Sanctuary

Man of Mystery

November 9, 2019 by Diana

Willy B remains somewhat of a mystery to me and to some of the chimpanzees too, I think.

Maybe he’s the big silent type. He definitely can be difficult to read and he rarely makes eye contact when I’m serving him food. That trait, combined with his size, has caused me to affectionately refer to him as a gorilla.

He seems to take time to feel settled and is rather aloof in new situations. With all of the many new experiences and combinations of new chimpanzees he’s been meeting, he’s been pretty aloof for the last few weeks, with very rare breaks to let his guard down for a bit to play with Burrito.

Most of the time, he’s been keeping to himself. Today, we gave him and the rest of the group access to the front rooms for the first time. He’s seen other chimps in those rooms, but hasn’t really had the chance to hang out in them. He seemed to enjoy the option to get away from the group and it gave us the chance to snap a couple of photos of him (above) in front room four, which we also call the “portrait studio” because of the nice lighting.

It was the first time in over a month that I’ve been able to get him to respond just a little to my invitation to play chase. It didn’t last long, but he did his characteristic double-tap across front room three a couple of times. Maybe he was just humoring me.

Despite his relatively mellow nature, as he gets more comfortable, we have observed him being the tiniest bit intimidating at meals. All it takes from this large guy is the slightest look or a motion of his arm, presumably indicating that he wants the food being served, and the female chimpanzees next to him react in fear. I don’t blame them! He’s a gorilla!

Interestingly, Burrito doesn’t seem intimidated by him at meals and will sit right next to him when they are being served, even taking food that Willy B has dropped. Is this because Willy B doesn’t want to dominate Burrito in the same way he easily does the females, or is he playing it cool for the moment until he gets more comfortable? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Burrito has actually surprised us quite a bit. We tend to think of him as someone who gets wound up and just can’t contain his energy, but he’s clearly modulating his displays and being careful not to charge anyone. Who knew Burrito had so much self control? The calming presence of Mave is likely helping him (these two have been grooming a LOT), but even before she was added to the group on Thursday, Burrito was impressing us with his heretofore-unknown ability to keep his composure. Even chimpanzees we’ve known for over a decade can surprise us.

The Hug

November 8, 2019 by J.B.

Burrito and Willy B have now been together for nine days. This past Tuesday, we added Negra and Honey B – who get along unexpectedly well – creating a group of four. Upon entering the group, Negra did as Negra does, which is to say that she waltzed back into the playroom and made a nice comfy nest while pestering her caregivers to start dinner, as if nothing had changed. Honey B, on the other hand, came out of the gate with a message for Burrito: don’t mess with the little girl. On two occasions, as Burrito started to display, Honey B pounced on him, leaving him with a couple minor bites. Burrito seemed to be immediately overcome with the realization that the girls that had dominated him for so long were not an anomaly – they are all this way. Willy B stayed out of it entirely, as though he had received the same message from Honey B in the past and took it to heart.

With her point made, Honey B spent a considerable amount of time trying to get Burrito to groom and play. He has so far declined most of her offers, understandably. But they have maintained a peaceful relationship since.

So yesterday it was time to add Mave to the group. We had a strong feeling that Mave and Burrito would get along, based on their brief encounter in the group of ten and their interactions through the lexan as they have been housed in adjacent enclosures. And Mave seems to be a very stabilizing force wherever she goes, with her keen social awareness and penchant for giving out hugs when they are needed most. But given that Burrito was already working on a challenging relationship with Honey B, we thought it would suit him best to spend time with Mave one-on-one. As you can see, they hit it off right away and within a couple hours, both were introduced into the group with Willy B, Honey B, and Negra. This is how things will likely stay for a little while, so that Burrito can continue to build on his friendship with Willy B, work out his differences with Honey B, and find comfort in the warm fluffiness of Mave’s hugs. Negra will continue to play with her new friend Honey B and keep track of mealtimes for the staff. When the time is right, we will begin to engage Foxie with some of the newcomers so that she, like Burrito, can overcome her fears and forge new relationships.

The guys

November 7, 2019 by Anna

Burrito and Willy B continue to work on their budding friendship!

Having a Ball!

November 6, 2019 by Kelsi

While we are in the process of figuring out our next steps for introductions. It is nice to see that some things never change! Missy and Annie were in the phase 1 front rooms having a ball. These ladies were: play kicking, biting, and smacking each other around. At one point Annie is play biting Missy’s swelling and Missy can’t move! They were playing so rough, but they were also having a lot of fun and letting loose. These are also the moments we look forward to seeing in the future with Honey B, Mave, and Willy B. It may not happen right away as we may know now, but moments like this are the reason we are doing this. More social opportunities, more choices, and more growth.

I came across this photo of Missy from months ago and thought I would share!

Mave

November 5, 2019 by Kelsi

“Mave” comes from an old Irish name Madb, meaning “the cause of great joy” or “she who intoxicates”. I mean, that is pretty spot on, am I right?

The ties that bind

November 4, 2019 by Katelyn

Honey B and her mother, Missy, are very different people. We so look forward to them being able to spend more time together and to be able to see the direction they choose to take their relationship with one another. But something I love most about knowing the children of the chimpanzees, or at least having their photos, is the gift of seeing the similarities. Seeing that despite only having had hours together at birth before being horribly and heartbreakingly separated, of having lived most of their lives apart, it’s still there, in their eyes, or the way they hold their hands, or even things that they like and dislike. Each other.

Honey B:

Her mama, Missy:

Honey B:

Missy:

The Sunday Routine

November 3, 2019 by Anthony

It was another laid-back Sunday, aided by cooperative chimpanzees and incredible personnel.

We haven’t been doing any complicated projects or maneuvers on Sundays, giving our staff and chimpanzees time to focus on maintenance and recuperation before diving into the upcoming week. Today’s most exciting moments didn’t rival the excitement of Jamieween or the tension and chaos of an integration event. Even on our calmest of days, however, we still have to maintain and operate an intricate facility in order to manage multiple groups of chimpanzees with complex needs and preferences. Getting through each day requires a lot of teamwork, focus, and commitment among the humans.

Today, our staff had stellar assistance from two dedicated volunteers and two excellent interns. They carved and baked pumpkins, conducted safety checks, scrubbed floors, observed chimps, folded blankets, dehydrated fruit, and prepared enrichment for the chimps. (Thank you for your help, Courtney, Dusty, Katie and Rose!)

We also had two students undergo their first orientation so that they can begin helping us this winter. (Welcome to CSNW, Riley and Ashton!) With all the changes that have occurred over the last few months, we are beyond thrilled with how helpful and adaptable our volunteers and interns have been. It’s not an understatement to say that they are an integral part of the team.

As the humans worked hard to clean and provide care, the chimpanzees did chimpanzee things in the chimpanzee areas. Spaces such as the Playroom and Greenhouse don’t resemble an African jungle, superficially, but they serve a critical purpose; the interconnected enclosures provide a functional environment in which the chimps can engage in species-typical behaviors. At one point this morning, Willy B and Burrito proved that they can make a formidable duo when throwing enrichment objects across the open spaces in the Playroom. The explosive display provoked a boisterous response from the females on the other side of the wall. After lunch, however, the Chimp House was remarkably quiet and peaceful as the chimpanzees channeled their energy into positive social interactions.

Honey B and Mave continued to forge new friendships with Negra, while Willy B and Burrito kept lounging, eating and grooming together. The Girl Gang (composed of Annie, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, and Missy) spent the day socializing with each other, pant-grunting at the boys through the Playroom windows, and exploring Young’s Hill. I’ve included some snapshots of today’s activities at the bottom of this post.

We’re preparing to facilitate more meetings between chimps this week as we continue the gradual integration of the two social groups. It’s going to be an exciting week, so we’re appreciating the serenity and comfort of a lazy Sunday afternoon.

P.S. If you haven’t seen the news yet, there has been a critical setback in the effort to transfer the remaining populations of retired chimpanzees from biomedical facilities. Although it does not directly affect our future plans here at CSNW at this point in time, there is now a very real possibility that 44 chimpanzees will not be transferred to permanent sanctuary at Chimp Haven in Louisiana. I recommend the following articles to any of our followers and supporters who want to read further about the issue and be informed advocates for captive chimpanzees:

October 30 – Opinion – LA Times

October 27 – Article – NYT