Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Autumn on Young’s Hill

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I’m not sure when it happened, but autumn is here. The green summer grass on Young’s Hill has turned yellow and the temperatures have cooled a little. It’s hard to believe we’re approaching our second winter on the hill. As of now, though, the days are still warm, so the chimpanzees are enjoying lots of time outside. This morning we scattered chow (protein biscuits) on the hill to encourage some outdoor activity.

Annie:

Foxie brought a couple of troll dolls with her, including a blue-haired one that volunteer caregiver Katelyn gave her yesterday:

Missy:

Jody:

It really doesn’t get old seeing the chimps explore Young’s Hill as a group. For the most part, they seem comfortable enough out there now to split up, but occasionally they travel together. Here’s Jamie in the foreground, and Foxie and Burrito in the background approaching each other for a greeting:

In this photo Jamie is kissing Foxie’s back in greeting. This is a common greeting for Jamie and is often accompanied by a pant grunt vocalization. (Jamie often greets Burrito this way, much to Burrito’s horror – he’s still pretty intimidated by her.)

But he doesn’t let that get in the way of having a good time:

For Lori Clemente

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Barbara Ludt has sponsored today in honor of Lori Clemente’s birthday.  Lori is no stranger to animal causes; she is president of ARRF Animal Rescue here in Cle Elum and does a lot of good work on behalf of homeless cats and dogs in our community.  Happy Birthday, Lori, and thanks so much for being a tireless animal advocate! And thank you, Barbara, for your thoughtful gift.

Jody loves (stuffed) dogs, too:

 

 

 

Fun on the bouncy bridge

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When the bouncy bridge was first finished back in August, one of the first things I thought of was how cool it was going to be when we see the chimps playing chase on it. I still haven’t seen crazy rambunctious play on it yet, but the other day Missy did all she could to get Annie and Jody to play chase with her on it.

Annie and Missy Best Friends

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Supporter Annie Norris has a best friend named Missy and was excited to learn that Annie and Missy of the Cle Elum Seven are also best friends. She said it was okay for us to share this little page she made of the BFFs. I took it a step further and dug up some other photos of the chimp best friends. Do you know any Annie & Missy best friends?

annie and Missy best friends

missy and annie on young's hill by treat rock

 

Annie Missy best friends

Annie grooming Missy

Annie bit Missy's brow ridge play young's hill 2

Annie bite Missy browridge

playfaces

annie and missy playing

missy annie wrestle on beam

missy annie play

Missy and Annie with big playfaces

Progress on Negra’s Cabin

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Just a quick update to let you know that, despite a minor setback from the Taylor Bridge Fire, we are making progress on Negra’s Cabin. The “cabin”, which will actually be a three-sided shelter with a transparent ceiling and walls, is the result of your contributions to our fourth anniversary fundraising drive. The shelter will provide a comfortable space for the chimps on the cold, windy, and wet days of spring and fall. We also hope that it will help chimps like Negra learn to spend more time out on the hill, as some chimps need a little more time to get comfortable being out in wide open spaces.

Our rough vision for the cabin:

And that vision slowly being realized:

We are building this with Negra in mind, but I am starting to think that Jody will be the first to move in and make a nest in a fluffy bed of straw. Hopefully, in a few weeks, we will get to find out.

Jamie checking out the GoPro

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Seeing the chimps check out the GoPro camera still hasn’t gotten old… especially when it’s the boss who’s checking it out.

Jamie hasn’t inspected the GoPro like many of the other chimps have. It’s unusual because normally, as soon as we add something new to her environment, Jamie immediately does all that she can to try to tear it apart. But the other day, she decided it was time to get down to the bottom of this “strange object we keep putting in the enclosure”.

Burrito’s Choice

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Each day after cleaning the chimpanzees’ enclosures, we set out a couple of baskets of new enrichment (toys, magazines, clothing, blankets, etc.). Aside from a couple of obvious favorites – Jamie and her cowgirl boots, Foxie and her troll dolls – it’s somewhat hard to predict what will be of interest to the chimps. A few days ago Burrito grabbed these flamingo boxers (courtesy of volunteer Becca) and initiated some crazy play with his caregivers.

It’s important to distinguish Burrito’s play with these boxer shorts from chimpanzees you might see in movies or on TV wearing clothes. Chimpanzees who “work” in the entertainment industry are often duct-taped into clothing and forced, through physical intimidation or abuse, to perform. (Check out Executive Director Sarah’s informative blog post on this topic here.) Burrito, on the other hand, is not forced to do anything. We work every day to give Burrito and the rest of the Cle Elum Seven as much choice as possible, and we love to see what choices they make.