Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

snow

Jamie’s Mission Today

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If you are new to the blog, Jamie is our master tool user here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. When she has something on her mind, she tends to find just the tool to get the job done. Sometimes she finds small sticks and plants on Young’s Hill to use (the 2 acre outdoor enclosure), while other times she picks from an assortment of enrichment objects we give to the chimps.

Check out J.B.’s recent video blog post of the chimps using various tools at the sanctuary.

This afternoon, I was taking photos of Annie in the Playroom, with her leg up in the air, grooming herself. It was a quiet, peaceful moment, when all of the sudden, Jamie came running through the doorway between the Greenhouse and the Playroom. Her mission….

…yes, you probably guessed it. It was to get chunks of snow from Young’s Hill.

Once she dug at the snow, chunks came off and she brought them back to the Greenhouse to eat.

More snow adventures & thanks to volunteers!

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Annie is continuing to show her newfound adventurous nature.

annie in snow

annie standing on snow

The other chimpanzees (well, most of them) were inspired to follow her out into the snowy expanse of Young’s Hill this afternoon.

The pair of photos below of Annie and Jody are my favorite! It’s so uplifting to see the chimpanzees support one another and share in adventures big and small:

jody and annie in snow

profiles of jody and annie

 

Foxie and Missy were 3rd and 4th out. The photo below is of Foxie giving Missy a quick hug before continuing along the path:

foxie hugging missy

 

Foxie didn’t have to go very far to find a snack:

foxie sitting with snow

 

Nor did Missy:

missy gathering snow

missy holding snow

 

Jody seemed to be in awe of the snow:

jody profile close-up

 

and dove right in for a taste:

jody eating snow

jody eating snow

 

Jamie came out after a few minutes and headed straight for a structure. She often takes the lead in adventures, but not today.

jamie sitting on structure

 

Though she did win points for her acrobatics once outside:

jamie tightrope

jamie swing

jamie swing 2

jamie swing 3

 

She also found some big chunks of snow to bring back into the building to savor:

jamie smell snow

jamie carry snow

 

Negra and Burrito didn’t follow these adventurers, but I did see Negra coming in later in the day, and I have no doubt Burrito at least reached an arm out to get a taste.

 

Before ending this post, I have to express our gratitude for volunteers and interns. This week we have really relied on you!

After being sick for a week herself, Katelyn has been the only healthy full time staff member this week. We’re very deliberate about staying away from the chimp house when we are feeling under the weather because we don’t want the chimpanzees to catch our bugs, so volunteers and interns have been life savers!

Today I’m much better but still not at 100%. I was able to don a mask and gloves to operate doors but luckily had an incredible crew of volunteers and Central Washington University interns who did the (literal) dirty work all day.

rachel

josephine

kyle

lars

 

Thank you to all of you who give your free time to the sanctuary – it makes a huge difference to all of the primates here!

 

That Time Of The Year, Again

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It’s here, it’s here! The snow has arrived! And the chimps know what to do when it starts getting cold and the snow has fallen.

Last Monday, I watched both Missy and Annie (and took the following photos), make the rounds on Young’s Hill, with a very specific goal in mind; to find ice chunks “hidden” within the various outdoor structures. It was indeed cold enough last week for there to be ice, but there was not enough moisture.

This morning, it was a different story. Missy and Annie set out on Young’s Hill to check all the usual spots where ice forms overnight, including in the bottom of this tire swing. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get outside in time to take photos of them finding the ice chunks this morning when Katelyn called on the radio to say they had found some. So, stay tuned for more pictures of the chimps gathering their snow and ice enrichment in the coming months!

Annie
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Missy checked the same tires (but none of the photos turned out where she was reaching in).
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Here’s a couple extras of Missy on the hill last Monday that I couldn’t resist adding to the blog.
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One of my favorite Missy action shots.
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Year One

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Today marks the eighth anniversary of the arrival of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees–Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, and Negra–to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and a celebration of Negra’s 43rd birthday.

It’s so hard for me to believe that eight years have already passed since the chimps’ arrival, and it’s even harder for me to believe that Negra is eight years older than she was when the truck full of chimpanzees pulled up the sanctuary driveway on June 13, 2008.

truck pulling up driveway with chimps

Negra in transport cage

Because this is such a nostalgic time for everyone who has been following the story of the chimpanzees at the sanctuary, and because so many people are relatively new followers, I thought it would be fun and informative to take this week to briefly chronicle some of the events of the last eight years, one year per day.

Of course I know you won’t want to miss the news of today’s big celebration, so we will be sharing that later today on the blog too. If you are subscribed to the e-newsletter, you will also be receiving an email today that celebrates Negra’s journey over the last eight years.

For now, here’s a glimpse of the first year of sanctuary for the Cle Elum Seven.

 

EVERYTHING was new to the chimpanzees.

 

From enrichment:

 

 

To the views out the windows:

 

To the changes in weather:

 

Rainstorm bravery

Missy standing in doorway

 

Let it snow!

Annie eating snow, Jamie and Negra in doorway

 

And the chimpanzees were new to us humans, too. Though we had met them at Buckshire before they came to the sanctuary, we didn’t have the chance to really get to know them until we spent time with them in their new home. We started to learn about their personalities and their likes and dislikes pretty quickly.

Here is one observation about Jamie and her intelligence a few days after the chimps arrived:

Learning about Jamie

 

And of course the humans, and Foxie herself, discovered her lasting love of troll dolls during her first year of sanctuary, leading us to ask supporters for more troll dolls. None of us knew then how big her collection would become!

Foxie with Troll and night time package

 

Foxie’s first troll doll:

Foxie and Trixie

 

Foxie demonstrating that troll dolls suit her fun-loving personality:

foxie-troll-on-head

 

We were delighted to discover Burrito’s out-of-this-world food-squeaking:

 

Touched by Annie’s love of Missy:

Annie grooming Missy

Missy and Annie with big playfaces
Missy and Annie with big playfaces

 

And thrilled with Jody’s ability to relax:

Jody on Valentine's Day, just holding her feet

5-10-09-jody-with-roses

 

Every day of the chimps’ first year in sanctuary was an incredible gift.

I’m not going to lie–we had some tough times as an organization as we were just getting our footing. There were stressful moments, to be sure, but it was so inspiring to have the opportunity to watch the chimpanzees learn more about their new home and themselves. And it was incredible to connect with other people who wanted to be a part of giving them that chance. This blog has played a big role in that process, and I’m grateful to everyone who has read it in the past and is reading it right now. Thank you!

It’s pretty thrilling to think that if you stick around you will also be a part of providing so many “firsts” for more chimpanzees who will be coming to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in the future.

 

Bold Adventurers

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Jody, ever the forager, harvested some big handfuls of snow this morning:

Jody walking with snow

Jody holding snow 2

 

This is determination:

Jody holding snow 1

 

Meanwhile, Jamie was passing Missy on a structure:

Jamie and Missy

 

It looks like they are hatching some sort of secret plan:

Jamie passing Missy

 

Or maybe Jamie always looks like she’s cooking up something:

Jamie on structure

Jamie background of snow

 

Encouraged by these bold adventurers, the humans (me + Anna, J.B., and interns Courtney and Anthony) headed onto the hill (with the chimps safely indoors) and plowed and shoveled some more pathways.

 

Missy chose a high vantage point:

Missy top of cabin

 

While Jamie immediately checked out the new trail:

Jamie in snow

Jamie disappearing

 

Annie chose to collect some more snow and call it a day:

Annie snow in mouth

Annie following Missy

 

Negra was likely keeping herself cozy indoors:

Negra under blankets Negra in front of window

 

And Burrito and Foxie (sorry, no photos of them today), took quick forays to get snow snacks. All in all, a very nice day at the sanctuary.

 

P.S. The buoy / boat bumper ball lives on! Kathleen and Sherry’s predictions were better than some of us who thought it would be deflated by now.

 

Expect the unexpected

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I’ve come to expect certain behaviors from each of the chimpanzees as I’ve gotten to know them throughout the years. For instance, if I see a chimp running, I would expect it to be Missy. She’s the one most likely to be seen running at full speed for no other reason than to run. And at any given moment of the day I would expect to see Negra nestled in a large blanket nest with one draped over her body and head, as that seems to be her favorite thing to do.

So, when I saw movement in the Greenhouse this afternoon, I expected to see Annie or Jamie, perhaps even Missy or Burrito. But no, I was so pleasantly surprised. It was Negra sitting in the raceway (the area that leads from the Greenhouse to their 2 acre outdoor enclosure). The absolute last chimp I would expect to see sitting in the raceway on this overcast, drizzly day would be Negra, but there she was!

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I walked over to where she was and she gestured toward the snow at my feet. I picked up a few chunks and served them to her.
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Afterwards she headed back into the warmth of the Playroom. Here she is sitting on the bridge eating alfalfa cubes.
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I love seeing the unexpected!

The Winter’s Calm for One Chimpanzee

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I think that of all of the seven chimpanzees at the sanctuary, Annie could be described as most like a poet. She can frequently be seen in serene moments by herself, seemingly lost in thought.

Today, while I was busy filming Missy in the greenhouse, I realized that Annie had been outside for quite some time alone, so I ventured into the snow to see what she was up to.

To highlight her inner poetic nature, I found this poem to pair with the photos of Annie below:


Winter is the slow-down
Winter is the search for self
Winter gives the silence you need to listen
Winter goes gray so you can see your own colors…
~Terri Guillemets

 

Annie snow background

 

Annie look away

 

Annie profile 2

 

Annie sit

 

 

Annie profile, arms crossed

 

Annie look camera