Missy makes it obvious when she wants to play. The gigantic play face is the most obvious indication, but she also has the unique signal of wearing a sock on one foot.
Sanctuary
Wet grass
Jody was not very happy about the cold, wet grass on the hill today. She walked bipedally (upright) to try to keep herself dry, but decided in the end that it was better to stay warm and dry in the greenhouse.
In memory of Tovarisch and Ilka
We are so lucky to have an amazing base of supporters who are always thinking of the chimpanzees. Today is sponsored by Robyn Leff in memory of Tovarisch and Ilka. (It’s easy to sponsor a day of sanctuary for the chimps as a gift or memorial (or just because!) – just go here.) We’re so grateful, Robyn!
Your support keeps this guy supplied with as much watermelon as he can eat:
Comfort
A few nights ago while the chimpanzees were being served dinner in the greenhouse, I entered the playroom for a quick spot clean and found this nest in Negra’s current favorite spot in the loft. The photos really don’t do it justice. It was about four feet wide and beautifully put together. The next morning when we (reluctantly) deconstructed it during cleaning, we counted 23 blankets! It was only four years ago that Negra and the other chimps were sleeping on bare concrete in the lab. To Negra, I think sanctuary means comfort.
Congratulations, Sharon!
Sharon Discorfano has sponsored today to commemorate her graduation from law school at the University of Arizona. While in school, Sharon served as Co-Director of her campus chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. After hearing CSNW’s own Sarah Baeckler and various other primatologists speak about the plight of chimpanzees, Sharon was inspired to write her substantial paper on laws regarding chimpanzees in research (check out a blog post she wrote based on her paper here). After graduation, Sharon will be working in the field of animal law. Sharon wants to thank Sarah, the other sanctuary staff, and the Cle Elum Seven for the inspiration, and we want to thank Sharon for sponsoring today for the chimps and for her continued work on behalf of all chimpanzees!
This photo of Negra worshipping the sun had a particular impact on Sharon (it’s one of my favorites, too):
The endless salad bowl
One of the best things about the hill lately has been the fact that it’s an endless salad bowl of grass. Everyone has a favorite “harvest” spot, but lots of folks are discovering that Missy’s Mound has the best grass. Today I drove the gator around the hill and caught Missy getting some grass from there. As soon as she saw me, she grabbed a huge handful of grass and playfully ran inside. Once I parked the gator and walked in, I found Missy standing in the playroom with her mouthful of grass, and she playfully ran back out to the hill to get me to chase her.
Team Dora or Team Troll?
Foxie’s new love of Dora the Explorer continues, but that doesn’t mean she’s dropped troll dolls out of her life.
She spent some time with a Dora and a troll doll and a mirror today:
A sure sign of Foxie’s contentment is when she rubs her toes together, like in the photo below and in this video from a couple of years ago. If you’re wondering what the powdery stuff on Foxie’s feet is – it’s pollen. The pollen has been blowing off the trees like snow all week!
