Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
I don’t think anything will ever replace troll dolls in Foxie’s heart, but Dora the Explorer has come a close second lately. While we have hundreds of troll dolls thanks to generous supporters, our Dora supply is touch and go. If you have any Dora dolls who are looking for a good home, email us at [email protected], and we’ll tell you how to get them to Foxie.
The chimps were going after a garter snake today. I think that Missy brought it in from outside and then lost her grip on it. The chimps chased it until it crawled into a small space in the caging. I laughed when I saw Jamie with the spaghetti spoon, but it was actually a pretty good choice of tools because she was trying to flush it out from its hiding spot.
The chimps never did get the snake, and Jamie seemed dissatisfied. She spent a good part of the afternoon walking around Young’s Hill, probably looking for more snakes.
Last night there was a commotion on the hill. We didn’t see what happened, but there was a lot of screaming and Negra ran to the greenhouse to seek reassurance from the other chimpanzees. Was it a fight? Did Negra get stung by an insect? Did she touch the electric fence?
This morning, as I was getting ready to let the chimps out onto the hill, I wondered if Negra would choose to stay indoors where she felt safe. But before I could unlock the door, Negra was there, waiting. She was the first out the door, and she stayed out long after the other chimps had gone back inside. She looked so at ease, eating grass and soaking up the sun.
When it came time for her to get up and head back to the building, something happened – she panicked. I imagine that she didn’t realize how far it was back to the greenhouse, sort of like what happens when you climb a tall ladder and don’t experience fear until you look down and realize how high up you are. This is probably what happened to her last night as well.
She ran down the log bridge, trying to get back to the greenhouse as fast as she could (which, for Negra, is not very fast).
She showed a slight fear grimace…
…which turned into a pout or whimper face.
Being Negra, she managed to grab some dandelion greens along the way without breaking stride.
The panic was short-lived, thankfully, and within minutes she was back in the same spot, enjoying some more grass.
We never really know what the chimps are thinking, but it’s clear to me that Negra is determined to enjoy the great outdoors. It’s just going to take a while before she can truly relax. Each of the chimps does things in their own time, and in their own way.
Jackie got some excellent footage of the chimps switching roles the other day. As many of you know, The Cle Elum Seven chimps all have unique personalities. Negra usually keeps to herself, is quiet, and likes to rest a lot. Missy is super playful, loves to run, and tries to get the other chimps to chase her. Foxie (not shown in this video) is a troll connoisseur. In this video, we see Negra initiating play, holding trolls, and stealing nests. Missy forgoes play with her best friend Annie in order to take a nap Neggie-style. Even though they all have their individual personalities, they definitely continue to surprise us!
Foxie took an up close and personal look at the Go Pro Camera the other day.
J.B. just finished installing a scale in the greenhouse so that we can monitor the chimps’ weights. He cleverly disguised the scale as a place to sit. Most of the chimps are tucked away in their nests for the night and didn’t even bother getting up when the door to the greenhouse was opened for them, but Foxie and Jamie immediately came out.
Foxie, with two troll dolls, hopped right on it:
Jamie, of course, was mostly interested in seeing if she could take it apart:
Jody’s still recovering from her birthday revelry. Jackie just caught her in a quiet moment with a troll doll on the bench in one of the front rooms.
