Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Terry

Cozy and Warm

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Burrito’s group received an item from the Comfort and Joy online auction today! We put out the Wearable Fox Blanket Hoodie. I was fortunate enough to try it on for the chimps before we left it in the Playroom. It was very cozy, so much so I think it is in a nest right now. Thank you so much to Diana K. for donating this wearable blanket for the chimpanzees, I know Burrito and Negra are going to love it

It was a hard day to get photos of the chimps, but here is a series of Negra eating an apple from this weekend:

And sweet Terry:

We are overjoyed with the generosity for Giving Tuesday. Big thanks to everyone who donated to honor Jody’s legacy and provide care for the chimpanzees. It means the world to us.

Gordo: Awkward Social Butterfly

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We don’t often see Gordo playing with his friends.  Gordo is a bit of a loner.  He often spends time near his friends, but not in a pile-o-chimps like we see with many of the others.

Today, we got to see Gordo’s playful side, and we simply had to share with you!

Do you have your eye on anything special in the Comfort & Joy auction?  Do tell!  I am bidding on many of the ornaments.  Don’t outbid me! 😉

Nowhere to Hide

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There’s a drive-up window in Burrito’s playroom where he can order up play partners any time he wants. Even if no one is in the kitchen we’ll catch a glimpse of him on the security monitor, so he knows we won’t leave him waiting long. It certainly makes getting things done difficult at times but what could be more important that keeping Bubba entertained?

As I followed him out to the hill, I was happy to see Honey B and Terry hanging out together on the Bray—and even happier to catch Terry doing not one but two of his patented gorilla displays! He was really feeling his oats this afternoon. As he should, now that he is the (temporary) dominant male in his group.

Have you checked on our Comfort & Joy Online Auction lately? You can pick up some cool stuff for yourself or bid on items that we can give to the chimps and cows, like this cool Easy Swing Cow Brush!

Terry’s Not So Teeny Tiny Nest

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Terry is a simple guy in many ways. He is not a picky eater, he is a great friend, and is not very dramatic. He’s just sensible. He also does not seem to need much for his evening nest. Most of us caregivers don’t see him make elaborate nests very often. I personally don’t see him nest much at all, but maybe that is because he waits until the Chimp House is closed up for the day.

Yesterday, as I was closing up the Chimp House for the day, I caught Terry building the most epic, largest, paper-filled nest in the Mezzanine. Have we been wrong all along? Or did the excess of paper (donated to us by our friends at Jerrol’s in Ellensburg) inspire Terry? Either way, I was so excited to catch this moment on camera. It was so sweet to watch Terry build his not so Teeny Tiny [Terry] nest.

Caregiver Kelsi in Terry’s nest today during cleaning:

Don’t forget! Our online auction is still going on as we speak.

Terry’s ornament is one of the auction items currently posted! Get your bids in now and keep checking back as new items are added often! Thank you for your support! ☺️

Chimps Chimp

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I thought that today I’d talk about the chimps’ human vs. non-human relationships and their personal preferences. Avid blog followers often hear us use the phrase “chimps chimp.” We use this phrase to explain a chimp like Missy. For example, though Missy does have human relationships, she seems to prefer to be surrounded by her chimpanzee friends (which we love). While other chimps, like Burrito, specifically seek out their caregivers for many interactions.

It is important to acknowledge that every chimp has a different background. While some of the chimps were raised in labs, others started their lives as pets. Those like Jamie and Burrito, who were owned by humans, tend to be more human-oriented. Despite this, we always want to encourage the chimp’s relationships first. For example, if we walk out to a greenhouse and see all the chimps grooming, we will walk away and come back another time, so we don’t disturb the grooming session.  Again, there are a lot of different factors that go into why chimps choose who they want for their company. The special thing about sanctuary is that the chimps are provided with as much choice as we can possibly provide, and choosing who they want to spend time with is one of them!

Jamie:

I think it will come as no surprise that Jamie is more human-oriented. Jamie does have close relationships with her group-mates, especially Burrito, but she is often looking for a caregiver to go on a perimeter walk with.

Missy:

Missy, like I have mentioned before, is more of a chimps-chimp. Missy is the closest to Annie, but she does seem to have strong relationships with everyone in the group. Missy does seek out caregivers every once in a while for a game of chase or tug-a-war, even some grooming! When Missy does seek you out for any interaction, it feels like a huge honor that you drop everything for!

Annie:

Annie leans a bit more chimp oriented. Annie’s closest friend is Missy. However, Annie will seek out caregivers sometimes, especially when she has a tool and groom her caregivers toes!

Foxie:

Foxie is a little of both. Foxie does spend a lot of time with her chimp friends, especially Burrito. However, Foxie does really enjoy playing with her caregivers! It usually involves entrusting her caregivers with a doll. As well as us holding an doll, throwing a dolling, or playing troll-ski!

Burrito:

Burrito might be pretty obvious. He is very human-oriented, play all day! Burrito is always looking for a caregiver to play with, especially to run around Young’s Hill with. However, Burrito does have good relationships with his group members and can even get the most serious chimps like Jamie to let out her silly side.

Negra:

Negra is hard to describe. I can’t say she sways one way or the other. She is well respected in her group and has strong relationships with all the chimps, but everything is on her terms and that goes for humans too. She will interact with who she wants when she wants. When she does decide to play with her chimp friends she is rougher than people would expect!

Mave:

Mave would be described as a chimps-chimp. She has always been very invested in her chimp relationships. Mave was a magnet to Dora and it has been that way ever since we integrated the two groups. Mave is still loyal to her friends Honey B and Willy B, but she spends a lot of time on her relationship with Dora. This year in particular I do find Mave seeking a rare game of chase with her caregivers, grooming, or giving more kisses out. So maybe we are growing on her :).

Honey B:

Honey B can be described as leaning towards more human-oriented. However, as her relationships grow in the group of nine, it seems like Honey B does seek out her chimp friends more, which is huge! As a caregiver, that is the hope to provide more social enrichment! However, Honey B also seems to like her alone time, which I can’t blame her for.

Willy B:

Willy B is definitely a chimps-chimp. Though he can be a troublemaker and start drama in the group, Willy B does seem to value his male relationships, especially Cy. Willy B also loves his friend Rayne, who seems to really get him.

Cy:

Cy is interesting because I think he wants to be more human-oriented, but is duty bound in his role as the male leader. Cy is well respected in this group and is seen in a lot of the grooming trains in the greenhouses. Cy really does love seeking out his human caregivers for a game of chase or grooming. Terry might be Cy closest chimp friend.

Gordo:

Gordo is another interesting one! I don’t think we consider Gordo either one. He is more peripheral – watching from the background. Gordo does likes to go out onto the Bray and watch the girls on Jamie’s side. Gordo is usually seen spending time with Dora, Mave, and Terry.

Rayne:

Rayne is a chimps chimp, she is very socially savvy! Rayne has a lot of strong relationships with everyone in her group. However, she does like to spend time with her caregivers grooming or sporadically playing chase.

Lucky:

Lucky seems to be more human-oriented, but with specific humans. She is slow to warm up to most new people. Lucky is known to put new caregivers through a hazing period. She is probably closest to Rayne, but also likes to have a little alone time.

Terry:

Terry seems to be a chimps-chimp, but loooooooves his human caregivers! Terry, like Cy, is often in the grooming trains throughout the day. Terry spends lots of time with all the girls. He is one of the girls 🙂

Dora:

Dora shocked us all! Dora is a chimps-chimp. Dora is now a social butterfly. Everyone wants to spend time with her. She spends a lot of her time with Mave, Honey B, and Gordo who she was closest to when she first arrived. When Dora first came to CSNW, she seemed to be a bit more closed off, but has really seemed to flourish in the group of nine.

Let’s Do a Perimeter Check!

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One of the first things we caregivers do each morning is to perform a perimeter check.  We check the all important rattlesnake fencing for holes.  Next, we check the primary and secondary fencing that surrounds the chimps 4 acre habitat to be sure that it has remained sound through the night.  We also make sure everyone onsite has performed a radio check, we check locks, and we make sure the fence voltage is within an acceptable range.

Next, we let the chimps out onto their respective outdoor habitats!  Young’s Hill is home to Jamie’s group, and Cy’s group has access to The Bray.  It’s fun to see who is first to go outside each morning!

Come along with us!