Everyone needs a good laugh… sometimes it takes friends to get a smile out of us, and other times we can make ourselves crack up.
primate rescue
Take Action Tuesday: Help save chimpanzees in Cameroon!
A U.S. company called Herakles Farms is planning to begin a palm oil plantation in Cameroon near the border of Nigeria. Chimpanzees and gorillas live in these forests, and in fact the most endangered subspecies of each ape are living in that region. The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee population (a.k.a. Elliot’s chimpanzee) is estimated to be approximately 3,500 individuals remaining. The Cross River gorilla population is estimated to be fewer than 300 individuals.
Endangered chimpanzees, forest elephants, and monkeys all live within the Herakles Farms concession. These already diminishing populations need our help!
This form letter has been put together to make it very easy for us to lend our voice in support of the apes, courtesy of Greenpeace. Although it is very convenient to just fill in your name and email and hit “send”—it really helps to make your letter unique. Tell the CEO of Herakles Farms why it is important to you that their plans for a palm oil plantation in Cameroon be canceled immediately.
We know from the plight of orangutans in Southeast Asia that palm oil directly negatively affects their population, sometimes driving orangutans and other forest dwellers to starvation when their homes are slashed and burned to the ground to make room for the plantations. In your day-to-day life, try to be a conscious consumer and avoid palm oil where you can. You can help be an advocate for apes every day by taking this extra effort to check the ingredient list of products you buy!
After sending your letter, take a few minutes to watch the second installment of a video interview with Dr. Debra Durham, where she talks a little bit about her conservation efforts with wild chimpanzees. Her current project is called Compassion in Action Mushroom Project (it’s a really innovative plan to help protect wild chimpanzees—be sure to check it out!)
Boots
Jamie isn’t the only chimp that loves boots here at the sanctuary! Every once in awhile, we notice someone else inspecting the boots when Jamie sets them down for a moment.
Jody:
Negra:
Missy: (and Diana)
The Chimps Take Manhattan!
As most of us have mentioned this week, providing the chimpanzees (especially Jamie!) with an enriching and stimulating environment can be challenging. Thanks to Donna and Doreen’s sponsorship of today, we decided to use the theme of the “Big Apple.” It’s always fun to see how each of the chimpanzees choose to engage with new enrichment. Debbie and volunteer Deb spent a lot of time constructing a cardboard box version of the New York City skyline and we even made a Dora of Liberty statue on “Ellis Island” (aka the turtle wading pool). After scattering dried apples still warm from the dehydrator (courtesy of volunteer, Patty) about like confetti for the chimps’ forage in Times Square, the scene was set. Mind you, it’s sometimes difficult to say whether the chimpanzees or the humans are more enriched by these endeavors.
Foxie “hearts” NY:
Jody and Annie checking out the Dora of Liberty statue:
As you can imagine, the chimps not only took Manhattan, but quickly toppled it. Here’s Jamie inspecting the ruins:
And Jody found “Ellis Island” to be the perfect nesting spot (after getting that pesky Dora of Liberty out of the way):
Donna and Doreen, thanks again for sponsoring the day in honor of Foxie’s birthday month and your anniversary in the Big Apple!
And tomorrow is the last day to vote for your favorite chimpanzee artist! Get your votes in now and help make a real difference for the winning chimpanzee and their sanctuary family and home!
A blog retrospective of Jamie
People often ask me who my favorite chimpanzee is. I don’t really like trying to pick one—and to be honest, I can’t. Each of the Cle Elum Seven are unique and awesome in their own way and I love them all. But I would say that I have the best relationship with Jamie. Sometimes, there are just different people that you “click” with a little more than others.
So, I wouldn’t want to say that Jamie is my favorite, but I definitely find that we spend more time together. Perhaps this is because Jamie is more human-oriented than the other chimps, and so we end up liking the same things. We also happen to share a birthday, which I think is pretty cool.
She likes to check out all of the caregivers’ shoes and boots, and we are more than happy to oblige. She loves to write and draw and use tools. I was thinking today about all the interesting and awesome things Jamie does on a day-to-day basis and what we have featured on our blog over the years, so I decided to compile a “best of” list.
As Katelyn described yesterday, Jamie occasionally likes to wear scarves or other clothing accessories. I love this blog post from awhile ago called “How to ruin a perfectly good scarf.” Fashion is important to Jamie, but sometimes playing can take precedence.
Speaking of playing, Foxie and Jamie are pretty great friends. Foxie is a total goof! Here’s a video from awhile ago of the two of them wrestling in a giant box:
I like this post from just a few months after the chimps arrived. We were still learning about all their personalities, and this captures Jamie’s fairly well.
Jamie also really likes to help us clean up. She will sometimes sit and watch us clean, as if she’s evaluating our work. As the Boss of the sanctuary, I suppose that is her job!
She’s also really good about testing out new things and making sure we’ve done things up to her standards. You could say she’s in charge of the quality control department at CSNW. She loves to also take new things apart using tools!
Probably one of the highlights of our day is when Jamie asks to go on a walk around the hill. This is the post where J.B. explains how we came to realize this is also Jamie’s highlight of the day!
I also really love remembering the day we gave a ukulele to Jamie. She was thrilled! She treated it just like any of her other projects—investigate every possible piece of it!
It is sometimes hard to describe Jamie, and maybe that just speaks to her uniqueness. I love this blog where Diana explains that Jamie is, well, a complicated chimpanzee.
Finally, as we all know, Jamie is an artist. Here’s some retrospective posts on a few of her artistic endeavors:
Jamie’s an artist! (June 21, 2008)
Jamie’s paintings (August 20, 2008)
Scribbling (September 9, 2008)
Jamie’s dexterity (April 1, 2009)
Jamie, the artiste (November 10, 2010)
Art (August 24, 2011)
Jamie’s letter to you (March 22, 2012)
Jamie’s artistic side (January 11, 2013)
Lend your vote to support Jamie’s wonderful mixed-media art in the HSUS Art Contest going on now until Thursday. You are permitted to vote once per day, so please keep voting for Jamie!
Happy Birthday, Lindsay!
Today was sponsored in honor of Lindsay Zager by her parents who shared the following sentiments:
“This is in honor of our beautiful daughter, Lindsay’s, birthday! Lindsay’s passion for chimpanzees has motivated and inspired many to learn and know and LOVE the world of these amazing primates. We thank you and love you sweet girl! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
Thank you so much to the Zager family for caring about the chimpanzees and including them in your special day. Have a wonderful day, Lindsay!
Foxie on her 37th birthday
10 am: Party in the greenhouse, featuring frozen banana in troll heads
10:45 am: Explore Young’s Hill
11:30 am: Build a nest in the playroom
12 pm: Lounge in the greenhouse with favorite dolls…
…and pal Jamie
1 pm: Lunch: cucumbers, snap peas, celery, and lemons
2:30 pm: Afternoon quiet time
Thanks again to Foxie’s friend Tracy Headley for sponsoring today, and to everyone sending happy wishes to the birthday girl. Foxie’s feeling the love.
