I think Foxie enjoyed the Halloween party.
rescue
Calling for backup
Yesterday, Jamie was sitting in the greenhouse when she saw a squirrel running across the hill. The squirrel made it back safely to its den before Jamie could catch up, but unfortunately for the squirrel, Jamie now knows the location of its den. So of course she went to work trying to flush him out with a couple of bamboo canes. Here’s what we found when we went into the enclosure today:
This afternoon, Missy was returning from a trip she made to collect grass from the hill when she heard a strange noise coming from the same area. In this video, you can see her calling Jamie for backup. When the noise ceased, Missy and Jamie gave up and returned to eat their grass in the greenhouse.
Motivation
I have no idea what was going through Foxie’s mind as she walked around the entire perimeter of Young’s Hill on that first day out, but since then, she has been extremely reluctant to go back out. Everyday she tries, but as soon as she gets about 20 feet from the doorway she freezes in her tracks. Obviously the whole experience of being outdoors is overwhelming to her.
Her friends have been encouraging her to go out and to remain out once she is there. But they know that she is scared and they don’t try to push her beyond her comfort zone.
The other day I saw something amazing. Missy came out of the tunnel with a troll in her mouth, and Foxie was trailing behind her. Missy doesn’t care for trolls, so I thought that perhaps Missy was using the troll as a lure to try to help Foxie get outside. And in a way, she was..but it was Foxie that initiated it! Since then, I’ve seen Foxie go through this routine three times with Missy. Foxie begins by stomping around the greenhouse, which is an invitation for someone to go out to the hill with her. When Missy joins her, they both pause and Foxie delicately hands over her troll. She then waits for Missy and the troll to lead the way up the hill.
An accomplishment
Jody’s adventures on/with the hill have been so exciting and fascinating to watch. After the initial excitement of the grand opening of Young’s Hill was over, Jody went back into the outdoor area and stayed there. She monitored the activities on the hill daily, often standing in the raceway tunnel waiting for everyone to come in, and closely inspecting folks upon their return. It took a long time, but once she gained the courage to go out- she went way out! She walked the entire perimeter, exploring every inch of the hill. It was spectacular to watch!
What really struck me while watching her out there was how much she looked back towards the building and the rest of the property. She really seemed fascinated to see parts of the property that she hadn’t seen before- including her home for the last 3+ years. I can’t imagine how strange it would be to live in a house for years and not know what the place looks like from the outside. And after all this time, it must be really satisfying to finally be able to see inside the barn or the garden in it’s entirety, the mountains in the distance, and even just further down the driveway…
I’m so inspired and in awe watching the chimps explore the great unknown and to see their amazing confidence and courage. It makes me not only proud of the chimps, but so proud of this sanctuary. The way I see it- it’s such a huge change from anything they’ve ever known that the chimps really have to trust us to feel comfortable out there. They have to believe that we are taking care of them and that we are still protecting them in this big open space. I feel so proud of our team when I see the chimps out there– and so grateful to our supporters! Just like Jody, it’s a huge accomplishment- we did it! It’s such an amazing thing and definitely something for all to be proud of.
Fearless Missy
I know we’ve said it before, but Missy has been quite a star on Young’s Hill. She’s been so confident and fearless out there! We knew she would love the Hill, but I don’t think any of us could have predicted the level of bravery she would have. I’m so proud of her! GO MISSY GO!
First few days out
I know all our regular blog readers have been waiting to see some more video of the chimps out on Young’s Hill. If you haven’t yet, watch this video from KOMO News that shows their first moments out (but have some tissue close by!) This montage is of highlights from the following days. Enjoy!
Raw Footage
KOMO News posted some of the raw footage of the chimps going onto the hill!! We can’t wait to see the edited story tonight at 11pm and tomorrow at 6pm. In the meantime – watch this: http://www.komonews.com/home/video/130471343.html