Now that George has completed his quarantine, he is finally able to explore more of the sanctuary. This poses a bit of a logistical challenge—we don’t want him to be intimidated by the other chimps while he explores and we certainly don’t want to give them the opportunity to fight against the mesh or windows at this point, so for this to work the other chimps have to move to nonadjacent enclosures. And that means that both Honey B and Gordo have to be in a cooperative mood. But sometimes the stars do align…
Sanctuary
Honey B Turns 36!
We wanted to say thank you to Paulette Wrisley for sponsoring the day in Honey B’s honor!
Today we celebrated the one and only Honey B’s 36th birthday, and true to form, she kept us all on our toes! She started the day by discovering a lock that was supposed to hold her enrichment boards to the mesh caging. While we prefer to keep the boards securely fastened, it’s not threat that she has it—but Honey B doesn’t need to know that, so let’s just keep it between us. She was clearly very pleased with herself, and honestly, it brought a big smile to our faces.
We filled Honey B’s day with all her favorite foods and treats! In the morning she had a forage of tiny brown bags filled with popcorn, raisins, and a very light drizzle of honey! For her big birthday party, we served plates of pasta with a homemade roasted pepper and onion sauce, non-dairy decaf frappuccinos, and a small forage with cherries, snap peas, radishes, and mini peppers.
Being around Honey B is never dull—she’s clever, curious, and always finding ways to surprise us. It’s truly an honor to know her and share in her unique and spunky spirit.
Keep an eye out for tomorrow’s blog, where we’ll share highlights from the group celebration—like George loving his pasta!
George eating pasta:
A New George Every Day
I have to admit I was starting to wonder how this was going to work.
After unloading George’s crate and transferring him into the building, I really didn’t see much of him due to our strict quarantine procedures, which made it difficult to pop in and out to say hi while still getting other things done. But when I did see him, he would scream bloody murder and seek reassurance from another person in the room. My presence was exciting, to say the least. How would I be a part of his caregiving team if he was going to be so unsettled by my presence?
It makes more sense now that we’ve been told that he would often react that way to tall men.
Thankfully George has realized that, despite my height, I’m not very intimidating. And today he decided that he would officially consider me an honorary shorter person. It feels good to be pals with George.
Transitions like this are hard for chimpanzees but George is making great strides. From my perspective, it’s like I’m getting to meet a new George every day. He’s funny, confident, and playful. He’s a very gentle groomer. And his food puzzle skills are…going to need some work. But we’ve got plenty of time for that.
Signs of Summer
Summer has come early this year so we’ve been busy making sure everyone stays safe and comfortable. That means moving the cows to pastures with plenty of wooded areas for shade and ensuring our wildfire sprinkler system is ready for fire season. The chimps have gone into summer mode as well, taking full advantage of the outdoor habitats in the early mornings and finding shade or a quiet spot indoors to ride out the afternoon heat.
Willy B’s Choice
First of all, today is Dora’s 36th birthday! Many thanks to our staff as well as interns Sarah and Taylor and Dr. Erin for pulling off a party for the birthday girl even when we were somewhat short on staff. And many thanks as well to Paulette Wrisley for sponsoring the day on Dora’s honor! We’re excited to share photos and video with you all tomorrow when we have time to prepare them.
In the meantime, I wanted to share a video about our boy, Willy B, and the journey he’s been on to become comfortable with the outdoors. I can’t tell you how often I want to be frustrated with this confused, self-sabotaging, sometimes-sweet-and-often-a-jerk, man-child of a chimpanzee. But I know what he’s been through. And I wanted you to get a glimpse as well. It’s really a miracle that he made it out at all. Every time I see him sitting in the grass or walking to the top of the Bray, I feel so proud of what our team has done and what you all have made possible.
My motive for sharing this now, if I’m being honest, is that I thought it would be a good lesson/reminder as to what might lie ahead for George. I know that many of you are excited for what’s next once George completes his quarantine, but I want to prepare everyone to be patient. We don’t know how George will react to other chimps after living alone for so long and we don’t know how he’ll react to a 2-acre habitat after being restricted to small cage for most of his life. Some chimps rush to embrace every new opportunity in sanctuary. Others take their time. It’s all up to them.
But at least now George, like Willy B, will have a choice.
Happy Pride Month!
This blog is dedicated to our volunteers, Primate Awareness Network (PAN), and the walking participants. We could not have done it without your help!
Though my main role at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is a chimpanzee caregiver, but I am also the Outreach Coordinator. I help organize the Summer Visitor program for our donors, as well as organize table events year-round. We participate in many tabling events in hopes to share our mission, educate people about the chimps, connect with potential donors, and maybe even spark interest in new volunteers. However, my personal favorite events are when we get to be engage with our community. As a closed-to-the-public sanctuary, we often fly under the radar, even in our own backyard. Because of this, being a part of something like the Pride Parade is so meaningful to us! We love being able to show up and support.
Last year was our first year we participated at the Kittitas County Pride parade. We only had a handful of people and carried a sign while handing out stickers, but it had a big impact on us. Experiencing the parade for the first time actually made myself and a few others emotional, rounding the corner of our downtown to see hundreds of people cheering in support. That moment made me feel such a deep sense of pride for our little town, and it reminded me how powerful community can be.
This year, we wanted to do more! With the help of our volunteers and PAN (Primate Awareness Network) we were able to build a float and get more people involved! We would not have been as successful without their creative minds, time, and effort. Personally, one of my favorite moments was having all the volunteers come over to my house the night before, to plan how we wanted to decorate our float. They all got to work right away making hearts and troll dolls out of cardboard while painting them to represent different flags. The team worked until sun-down and then showed up at 9:30 am the next morning to finish decorating! Their dedication is truly inspiring. What touched me the most, though, was how deeply they cared—not just about representing the sanctuary, but about showing up for the LGBTQ+ community. Their energy, compassion, and commitment make me incredibly hopeful for the future.
Being part of Kittitas County Pride reminded us just how powerful it is when we all show up for one another.
The night before:
Day of parade:
Benny (JB & Diana), Birdie (mine), Poppy and Tucker (Erin)
Our crew:
Downtown:
A Day Full of Laughs and Little Moments
Today was a pretty busy day for humans and non-humans! As you will see in the video, there is not better way to pass the time than playing and spending quality time with an old friend. Foxie and Burrito spent quite a bit of time laughing and playing with each other while we cleaned their Playroom. Their friendship always warms my heart. Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, George had an exciting moment, received access to the chute again! Click here to watch the video of George using the chute for the first time! It was a big spectacle, especially for Cy’s group, who had the best view and were very curious observers.
I’ll be honest, it was a bit noisy throughout the chimp house today (but hey, that’s life with chimps!). Eventually, things settled down, and George got to enjoy some peaceful solo exploration of the chute. Every day brings something new, and today was full of connection, curiosity, and a little bit of chaos—the best kind.
Click here for today’s video!
