Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

rescue

Soaking up the sun

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Jody was so eager to go out on to the hill this morning that she took off before finishing her breakfast.

I am always hesitant to read too much into the chimps’ behavior, but I really do believe that Jody has a renewed appreciation for Young’s Hill this week after having been restricted to the indoors for a few days during her recovery.

She later came back for her chow bag and sat at the entrance to the hill, savoring each bite while basking in the warm sun.

While Jody’s eye still has some healing to do, Dr. Zamzow and our team of veterinary advisors are happy with the progress.

On another topic, here’s something I found interesting: This morning I discovered what can only be Jamie’s handiwork – a piece of blanket tied with a double knot to the caging. Jamie often secures her nests to the caging by threading the blankets through the mesh and she is well known for her knot-tying abilities (most likely learned when she was a youngster living with humans in the entertainment industry). Either this was meant to be the foundation of an incredibly stable and secure nest, or Jamie has started creating enrichment puzzles for the caregivers.

And in other news, have you checked out our Summer Biddin’ Online Auction yet? Your bids and donations will help us care for seven amazing chimps, support the expansion of the sanctuary so that we can take in even more chimps, and aid in the construction of fencing and a new barn for the five cows that will soon call the sanctuary home.

The other day I was repairing fencing on the View Property when this doe approached to politely inquire as to why I was in her barn. This area will be part of the winter pasture for Whitaker, Betsy, Nutmeg, Honey, and Meredith. Isn’t it incredible? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for both cows and deer.

The online auction is going on now and ends Monday at 7pm Pacific – check it out now before it’s too late!

Still healing

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Negra has always worn her trauma on her sleeve.

The first time we met her, she wouldn’t even show us her face. She hid behind a solid metal panel at the end of a bank of four cages in the windowless laboratory basement that had been her home for years. The only part of her that we really saw that first day was her hand as she reached upwards through the food chute to beg for handfuls of peanuts.

When she arrived at the sanctuary she was inactive and socially withdrawn. She could be anxious around her caregivers and was prone to overreaction when touched. When she finally had the opportunity to go outdoors, she was reluctant and would often become overwhelmed with fear when she ventured too far outside.

I hate to admit it, but we always had low expectations for Negra. Some chimps retain their fighting spirit against all odds. Negra was spiritless. If we could just give her a year in sanctuary, we thought, it will have been worth it. Maybe she wouldn’t take advantage of all the new opportunities available to her, but she deserved to finally have the choice. It was a low bar but we were still afraid she wouldn’t reach it.

But she surprised us. Over the last ten years, she gradually became more social with her chimpanzee and human friends. She grew more accustomed to being touched, even allowing her caregivers to provide basic medical treatment. She has spent more time outdoors and ventured further and further into her habitat.

I don’t want to overstate the extent of her transformation. Negra still spends the majority of her time alone in bed, her head shrouded in a blanket for security. Negra’s progress, like Negra herself, has been slow.

But something unusual is happening right now. The pace of change has increased to the point where it seems like each day brings a new surprise, each one announced with excitement over the two-way radios:

“Negra was the first one outside this morning!”

“Negra is at the top of the hill!”

“Negra climbed to the top of the new structure!”

“Negra is wrestling with Missy!”

“Negra is playing with me!”

“Negra is spooning Jody!”

This morning, Diana called over the radio to say that Negra was playing with her in a way that was more typical of Burrito. See for yourself in the video above. This is the kind of thing we live for. Not because we enjoy playing with Negra (though we do), but because we’re excited to see her become more active, playful, and trusting. We love seeing her become more engaged with the world around her.

Why is this happening ten years after she arrived at the sanctuary?

There are a number of factors that enable chimps (and other animals, including humans) to recover from trauma. Things like agency, autonomy, a sense of safety and security, and a physical and social environment that allows for species-typical behavior are all critical. But one thing we mustn’t overlook is time. It took Negra 35 years to accumulate the traumas she experienced while being torn from her mother and her home, having her children ripped away from her again and again, being housed in tiny, barren cages, and being subjected to invasive experimentation. These memories, and the resulting patterns of behavior, can’t be undone overnight. And Negra will set her own pace.

Will these changes last? We don’t know. Negra has come out of her shell before only to retreat again. But for now we are going to play as much tug-of-war with this silly, seemingly care-free Negra as we can. And more importantly, we are going to enjoy watching her socialize more with her chimpanzee family and spend more time foraging on Young’s Hill.

The Sound of Celery

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Volunteers always tell us that watching the chimps enjoy their meals makes them want to eat healthier. Would you try the Chimp Diet? For the Cle Elum Seven, that means mostly whole fruits and vegetables, unprocessed nuts and seeds, and fresh edible weeds like prickly lettuce and dandelions. Oh, and if you’re Negra, the occasional wild frog…

Watch (and listen!) to Negra enjoying her celery, cucumber and sweet potato lunch (don’t worry, no frogs in this video).

The Beauty of Jody

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I have been periodically looking at these photos of Jody on the computer in the chimp house throughout the day today. They just fill my heart with love for her.

All of the chimpanzees are so different from one another in so many ways and each one has qualities that pull you into their personalities.

I admire the way that Jody approaches life in a self-assured way and knows what she wants out of any given situation. She often does her own thing with her confident flair, but at the same time she’s the watchful den-mother of the group.

She has the greatest vocalizations – her happy chimpanzee low-moan we refer to as her “dinosaur noises” because they are so drawn out, and she is the most likely to give a good-night grunt from her nest at the end of the day.

Her big round eyes seem capable of taking in more than anyone’s, and there’s almost always a glimmer of hope or anticipation in them.

 

Going gray

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People often mistake the white hair around a chimpanzee’s mouth and chin for a sign of old age. This “beard”, however, is part of a chimpanzee’s normal coloration and is generally present at birth.

But many chimpanzees do go gray as they get older. Over the last ten years, we’ve watched Foxie’s patches of gray hair proliferate into a “salt and pepper” look, most notably on her arms.

As my own gray hairs have also begun to proliferate, I prefer to think of it as a distinguished look.

Snake Hunters

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Everyone has a role to play when a snake is discovered on the hill. Watch this video to see how the gang dealt with today’s intruder.

Featuring:

Annie as THE SPOTTER
Jamie and Foxie as THE HUNTERS
Burrito and Missy as EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Jody as JUST OUT FOR A SNACK
Negra as SLEPT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING
and The Snake as THE SNAKE THAT GOT AWAY