Tamela just posted this on our the Chimp Sanctuary Supporters social network. Save the Chimps needs blankets and toys for the chimpanzees in New Mexico. We’re fortunate at CSNW to have an abundance of these things right now, so please do send what you have to the deserving chimpanzees who are being cared for by the great folks at Save the Chimps! More info here
primate protection
Happy Birthday Foxie
Best friends
It seems these two never tire of each other’s company.
What did the Cle Elum Seven do today?
Photo Contest Results!
Thanks to Clocktower Media, we are getting a new look to our website! We asked you to participate in the redesign by choosing your favorite photos of the chimps to be featured on their profile pages. We’re also going to make prints of these photos available for purchase through our online store. Check out the winning photos below:
Annie
Burrito
Foxie
Jamie
Jody
Missy
Negra
Conflict
Here are a few photos that I took at the end of Saturday’s conflict (I first made sure that no one was upset that I was there with a camera – on the other side of the caging, of course!). Fighting is a normal part of chimpanzee life. They are capable of inflicting a lot of damage on each other, but most fights are a lot of vocalizing and a lot of posturing. This is really the end of the fight with screaming, fear grimaces, and seeking reassurance. Sometimes those only peripherally involved in the conflict display towards the end. Missing from this photo is Negra (not surprisingly, she was inside away from the action), Burrito (not a main participant, so he let the girls finish it off) and Jamie (who was nearby). Things happen really quickly, so the descriptions below are my interpretation of what was happening, but I might not have fully understood each person’s role and interactions. After everything had pretty much ended, Jamie did get the last word in – a pant hoot and display that ended in swinging from the boat bumper and hitting the plexiglass covering the window.
Missy sitting down, Jody displaying (bipedal), Annie screaming while looking at Foxie. Annie is the lowest ranking and therefore seeks reassurance more than the other chimps. I think she is seeking reassurance from Foxie. Jody is showing her higher rank by displaying (this is probably a side of Jody you haven’t seen before!)
Both Annie and Foxie looking at Jody, seeking reassurance from her. Seeking reassurance can mean “I’m sorry” or just “I get that you’re higher ranking and I will submit to you.” It can be a way of de-escalating a conflict or a way of trying to get someone on your side in the middle of a conflict.
Foxie fear grimacing while looking at Jody
Annie (fear face) seeking reassurance from Missy after Foxie left
Cool treats for a hot day
Here’s a video of the chimps enjoying the frozen fruit treats that Diana mentioned in yesterday’s blog post. Enjoy!