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Year Seven

June 19, 2016 by Keri

Continuing the trip down memory lane in celebration of the sanctuary’s 8th anniversary, today is all about the Cle Elum Seven’s seventh year of sanctuary.

The seventh year of sanctuary would include moving the veterinary clinic under the newly constructed pole barn…

…adding a new climbing structure to Young’s Hill. It would be the tallest structure built on the hill to date. It is comprised of two climbing towers (Carlene’s Tower and Jamie’s Lookout), which are connected by a swinging bridge…

Jamie’s Lookout

Carlene’s Tower

…and perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the seventh year of sanctuary has been the addition of Positive Reinforcement Training (click on the link to read JB’s description of PRT at the sanctuary.) I think Diana summed it up the best; “Our ultimate goal with this program is to give the chimps the opportunity to participate in their own medical care, and to make it a positive experience for them.” The information gained from these training sessions is critical to providing the best care possible for the chimps.

Click on the link to read more about Negra’s progress in the PRT program.

The chimps also had some new visitors on Young’s Hill this year, including Hank the Hawk and Bernard the Eagle.

And here are some more highlights from the seventh year of sanctuary.

Thanks to the handy work (destruction) of whom we can only guess was responsible (most likely Jamie), the chimps got a new and improved bridge in the Playroom.

Foxie flips

Jamie enjoys Young’s Hill after hours.

Burrito doing what he does best, being a big kid.

And Jody doing what she loves, foraging for plants on Young’s Hill.

Annie’s increased independence.

Missy & Annie

May 27, 2016 by J.B.

Your daily dose of playful rescued chimpanzees, brought to you by Missy and Annie.

this is what it’s all about

May 21, 2016 by Diana

After a very successful gala and the outpouring of support for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest’s plans to expand, plus the incredibly exciting and long-awaited public announcement about the new sanctuary in Georgia, Project Chimps, I had all sorts of profound and deeply-felt sentiments to share in this blog post.

But then, this morning, I filmed Foxie and Jamie playing. I laughed out loud watching them and decided that all I really needed to share today is this, because this is what it’s all about:

Spring mornings

May 20, 2016 by J.B.

Springtime at the sanctuary is our favorite time of year – the chimps wake up extra happy and playful and then spend the morning picking wild greens and taking in the view from the top of Young’s Hill.

We bring you TWISTER, but it’s not what you might think

May 9, 2016 by Keri

Do you remember when Diana wrote to stay tuned for a new unveiling? Well, today is the big day!! Blog readers and sanctuary supporters, meet Twister; the chimpanzees’ newest climbing structure. The Twister design was conceived by J.B. with a starting idea by Nick and built by J.B., Keith, Josh, Becky, Mark, Jack, Jim, Brian, Gretchen, and Patrick.

Funds for building it were donated by friends of Bill Walters. He and his wife Nicki and their friend Dave were here today to see the chimps explore the structure.

Jody, Annie, Missy and Jamie checking out the newest addition.

Some of the chimps were daring enough to reach the top and take in the surrounding view.

Annie sitting on top and Missy just below.

Missy

Jamie

But, I think the highlight, and perhaps they would agree too, was seeing Annie and Missy playing on and in and around it. Here’s an action shot Katelyn took today of Missy and Annie.

Stay tuned for more photos and videos of the chimps exploring this newest addition to their 2 acre outdoor enclosure (Young’s Hill).

Tickling

May 6, 2016 by J.B.

Of all the things we share with chimps – the ability to use tools, the capacity for language, the intelligence required to plan ahead and solve complex problems, and so on – none seems quite as relevant to the question of whether they deserve our compassion as how they react when they are tickled.

Queen of the Hill

April 1, 2016 by J.B.

Negra has spent more time outside today than any of the other chimps. Here at CSNW, that marks the official start of spring.

That’s because Negra is always the first to realize that the spring grass is ready to eat. A rainy March followed by a week of sun and unseasonably warm temperatures turned Young’s Hill once again into a 2-acre salad buffet. The moment Negra decides that the shoots are long enough and sweet enough to pick, she plants her butt down and eats to her heart’s content. And when the other chimps see her eating grass, they start digging in too.