Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
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The Cle Elum Seven are, on the whole, some of the most playful chimps I’ve known. I think its mostly due to Missy, who is always up for wrestling, chasing, or playing tug-o-war:
I don’t know if we’ve mentioned this before, but she really loves to jump off of things. Just today, she used a boat bumper as a springboard in an attempt to get Annie to play, and later she jumped off the deck to chase after Jamie (and get her blanket back):
Foxie and Jamie have been so playful together lately. Not that we don’t love playing with Foxie, but it’s even better to see her playing with other chimps.
I caught a couple of still photos the other day when Foxie was playing with her troll-in-the-sock while watching herself in the mirror. Missy did persist in trying to get Foxie’s attention and eventually engaged Foxie in play. I think they are both “kooks” 🙂
The chimps have been in very good moods lately, despite this late winter snow storm. Sometimes when they’re too cooperative, and they’re not spitting and banging at us at all, I get suspicious…
This morning, when Elizabeth and I went in to say good morning to the chimps, Foxie passed two small trolls to me and proceeded to do a dozen pirouettes and at least as many backflips. Missy and Jody both wore makeshift garter belts for a good part of the day (I think one of them was a scrunchy). I managed to catch a few more of the day’s activities on camera:
Today Missy had more adventures in the fresh air. Jamie, Foxie and Annie were all outside too, but no one was playing with Missy. She ran inside and came right back out with this blanket. Instantly she had a game of chase going! I love the second picture – Jamie got the blanket away from Missy, climbed up the fencing, and then leapt off from about 6 feet up! I snapped the picture as she was almost to the ground.
Missy was enjoying a game of keep-away with Jamie and Annie today. First, she came running into the outdoor area with a bag over her shoulder. I don’t know what was inside – it may have been enrichment that the volunteers put out, or she may have stuffed the bag with coconuts. In any case, she was challenging the other girls to take it away from her. After going back inside, she reemerged with a single coconut, clutching it like an NFL running back. Missy and Foxie seem to be the only individuals who know how to crack coconuts, so I think Missy enjoys making everyone wait until she’s ready to open them.
A few weeks ago I was describing how we play chase with the chimps outside. Here’s a 1st-person video to give you a better feel for it (you’ll feel like you’re watching COPS!). As you can see, it’s impossible to keep up with Missy.
