Some friends to the Northeast in Canada, sent a generous donation last week. We used a tiny bit of it for some fun toys like this Pirates of the Caribbean tent. Jamie, Jody, Missy and Annie all had their turn playing with it, then it ended up being part of Jody’s bed.
Sanctuary
Opposable toes – why chimpanzees are superior
Visualizing Chimpanzees
J.B. and I are now in Washington having finally moved from New York State. After five days of driving, we were both really anxious to see the chimp house as soon as we got here. For the first time, I could really see the chimpanzees in the building. Before I could imagine it in a theoretical kind of way, but now that their house is getting closer to completion, I could actually see Negra in front of the window on the loft, and I could see Burrito swinging from a firehose attached to the wide bridge that now spans the playroom. And I could see Jody walking out of the building to the outdoor area for the first time.
Keith and the solid and incredible group of volunteers who have helped create this building from scratch have put so much thought into it and have labored so hard, and I could finally see the chimpanzees appreciating all of that work. The Buckshire Seven arrive in 28 days. It’s hard to believe that in less than one month all of these images that I saw in my mind will be a reality! It will be so great to fill the website with photos and videos of the chimpanzees and be able to tell stories about them everyday. Stay tuned – it’s only a short wait now.
Diana
Mushy post about Negra
I’ve wanted to write this for a while, but I’ve been trying to figure out a way to write it so that it doesn’t sound so mushy that people think it is out of character for me. I think I’m just going to go for it, though…
I’m in love with Negra. It started when I met her in December, but when J.B. and I visited last month, I fell harder. There was this moment when the bars of the caging seemed to disappear. It was as though Negra and I were no longer in the basement of a laboratory with me wearing a tyvex suit and plastic face shield. It was just the two of us sharing the experience of looking into each others eyes. So, like anyone newly in love, I want to tell everyone I know about her and explain why she is so special.
She has a very calm and gentle demeanor, but she’s also clearly emotionally strong and independent. She currently spends most of her days sleeping, although she’ll get up for food. Food is one of the few pleasures that she has in her current life, and she’ll take whatever is offered to her. She has the best relaxed face that I have ever seen – her bottom lip drops so low it practically touches her chest. We don’t have any photos yet, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get a good one of Negra’s drooped-lip face once she is safely in her new home at CSNW.
After observing me playing with some of the other chimpanzees, Negra came down off of her ledge. That’s when she won me over. She just looked at me for a while at first. After sizing me up, she got up and started to play a good, although rather slow, game of chase. It probably only lasted for a couple of minutes, but it was fantastic – a great indication that she has good days ahead of her at the sanctuary. She went back to her concrete ledge, but continued to watch me. When it was time for us to go, I said goodbye to Negra. She returned my goodbye by playfully stomping her foot on the wall from her position laying down.
I can’t wait to see her again.
Diana
Missy & Annie
J.B. and I had our second visit with the Buckshire Seven this past weekend. On our last visit, there were two chimpanzees who were rather aloof and mostly stayed in the background – Missy and Annie. This visit was quite the opposite.
After we were there for a bit and we had given out some kale (which Missy loves) and dried fruit, Missy engaged in a lot of play with us – stomping her feet and slapping her hands against the old tire that hangs in her cage. Once Annie saw Missy playing, she joined in too. It wasn’t long before they were playing with each other – their foreheads pressed together and their arms wrapped around each other, then separating and slapping each others hands, arms and shoulders. It feels really good to “transfer” play sessions this way, and I think it’s always a subconscious goal of mine to help foster play between chimpanzees. As I was watching Annie and Missy play I was imagining them in their new home in Cle Elum; I was picturing them on a platform in front of one of the windows laughing that breathy chimpanzee laugh and tickling each other.
Malt & Vine Beer Tasting Event
I recently made a trip out to Seattle and Cle Elum to visit the sanctuary site and meet all of the fantastic people involved with Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. I just happened to coordinate my trip so that I could attend CSNW’s Cheers to Chimps Wild Beer Tasting Benefit that was held at the Malt & Vine in Redmond. It was so much fun! I am a fan of beer (in moderation, of course) and I’ve tried all kinds of beers from all over the world, but never before setting foot in the Malt & Vine had I heard of chipotle ale. That was one of seven beers that Doug and Lizzie, the fabulous proprietors of Malt & Vine, picked out. They chose seven unique beers to match the seven chimpanzees who will soon be living at CSNW.
This photo is of CSNW founder Keith LaChapelle (wearing the 98.76% chimp shirt) with friend Todd Foley. Click on the photo to get a better look – I just found out that Keith was voted “best smile” in high school (hopefully revealing that tidbit won’t end my blogging privileges!).
Even more than the beer (and even Keith’s smile), what made the night were the people who attended. If you haven’t already, take a look at the people involved with CSNW. They’re impressive on paper, and pretty fun in person to boot. I also really enjoyed meeting CSNW supporters who attended the event. It’s fascinating to learn how people became interested in chimpanzees and how they discovered CSNW. It was great to be able to talk to people about Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, and Negra, and I look forward to getting to know many more supporters and telling more stories about these seven individuals who have so many friends already.
Diana
not-so-shy Foxie
This is the third post about my initial visit with the Buckshire Seven
Foxie is a small chimpanzee with a dark, inquisitive face and a somewhat mischievous charm. She was born into captivity in 1976, fated to be used by humans for their purposes. Her caregiver at Buckshire has described her as shy, but everyone from CSNW who has visited her has found her initial shyness to be short-lived.
For the first hour or so during my visit, Foxie remained mostly out-of-view in a corner of a cage farthest from the door. But I could tell she was paying attention to everything and was curiously assessing the situation. I think she felt safer remaining near Negra, who also occupied the farthest of the four small cages. Foxie warmed up to me once I began to give out peanuts. She put her hand behind her to catch the peanuts that I dropped into the food chute of the cage, and she was very pleased that I made a point to return frequently to ensure she got her share.
When I had given out all of the peanuts, Foxie ventured into the next cage, climbed up as high as possible (which is only about six feet), pressed her belly to the caging and looked down. I had a rolled-up newspaper in my hand and I reached up with this and tickled her belly. She was thrilled. She came down to the floor, bobbed her head (a chimpanzee gesture communicating play) and put her belly up to the caging again. For the rest of my visit, she was very active and wanting to play, and I indulged her as much as possible. By the end of the visit, Foxie was sitting in the first cage near her friend Burrito. I am looking forward to seeing Foxie and Burrito romping in the playroom at the sanctuary and I expect she will take advantage of every inch of her much expanded world.
Diana