Today is Anne Little’s birthday, and she has sponsored the day for the chimpanzees. Thank you for thinking of the chimps today, Anne! We hope you have a fantastic day.
(Burrito thinks snow days are fantastic.)
Sanctuary
Getting comfortable
I love to watch Jody nest. It’s such a science to get the blankets just right so that you feel safe and comfortable in your bed – and Jody is a master at getting comfortable!
Hopefully you have heard about our Team Chimp Fundraiser, but if not check out this link. Team Jody is in last place! Give her some love and join her team!
Cute Burrito
The other day I caught Burrito sitting by himself in the greenhouse with a pasta spoon in his mouth. He was just casually hanging out, minding his own business, and I snapped this photo:
Then he caught me taking pictures, and started being ridiculously cute:
Take Action Tuesday: Share our petition!
Have you signed the petition to help retire the 110 NIH chimps that are slated for relocation from New Iberia Research Center to Texas Biomedical Research Institute? Though they are no longer going to be used in any invasive research, they should be able to live out the rest of their lives in a sanctuary where they can receive lifetime quality care. Those 110 chimpanzees deserve the same retirement that the Cle Elum Seven now have after decades in labs. Something that I always find haunting are the pictures of the chimps before they came to CSNW or when they first arrived, compared to just a few months in a sanctuary and especially after a few years. Look at this before and after comparison of Jamie, who is also in the photo below. For others like her, please sign the petition and if you have already, share it with your friends!
Chimp Haven is hoping to raise funds in order to take those 110 chimpanzees. They need to add housing space and are running a drive to get donations for doing so. When you share the petition, let your family and friends also know here is how you can help build a better home for these deserving chimpanzees: The Road to Chimp Haven. Remember, every signature helps!
The simple things
We try to use this blog to share meaningful stories about the Cle Elum Seven — what they went through during their time in laboratories or how they’re experiencing sanctuary — or to talk about some interesting aspect of chimpanzee behavior. But sometimes I’m just so astounded that we get to look at these faces every day that I have to share.
Here’s Foxie enjoying the last good bits of a pomegranate peel from this morning’s breakfast.
In Memory of Dar Chimpanzee
The CSNW staff lost a friend today. This afternoon we received a call from our friends at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) in nearby Ellensburg to let us know that Dar passed away this morning. All of our staff worked with the family of chimpanzees at CHCI during our time there as graduate students studying primate behavior. Dar was a big, goofy, gentle giant who loved babies, games of chase, and endless somersaults. He had a sweet freckled face and huge floppy ears that he never quite grew into. We will miss him terribly. Learn more about Dar here.
Thanks, Mom and Dad, for sponsoring today in memory of Dar.
Thanksgiving 2012, Pt. 2
A few more photos from Thanksgiving day at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest…
Jody enjoyed the sweet potatoes:
Burrito tried to get every last bite of cranberries out of his cup and ended up coloring his face red:
Negra ate her Field Roast Grain Meat in the comfort of a nest:
Speaking of nests, the chimps made some nice ones after their big meal:
Annie was the big winner of the day. She was the only one who noticed that there were nuts and seeds in the decorations, so she quietly gathered them all before anyone else caught on. She also got the Thanksgiving pinata.
You know how can you tell when Foxie is happy with her food? She rubs her toes together.
It’s not hard to tell when Missy is having fun:
