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snake

the tale of the snake

August 1, 2020 by Diana

If you, like Annie Chimpanzee, do not like the sight of snakes, beware that there are some photos of a snake in this blog post.

Today I was outside on the new side of the building while the door was open to the Courtyard. Willy B had been out once, but was back inside the building. Honey B was on the down slope of the chute, towards the door to the Courtyard.

This is actually significant. She has been avoiding that part of the chute, especially when the door to the Courtyard is open. Perhaps she’s making plans to eventually go outside. To acknowledge her progress, I went around to the other side of the chute to say hello.

While I was standing there, we both spotted a snake slithering by on the ground. The only kind of snakes we worry about around here are rattlesnakes, and I knew right away that’s not what this snake was. I just looked it up and it appears to be a yellow-bellied racer (thanks, Google).

Usually when chimpanzees see snakes of any kind, they emit loud alarm calls, but that’s not what Honey B did.

Instead, she whimpered and stuck her fingers through the caging, asking for reassurance. So, I gave her the back of my gloved hand to touch, told her it was okay, and that, surprisingly, was that.

I was keeping my eye on the snake, mostly because I didn’t want Willy B to get startled if he decided to go back outside into the Courtyard. I’m not exactly sure what my plan was to keep him from seeing the snake… maybe if the snake started to head into the Courtyard I would have called for Kelsi or J.B. to bring out something enticing so Willy B was distracted.

Luckily, I didn’t have to enact my (lack of a) plan, because the snake stayed in place as Willy B ventured back into the Courtyard and went about his business of being stunningly handsome.

Snakes don’t normally bother me; I don’t know why. But I will admit that this snake made me a little uncomfortable today. Not frightened, more a feeling of social awkwardness.

Perhaps sensing that I was watching him/her, my gaze was returned, and the snake remained looking at me the entire time Willy B was in the Courtyard.

Awkward, right?!

Soon, it was time for lunch for Willy B, Honey B, and Mave, so they all went back into the building and I busied myself with other things. Rather, Jamie busied me with other things, specifically walking around the hill while she collected cattails:

as Missy watched from a perch up high:

Side note: we are still limiting Jody’s activity while her sutures heal, so her cattails were delivered to her in the front rooms:

About 20 minutes later, I heard some alarm calls coming from the direction of the greenhouse. I had a feeling I knew what this was about…

Sure enough, Kelsi reported that the snake had found its way into the greenhouse and the chimpanzees on that side of the building were not reacting in the surprisingly calm manner that Honey B had earlier.

Annie in  particular REALLY DOES NOT LIKE SNAKES, and she was doing most of the alarm calling/screaming:

Fun fact: when the chimpanzees are screaming, Wilson, a pit bull / bull mastiff rescue who lives with me and J.B. on the property, howls. It is the only time he howls, but he does it reliably if he is within earshot of the chimps screaming. If they are merely pant hooting or food grunting, he lets that go.

Read the following as the sarcasm it was intended to be, and include the proper inflection for air quotes: If you are wondering why we allow a 100lb dog to sit on our picnic table, well I really don’t need your questions or opinions on “good” or “bad” dog behavior or whether establishing “rules” for dogs are important. Please, let me get back to the story.

 

So, I’m sitting outside listening to Annie seriously losing it and Wilson howling, and I’m picturing that poor snake, who really had no idea what she/he had in store for themselves today.

Some of the more brave chimpanzees (NOT ANNIE), will approach snakes and try to either throw them or whack them, or some combination of those moves. Foxie and Jamie are usually the two who take this upon themselves. Kelsi came back and reported that is exactly what happened and that the snake appeared to be dead because it was lying upside down and not moving.

The chimpanzees came to that same logical conclusion and left the snake to go do other things.

I went out to the greenhouse quite a bit later and saw the snake as Kelsi had described.

Then I watched as Missy approached it and poked it with something.

The snake was alive!

What ensued was predictable – another round of Annie screaming as Foxie, Jamie, and this time Burrito too, tried to dispatch the snake in whatever way they could.

I grabbed the snake tongs that we have for capturing rattlesnakes (we’ve only had to use them a handful of times in the last dozen years), and attempted to convince Jamie to coax the snake in the direction of the caging where I was waiting with the tongs. She looked at me quizzically and did not go along with this plan.

Kelsi attempted to pick up the snake with a piece of plastic tubing through the caging, but that too was not successful. Eventually, the snake got itself into a rather hidden place in the greenhouse and everyone calmed back down.

Jamie knew exactly where the snake was. I later saw her watching the spot where it had disappeared from a very safe vantage point at the top of the platform.

The day progressed, with Kelsi serving dinner to the chimpanzees in the greenhouse without any snake sightings or drama of any kind. After dinner, I was walking around the greenhouse to close the hill for the night, when I heard something in the underbrush.

Could it be?!

I closed Door Y and excitedly returned to where I had heard the rustling. I had to separate the plants to find him/her again, but there was no doubt this was my old steely gazed snake friend.

He/she slipped behind a railroad tie, wedged between that and the side of the building. It wasn’t easy, but I was finally able to lift him/her out and relocate the snake-with-nine-lives to the barn, where I hope he/she will make a nice home and not venture towards the chimp house again.

Filed Under: Annie, Chimpanzee Behavior, Honey B, Jamie, Jody, Missy, Sanctuary, Wildlife, Willy B, Young's Hill Tagged With: animal rescue, animal sanctuary, Animal Welfare, chimpanzee, chimpanzee sanctuary, chimpsnw, primate, snake

Foxie takes care of business

October 19, 2018 by J.B.

Another garter snake saga, in which everyone learns a very important lesson: Foxie will take care of it, but you would do well to give her a wide berth.

Filed Under: Foxie, Latest Videos Tagged With: chimpanzee, northwest, reassurance, rescue, Sanctuary, snake

A snake in the garden

September 14, 2018 by J.B.

The intensity of a snake alarm call is usually proportional to the snake’s size and proximity to the chimps. Basic alarm calls mean a snake has been spotted. Screams mean it is an imminent threat. But you have to recalibrate your understanding of snake calls when Annie is involved because to her, every snake is an imminent threat.

Even if it is a tiny garter snake, taking a nap on a grape vine well outside of the chimps’ greenhouse enclosure.

Filed Under: Annie, Chimpanzee Behavior Tagged With: alarm call, chimpanzee, northwest, rescue, Sanctuary, snake, vocalizations

Snake Hunters

July 6, 2018 by J.B.

Everyone has a role to play when a snake is discovered on the hill. Watch this video to see how the gang dealt with today’s intruder.

Featuring:

Annie as THE SPOTTER
Jamie and Foxie as THE HUNTERS
Burrito and Missy as EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Jody as JUST OUT FOR A SNACK
Negra as SLEPT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING
and The Snake as THE SNAKE THAT GOT AWAY

 

Filed Under: Annie, Foxie, Jamie, Latest Videos, Young's Hill Tagged With: chimpanzee, hunt, northwest, rescue, Sanctuary, snake

Snake Patrol

June 22, 2018 by J.B.

As you may have read on the blog, the chimps recently encountered a snake in one of the bamboo groves.  The snake was clearly still on their minds on they ventured out onto the hill this morning.

They had all night to think about how scary it was and to dwell on the fact that it had eluded capture. It could still be out there.

Jamie immediately led a patrol to the area where the snake was last seen.

Foxie, Missy, Annie, Burrito, and Jody all followed but began to peel off one by one as the approached the bamboo grove.

It would be up to Jamie. Alone but undeterred, she climbed onto a structure to scan the grass for any sign of the intruder.

She moved from one vantage point to the next without setting foot on the ground below.

She watched patiently from the safety of her fire hose perch.

She searched for any sign of movement in the grass.

For all she knew, it could be right underneath her.

At last, she gave the all clear. But that didn’t mean that she was going to push her luck. There are plenty of other places to hang out besides that particular bamboo grove.

Which may very well still be hiding a snake.

Filed Under: Jamie Tagged With: chimpanzee, Jamie, northwest, patrol, rescue, Sanctuary, snake

Snake!!!

August 18, 2017 by J.B.

The chimps follow one simple rule: ALL SNAKES, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, POSE AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT AND MUST BE REMOVED BY ANY AND ALL MEANS AVAILABLE. Sometimes this means enlisting the help of their caregivers.

(In case you are wondering, the sanctuary is surrounded by 1,500 feet of rattlesnake barrier, but smaller, less harmful snakes live within the chimps’ two-acre enclosure and occasionally get into the indoor enclosures).

In this video, you can see and hear Annie alarm calling, while she and Burrito stay safely out of harm’s way. Jody, Foxie, and Jamie mustered the courage to force the snake out from its hiding spot and hand it over to the proper authorities, who in this case was Co-Director Diana.

Filed Under: Annie, Chimpanzee Behavior, Foxie, Intelligence, Jamie, Jody Tagged With: alarm call, chimpanzee, northwest, rescue, Sanctuary, snake

Snake!

August 26, 2016 by J.B.

Anna and volunteer Becca got some great footage of the chimps going on the offensive against a snake yesterday. Don’t mess with Foxie!

Filed Under: Chimpanzee Behavior, Foxie, Jamie Tagged With: chimpanzee, fear, innate, instinct, northwest, rescue, Sanctuary, snake

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