Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
The chimpanzees cannot get enough of their new greenhouse. Since it was completed a few days ago, they have spent most of the daylight hours outside playing, grooming, nesting, and generally reveling in the warmth. I don’t think we can overstate what a joy it has been to see them spend so much time in the sun.
The sun has finally returned to central Washington! Today was gorgeous, with blue skies, temperatures in the high 40s, and lots of glorious sun. The beautiful weather has put all of us, human and chimpanzee, in great moods. The chimps spent much of the day playing, swinging, and laughing outside in their (very nearly completed) greenhouse.
Annie and Missy have such a strange relationship. They are nearly inseparable, but when Missy decides to groom or play with someone else, Annie appears to be jealous. Its very predictable – if you see Missy playing with another chimpanzee, you can bet that Annie is watching her every move from a distance. Sometimes Annie will sit back on her butt and tap her heels on the floor, which is a behavior she often displays when she is anxious. And while Missy likes to interact with the other chimps, Annie mostly keeps to herself when Missy is not around.
Today I was taking photos of Missy and Jamie grooming and playing together outside:
And sure enough, there was Annie in the doorway, keeping an eye on things:
The chimps were outside bright and early this morning to welcome the return of the sun to Central Washington.
The other day, Diana was playing chase with Foxie when Jamie decided to join in on the fun. Many of the chimps at CSNW will wear clothing when they are feeling playful. In this video, you’ll notice Jamie tying a sarong around her waist just before she invites Diana to chase her.
When it comes to play partners, Burrito tends to prefer his human friends. It is pretty rare to see him join in with the girls’ games (it’s hard to say why — perhaps he’s a little intimidated). Although he spends a fair amount of time grooming and being groomed by the other chimps, once things get playful, he usually withdraws a bit. So I was quite excited this morning when I caught him playing with Foxie in the front rooms. Apparently it looked like such a good time that Jody and Jamie tried to join in, too.
Today, I popped in a video of “Lord of the Dance”, donated by one of our many wonderful supporters and volunteers, Stephanie Perciful. We put it on our wishlist in hopes that Negra would enjoy it, because she sometimes enjoys watching her caregivers’ dance. So far Negra hasn’t shown much interest in it and is usually too far away to see it. Foxie on the other hand, seems to thoroughly enjoy it and looks like she kind of wants to join in! Someone recently commented that Foxie may be musically inclined- I think I agree. Thanks, Stephanie! I’d say Foxie seems pretty enriched!
Note- I orginally said that the video was donated by Tamela, but it was actually Stephanie who donated it! So sorry Stephanie and Tamela for the confusion! Guess I am indeed human. 🙂
