her nest and raced to the front of the playroom. I wasn’t quite sure what was happening at first, but am not one to miss out on an opportunity to play, so I started running too in hopes this was my shot at a game of chase with Missy. Lucky for me, it was!
It is hard to believe it has almost been one year since I started working with the lovely chimpanzees, humans, and cattle of CSNW. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to love and care for such amazing chimpanzees and sassy bovine ladies, as well as to work alongside such a fantastic team of humans. Here’s to many more special moments!
Remember that tonight, Tuesday, September 3rd, is the third in our discussion series “Primate Perspectives: Unpacking Chimp Crazy. This discussion will focus on the third episode of the series, which first aired Sunday night and will continue to be available to watch on Max. This week we will be joined by Brittany Peet, General Counsel, Captive Animal Law Enforcement at PETA Foundation. Brittany appeared throughout the series and was very involved in trying to place Buck in a sanctuary before his tragic end. Once again, this episode was difficult to watch and there is a lot to unpack. Join Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance and Brittany Peet at 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET. Registration is required to join the Zoom meeting.
