Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
The raceway entrance is where the green house meets Young’s Hill, and it has some of the best natural lighting throughout the day. It is where I have captured some of my best photos of the chimps. Today, Foxie and Annie were in and out of the green house and Young’s Hill quite a bit, because, well it was so beautiful.
Annie and Foxie:
Foxie:
Annie:
This day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees was sponsored by Krissy Brasfield, one of our amazing chimp house volunteers, in honor of her parents, Nancy and Darrell Brasfield! Krissy shared this lovely note about her gift:
“I’m sponsoring this day in honor of my folks’ 75th birthdays! Mom’s is today, the 27th, dad’s was on the 25th. My folks are both very compassionate animal lovers, and passed that love on to me. Now, they are living vicariously through my volunteer experience at CSNW – reading the blog, watching the videos, and listening to me yammer on incessantly about every little detail about my new chimpanzee friends! I hope that they get the opportunity to visit the sanctuary some day! I love you, mom and dad! Happy Birthday!”
Krissy, you so clearly hold the chimpanzees in your heart and consistently think of ways to contribute to their lives. From our hearts, thank you for all you do.
Nancy and Darrell, happiest of birthdays to you both from all of the primates here at CSNW! We’re so glad to be able to celebrate your special days with you!
The boss of Krissy (and us all), beautiful Jamie:
On one occasion this winter when we were running low on snow at the sanctuary, Krissy made a special snow delivery for Burrito from the next town over!
Annie, Missy and Foxie:
Honey B is anything but shy.
This bright, enigmatic chimp seemed to arrive at the sanctuary with one setting: investigate.
For example, Honey B constantly inspects human personnel for new cuts, scrapes, bruises, hangnails, freckles, accessories and even tattoos, which she then insists on eagerly grooming. Her first reaction to new volunteers is to spit water on them, measure their reaction, and then stare at them as if they were a peculiar piece of art in a museum. This not-so-warm welcome seems to make people feel a bit uneasy at first. To quote volunteer Becca’s reaction after meeting Honey B last fall, “I feel like she knows my SAT scores.”
Honey B tends to be the first chimpanzee to enter new areas after they have been cleaned and provisioned with enrichment materials, and she was the first to figure out the drinking fountains in her new home. Even when meeting new chimps, her strategy seemed built around a framework of testing boundaries and pushing buttons. Curiosity may proverbially kill felines but it somehow hasn’t gotten Honey B yet.
Her apparent rule that everything needs to be investigated in depth also applies to cameras and phones. While other chimps may be more curious about the reflective camera lens (like Willy B) or nervous about having their photo taken (like Mave), Honey B seems intent on somehow obtaining the camera. Her immediate reaction is to charge forward, get as close to the camera as possible, and ask the caregivers to let her groom the camera body. On rare occasions, she has asked me to drop a camera or phone in the food chute (which is not going to happen). We can only imagine what she would do with a camera, but it’s not impossible that she would actually attempt to take photographs with it. She’s learned how to clean by observing humans, so maybe the visual arts are next.
This tendency of hers to hover by the camera makes capturing portraits of her a challenge. Today, I got lucky. When I unlocked the wing of the building where Honey B and her two companions now reside, the three of them were sitting by the window in a beam of morning sunlight. I coincidentally had the camera by my side (armed with a groovy Canon lens that was generously donated by a supporter who saw it on our Wish List), making it a truly serendipitous moment. Honey B held still for a quick photo shoot as Mave lazily picked through her hair and groomed her shoulder. Perhaps I have Mave to thank for that whole moment.
Anyway, you’re all being treated to a rare portrait of Honey B as the cornerstone of today’s blog post. Enjoy.
Despite having a bit of a sideways blowing snowstorm yesterday, we found most of it melted today. (Don’t worry, Burrito has eaten his weight in snow so far today as the shady spots still hold plenty for snacking). The sun is in full bloom, but we have a freezing prequel to the infamous spring winds of the area that have been thundering through the sanctuary like a freight train all day. Even though everyone has access to their outdoor areas, the wind is just too much for any of the chimpanzees to tolerate being outside in it seems, so everyone has been melted into their individual sun puddles on both sides of the chimp house.
Behold, Willy B, the Sun King:
This month, we celebrated the joyous anniversary of Nutmeg’s birth. Nutmeg completed his fifth trip around the sun on February 10.
Nutmeg and his bovine companions arrived at the sanctuary in the fall of 2018 and have been inhabiting the spacious pasture ever since. Even though he weighs well over one-thousand pounds, this tawny giant is still a mama’s boy. Despite his attachment to his mother, Betsy, we’ve enjoyed watching him grow more independent, hardy, and adventurous over the past 15 months. He still likes to hang with the herd, but he’s been exploring the sanctuary’s farmland and learning to love the outdoors with the support of his bovine companions. He’s also slimmed down quite a bit, and now sports a thick winter coat that has proven quite handy in recent months.
Normally, the cattle graze and browse the surrounding landscape during the warmer seasons and then receive supplementary hay and alfalfa during the winter. We pay close attention to their conditions so they can maintain a healthy weight. Last week, to celebrate Nutmeg’s birthday, we gave the cattle a few scoops of something special. The birthday mix was a rare treat that contained alfalfa, beets, oats and minerals. Nutmeg practically inhaled his portion before slurping the last few handfuls of grain directly off the tailgate. He’s quite the food connoisseur and he seemed to appreciate the special event.
In addition to keeping the sanctuary protected from fires by removing fuel from the landscape, these quirky creatures are a charming addition to the CSNW family. We couldn’t be happier to provide a peaceful home for Betsy, Honey, Meredith and Nutmeg. As I mentioned in the video, Nutmeg and the cows are looking for Bovine Buddy sponsorships that help us to maintain a safe and enriching environment for chimps and cattle, so please visit this page if you are interested in contributing to their care.
Also, please enjoy the included photos of this handsome dude.
Happy birthday, Nutmeg!
Honey B, like many other sanctuary chimpanzees, enjoys cleaning. Last week, we did a “deep clean” of one of her indoor enclosures and spent time scrubbing the track to the door that leads to the upstairs play area. Honey B watched us intently and later decided that the door track needed just a bit more work.
Yesterday, Diana and myself shoveled pathways onto Young’s Hill. It was still pretty cold outside, and we didn’t see any of the chimpanzees go out. After a day and some sun, the snow began to slightly melt. With some wider paths created with the melting snow, the chimpanzees decided to venture out today. Negra (of all people) was the one waiting by the door to Young’s Hill and was very eager to head out. After a few feet, she realized she was alone and reached out to Annie for some reassurance, which Annie obliged.
Once reassurance was given, Negra was okay.
Once Annie was out, she was immediately followed by Missy and Foxie.
For Negra, Foxie, and Missy, their first order of business was to sit in the sun on the platform and take in the snowy landscape.
Annie, on the other hand, went straight for Negra’s Cabin.
Annie seemed quite cozy there and stayed in Negra’s Cabin for some time. For the others though, there were was a bounty of edible landscape to be had. Foxie decided to take her bounty on the go.
And like the den mother she always is, Jody had to monitor those out on Young’s Hill to ensure they came back safe.
We just passed out their nighttime enrichment (Kongs) to wrap up today. Jamie grabbed her Kongs and bolted for Young’s Hill before I could close it.
She just returned and seems pleased with her last patrol of the day. The rest of the chimpanzees are already snug in their nests and I can see on our security monitors Jamie has started to grab some blankets of her own. Until next time, friends!
