Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Celebrating Jody and all moms

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Today’s joint Mother’s Day/Jody’s birthday celebration has been one big loungefest (just like Jody likes it). The weather is gorgeous today (high 70s/low 80s) and the chimpanzees have spent the majority of the morning and afternoon in the warm greenhouse foraging, grooming, and going through gift bags – with breaks for leisurely excursions onto Young’s Hill, of course.

We normally limit the number of blankets we put out in the chimps’ enclosures each day to the maximum number that we can wash in a day. Today, though, in honor of the birthday gal’s love of relaxation, we threw caution to the wind and put out all the blankets we could find. Jody couldn’t be happier (see photos at the bottom of this post of her nesting with a few of them).

Annie found a new necklace in a gift bag:

Foxie kicked back with a new troll near the raceway to Young’s Hill:

Negra pondered a while before committing to going out…

…but she eventually took the plunge.

Missy, Jody, and Annie (l-r) checked out the hill from the raceway while Foxie took it easy:

The birthday girl spent much of the afternoon sifting through gift bags and inspecting new toys from her favorite reclining position. Eventually all this activity took its toll. Here she is mid-yawn:

Thanks so much to Robbi and Dick Brown and Rita Stevenson for the party goods, to everyone who has donated today (if you haven’t had a chance, there’s still time!), and of course to all the moms, who make the world go ’round.

Negra foraging on the hill

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It was a beautiful, sunny and still morning in Cle Elum, so we set up breakfast on Young’s Hill as a forage. We added some lettuce to the forage – one of Negra’s favorite foods. She went right out! I think it’s the first time since September, when the hill was first opened, that I’ve seen seven chimpanzees out there at once.

Here’s a short video of Negra enjoying the forage:

Green grass

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One of the many benefits of Young’s Hill is that it has given the chimps a bit more autonomy. The chimps love to eat grass, especially the tender and vibrant green grass of spring. But we were never able to get grass to grow in their old outdoor enclosure, so the chimps had to ask us to get it for them. Annie was especially persistent – in the spring, our staff and volunteers would become full-time grass fetchers (Negra would even demand that we fetch her grass by clapping impatiently – her servants are never fast enough for her).

The chimps’ love of grass is one of the main factors in helping them acclimate to their new, 2-acre enclosure. Last fall, after rushing out onto the hill on the very first day, a few of the chimps decided that once was enough. They would sit in the doorway and stare out at the wide open field, but their fear of the open space kept them from going any further. Then they noticed little clumps of green grass growing just a couple feet beyond the end of the tunnel. They mustered the courage to venture out that far, and then quickly picked a handful of grass and raced back to the safety of the old enclosure. Once that clump was picked clean, they went a little farther, and on and on it went like this until one day, they must have realized that they were 20 feet out into the enclosure and everything was OK.

Negra is going through that phase now, as we explained in a recent blog post, and she continues to spend more and more time outside each day. For the others that have already overcome their fears, spring is a time to relax and enjoy the benefits of having your very own 2-acre salad bowl right outside your back door.

Are you ready to race?

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In case you haven’t heard the news, we are only 10 days away from our first ever Race for the Apes! On Sunday, May 20, folks will be gathering at Rotary/West Ellensburg Park for a 5K run and troll stroll along the Yakima River. Whether you are a serious runner or simply a troll enthusiast (troll-stroll participants are encouraged to adorn their outfits accordingly), all are welcome, and it’s sure to be a blast.

In case you need inspiration on how to appropriately train for such an event, you could get some pointers from the Cle Elum Seven.

Serious runners may train for months and months, like Missy, who has been training since September 20, 2011. Currently her low speed on the hill appears to be approximately 15mph.

And when Missy’s running, Annie is usually not far behind her!

For you troll stroll participants, Foxie can show you how it’s done:

Perhaps even Negra found Foxie’s troll strolling inspiring today. She “strolled” out on the hill a bit further than usual and just sat down to take in the view! She’s been reluctant to go out much until this past week, and even then she would only run out to grab some grass and immediately retreat into the greenhouse to enjoy it. Knowing that she “strolled” a bit further and is getting comfortable enough to take in the amazing view is very exciting for all of us!

Here she is on the move!

So, in honor of the Cle Elum Seven, tighten those shoelaces and get ready to Race for the Apes! We hope to see you there!

Happy birthday, Rena!

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Today is Rena Schwartz’s birthday and Melissa Pendleton has sponsored the day in celebration.  Sponsoring a day of care for the chimpanzees in a friend’s or loved one’s name is such a thoughtful way to spread the love.  Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, Negra, and all of their humans at CSNW wish you the happiest of birthdays, Rena!

Here’s Jamie checking out a gift bag at one of Foxie’s birthday parties:

Play as therapy

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Foxie is the peacekeeper of the Cle Elum Seven. She often goes out of her way during conflicts to try to calm everyone down. Yesterday Jamie seemed to be feeling a little cranky and restless, and Foxie cheered her up by initiating a wrestling game.

Motivation

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As many of you probably already know, Negra hasn’t been going out on Young’s Hill much since last fall. Obviously, we cannot ever truly get inside of the chimps’ heads, and I’m sure Negra’s lack of interest in the hill is due to many different factors. I imagine 35 years in a small laboratory cage would make 2 acres seem extremely intimidating (it is intimidating!) plus we know she isn’t much of a fan of cold weather, so lately she has preferred to hang out in front of the chimp-proof glass windows in the Playroom with a blanket over her head (who can blame her when it’s that cold really?). But with the warmer weather and the vibrant fresh grass, she’s found just enough motivation to get herself out there, even if just for a minute.

Negra in her transfer cage en route to CSNW in 2008:

Negra today: