Sanctuary

Sunday Stroll

February 27, 2022 by Sam Jones

There was a break in the clouds this afternoon and most everyone in Jamie’s group was outside making their way around Young’s Hill. I sat for awhile enjoying watching them all over the hill and climbing on all the structures. Negra was not far away, but was in the Greenhouse surrounded by blankets in a nice big blanket nest.

Jamie on Young’s Hill.

Missy enjoying time on the hill.

Jody found some pine to snack on.

Annie and Burrito walking around Young’s Hill together.

Foxie waiting for everyone to come back towards the Greenhouse.

Katelyn got this photo of Jamie all comfy in her nest this morning!

On the other side of the chimp house Honey B was ready to have her photo taken.

Willy B was enjoying the peanuts he got from the daytime enrichment.

I was very impressed with how Cy was getting raisins out of the raisin boards.

Dora and Rayne were making good use of the big wolf blanket.

Rayne later in the afternoon.

A few photos

February 25, 2022 by J.B.

(Above: Gordo, giving me his typical side eye)

Dora, celebrating the restoration of the primate chow supply chain:

And chomping on some leeks:

Nobody chomps like Willy B, though:

And no one reads as voraciously as Cy:

Rayne, taking a break from the grooming session:

One of the many bald eagles that have spent the winter around the sanctuary:

The elk herd paying a visit to the cattle barn this winter during the big snow storm:

The Right Idea

February 23, 2022 by Kelsi

Jamie always has the right idea. She is a perfect planner and executor. Whether her plan is using tools to work on food puzzles, modifying enrichment for her own construction project, maneuvering a human do what she wants, implementing optimum forage strategies, selecting boots/books of her liking, or creative fort building, Jamie has the organization skills to do it all!

Yesterday, as I was serving dinner, Jamie stepped off her chair with a handful of food and began using it as a table. We often see Jamie convert her chair into a table! It’s perfect because she can keep her food in sight, spread it all out, and it’s at the perfect eating height. I love the way she can be so tactical. Jamie just has a beautiful mind.

Bonus photos!

Today I accidentally simulated a hot summers day because I forgot to turn the our greenhouse heater off mid-morning. However, no one seemed to be complaining!

Rayneception

February 21, 2022 by Anthony

For weeks now, I’ve been bringing my camera with me when I walk between the two new greenhouses (Oakwood and Riverview) in hopes of catching someone looking through the canvas flaps that separate those areas from the indoor playrooms. The concept formed when I saw Rayne pause there a while back and thought the rectangular doorway framed her face nicely. Sadly, I did not have my camera with me at the time, but Rayney had already inspired (or incepted?) the idea into my mind.

This afternoon, Rayne unknowingly made me a happy photographer. (I’d say she made me a happy caregiver, but she does that everyday regardless.) I was walking by the greenhouses and trawling for blog material when she popped her head out to see what I was up to. Rayne calmly paused in the doorway, gently lifted the curtains, and peered out into the greenhouses to see if there was any activity worthy of her time. I cheerfully snapped a few shots, excited that my vision for a composition had actually manifested itself into a real photo. I might need to do a little editing to make the image look the way I think it should, but Rayne clearly did most of the work here.

As I was transferring the image file to the desktop computer we use for blogging, I found some other photos of Rayne that I don’t remember sharing here before. I hope her tender, inquisitive demeanor comes through in the photos!

Day Bags

February 18, 2022 by Anna

Recently, due to a presumed supply chain issue, we ran out of primate chow and have been unable to order more (for the time being). Primate chow is a fortified biscuit that the chimps enjoy at the end of their breakfast and lunch meal services. It is a treasured final course for most of the chimpanzees so we needed to come up with a few temporary substitutions that would satisfy some expectant people that are HIGHLY familiar with our meal routine. Enter “Day Bags.” Day bags are similar to night bags (popcorn, peanuts and seeds -minus the dried fruit) and seem to please even the most avid chow enthusiast.

*Bonus footage at the end of this video of a beautiful sun filled adventure around Young’s Hill!

The Wednesday Weigh-In

February 17, 2022 by J.B.

In our house we have a weekly event known as the “Wednesday Weigh-In”, in which we pick up our pup, Benny, and stand with him on a scale in the kitchen. It began as part of an effort to put pounds on an underweight rescue dog and, after getting a bit carried away, now serves to help take off an extra pound or two. We all agree that putting weight on a dog was way more fun.

Keeping track of the chimps’ weights is every bit as important, if not more so, not just for overall health but also because with a moment’s notice we may have to administer medications that, for safety reasons, must be carefully dosed by weight. In the chimps’ case, however, weight must be measured remotely, because when it comes time for Cy to require anesthesia, I am not going to be the one standing on a scale with him in my arms.

We were a little behind on getting a scale installed in the new playrooms but it’s finally in and it has been officially tested for durability by Gordo and Dora and given a multi-point inspection by our resident mechanic, Rayne. Everyone but Lucky took part in yesterday’s Wednesday Weigh-In, and that’s because Lucky is the only chimp in her group that we currently have on a diet and the universe sometimes likes to play jokes on us. I’m sure she’ll get the hang of it soon enough, especially with a little positive reinforcement training.

In case you’re wondering, we record weight in kilograms because most medications are dosed in milligrams per kilogram (“migs per kig” if you want to talk like the cool kids).