There’s so much left to experience – for all of us!
Thanks for those who have already given towards days like these via GiveBIG, either on our main page or my and Monica’s birthday page!
spring
All Quiet on the Northwestern Front
The battle between Winter and Spring has seemingly begun. With Spring right around the corner, the weather has been bouncing around cold, gloomy, and snowy, and sunny and warm (like today). When caregivers arrived in the morning, it was a brisk 25º, but an hour or so later is was nearing 40º. With the winter paneling still up on all the greenhouses, the sun and the rising temperature helped create a nice, warm atmosphere where the chimpanzees spent much of their day relaxing. This all made for a nice and quiet day.
Negra spent the morning portion of the day covered in blankets. Later on she was seen relaxing without the blankets.
Lucky was seen lounging about in several different spots in her greenhouses.
Gordo enjoyed his entire lunch service in the greenhouses.
Willy B looking for any leftovers someone may have left behind.
Honey B calculating her next move after lunch.
Rayne especially was seemed relaxed all day!
She even took a quick nap on one of the leaf benches on the artificial tree structure in the Marmot Mountain Playroom.
Even Barn Kitty thought today was the day to take it easy!
Here’s to hoping Spring breaks through this winter spell and brings warmer weather soon!
Bonus photo of Foxie waiting for dinner to be brought out!
Enjoy it while you can
This past winter was long and arduous.
Annie, during yesterday’s lunch forage:
But it’s behind us now.
Jody:
From now on, it’s all green grass and sunshine,
Missy:
and dining al fresco.
Negra:
Afternoons will be spent taking lazy walks around the hill.
Burrito:
The air will be filled with the songs of birds and the whispering of leaves as we gaze across the verdant valley below.
Jamie:
We can all relax now and enjoy this time.
Foxie:
Because the one thing we know for certain is that winter is over.
This morning:
Oh well, at least it won’t be long…
…until spring returns.
Emergence
Today was the day. It happens each year around this time.
I would have placed a bet on it happening last week, but Negra, the Queen of the sanctuary, operates on her own timeline.
Jamie was grooming my boots in the greenhouse (me safely on the human side of the fencing, of course).
As Jamie was brushing and poking at the boots on my feet, I saw Negra go from the greenhouse through the raceway to Young’s Hill. There were no other chimpanzees out there and we hadn’t set out a forage, so something else was motivating Negra.
I politely excused myself from my grooming session with Jamie and went around the corner.
I found Negra, with her back to me, sitting just feet from the end of the raceway. She sat there for what seemed like five minutes, looking around silently. It was like she had just discovered it was spring. And maybe she had. Queen Negra is not one to savor the outdoors unless the conditions are just right. She prefers to lounge in her blanket nests and pass the time in leisure. But there was something about today that drew Negra outside.
Foxie was curious about Negra’s solo journey outside and watched from the greenhouse.
I realized at one point that I was holding my breath in anticipation, wondering if this was going to be the true day of emergence.
As she continued to just sit and look around, I thought to myself, “well, I guess this isn’t the day after all.”
And then it happened. She picked some grass, smelled it, and then began eating.
Then she walked further away from the greenhouse and sampled more:
Next she headed to the “cabin” we built just for her, where she tried some grass growing inside the structure:
Satisfied but still exploring, she wandered some more:
She found a little patch of dandelions and partook in a few.
That was apparently enough for day one, as she then headed back into the playroom to rest up until her next foray.
Happy Queen’s Emergence Day, everyone!
Actually, that is a good segue into a day for the queen that is in the works. June 13th is a very special day. It marks the 12-year anniversary of the arrival of the original seven chimpanzees to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and the day that we will be celebrating Negra’s 47th birthday. We were going to have our annual gala event in Seattle on that day, but the pandemic caused us to shift our plans.
We are still hoping to have the in-person event on September 18th (fingers crossed), but we didn’t want the significant June 13th party to pass by, so we will be doing our first ever virtual event!
We have a lot of fun things in store for you all. Below is a teaser.
Four Reasons to HOOT!
Here are four reasons to join us at HOOT! on May 13th at Sodo Park in Seattle.
These photos were taken today as the chimpanzees explored and enjoyed their home. Take a moment on this Earth Day to appreciate their happiness.
Their sanctuary life is only possible with the support of so many people out there, and our annual gala plays a big role in raising funds for their care and our exciting plans for the future.
If you haven’t gotten your tickets to HOOT! yet, don’t delay – buy them now! If you are unable to attend, we’ll miss you, but you can still take part by making a donation. We’ll also have just a few items available for bidding online – details coming soon.
Annie eating fresh spring grass:
Burrito taking a brief break from foraging for lunch:
This is a very contented face on Jamie:
Jody has the best drooped lip face!
Happy Earth Day! Thank you for helping us grow!
Time to Move!
In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move. ~Henry Rollins
Photos from today.
Foxie & Burrito:
Jody:
Missy:
The great thaw
We’re nearing the end of the chimps’ ninth winter here at CSNW and while chimpanzees aren’t naturally cold weather animals, they have adapted quite well. When the first snowflakes fall each year, the chimps food grunt in anticipation of the endless snow and ice snacks that winter brings. As temperatures begin to plunge, they make cozy nests on the heated playroom catwalks and bask in the radiant warmth of the greenhouse.
This winter, however, is really testing the patience of the chimps and their caregivers alike. While most of the country is enjoying an early spring, our tiny little corner of the Pacific Northwest has been stuck with temperatures 15-20 degrees below average for months on end.
But that just makes each glimpse of spring that much more enjoyable.
As the snow melts, more trails are uncovered. The chimps launched out the door this morning knowing that more of Young’s Hill would be open to exploration. Burrito always knows how to make an entrance.
Females often greet male chimps with a submissive crouch, particularly when those males are exhibiting signs of physiological arousal like piloerection (hair standing on end). This, I believe, is not so much a sign of respect as it is self-preservation. You don’t want to get run over by a male chimp in full display.
For chimps, emotional moments are almost always shared through touch. As Robert Yerkes once said, “One chimpanzee is no chimpanzee.”
Missy and Jamie learned to navigate the hill using the fire hose vines years ago, but now others like Jody and Annie (pictured here) are joining in.
After touching nearly every fire hose and climbing almost every structure on the hill, Jamie seemed thoroughly satisfied.
Foxie and Burrito were not content to only freeze their butts off in the snow, so they made snowballs and ate them too.
One of Annie’s favorite places to sit is high up on the edge of a beam looking out over the Yakima River valley. Sometimes she closes her eyes and tilts her head up to the sun. I imagine that she, like us, enjoys feeling the warmth of the sun’s rays on her skin and seeing the patterns that the light plays on the back of her eyelids.
