Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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New Puzzles, New Challenges

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Today’s blog is all about enrichment! We are so grateful to the many supporters who helped make it possible for us to purchase new enrichment and craft new food puzzles thanks their generous support during our Comfort and Joy online auction. Some of the donated supplies are still waiting to be turned in to their final form, so stay tuned for a future blog to share more. Today’s video and blog will highlight the newly made giant holey lids courtesy of Tricia M. and new troughs thanks to Kathleen C.!

I love watching the chimps meet a new challenge, and find their own ways to accomplish the task at hand. Some puzzles require a demo by the humans, but most of the time we let the chimps try on their own first. As you’ll see in the video, Honey B has come up with a very different approach to the new troughs. Honey B’s method comes as no surprise, and she accesses the treats in record time!

Below is Lucky showing off her mostly clean trough! We put sugar free strawberry pudding in the bottom, and tossed some pomegranate arils on top which stuck to the pudding, requiring that she use the bamboo stick in her hand (or a different tool) to get the pudding and pomegranate. These troughs are the perfect depth, as the chimps cannot simply use their fingers to reach the bottom, which encourages the use of a tool and engages them with the puzzle for more time. Lucky was the first to master her method, which Willy B and Terry also utilized. Sometimes we put seeds, cereal, or other non-sticky food items in the troughs, which they can access by tipping the trough towards themselves (or using the Honey B method!).

Below is a newly made giant holey lid, ready for it’s first use by the chimpanzees! I cut several holes into the large (brand new) trash can lid, and bolted a frisbee to the middle of the lid. The frisbee can easily be rotated to cover the different holes, thus allowing one chimpanzee to control access to the other holes in the lid. Peanut butter has been smeared on the back of the lid, around each of the holes. I created this with the intention of using it as a social enrichment device with Cy’s group as they continue to undergo their reintroduction. If you’d like to learn more about social enrichment, see here! The below photo is what the puzzle looks like from the chimps’ point of view.

This photo show the back of the puzzle with smeared peanut butter, and is what the humans see after hanging up the puzzle for the chimpanzees.

Willy B was the first to try out the new puzzle today. He quickly figured out how to access the peanut butter, and moved the frisbee slightly. When a conflict started in the group which required Willy B’s attention, Rayne was quick to seize her opportunity and worked on the puzzle for quite a while. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the chimps get to experience this new food puzzle, and hope to see them move the frisbee more intentionally in the future! Thank you again to Tricia M. and Kathleen C. for your generous gifts to the chimpanzees!

Rayne Gets a Gift

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Today, Rayne’s group got to enjoy the Spring Rayne scarf from our Comfort and Joy online auction! I painted the original artwork for a different auction and was inspired by the one and only Rayne chimpanzee, as well as her outdoor habitat The Bray in all its spring glory. It is neat to see the painting re-imagined as a scarf, and especially one for the chimps to enjoy! While she may look serious in the pictures, I’ll have you all know she was playing with the scarf before I could get my phone out, then it was all business for the photographer! She was wrapping it around her hands and feet playfully, and I’m sure enjoying the soft texture of the fabric. Thank you so much to Grace C. for donating this scarf for the chimpanzees!

As a bonus, enjoy a photo of silly Cy!

Don’t forget that today is Giving Tuesday, an internationally recognized day of generosity. Your support will not only honor Jody, but also the direct care of chimpanzees at the sanctuary. And your gift can be doubled today, thanks to a generous donor! Click here for more.

Jamie’s group gets a new TV

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We received a nice new firestick TV to install for Jamie’s group and so far it’s a big hit! Now both groups can pass the time on cold snowy days when going outside just doesn’t appeal. Foxie was the first to try it out. She began by displaying at it, but quickly settled into watching videos of the other group on our YouTube channel. Soon Jamie joined in, then Annie, and later Burrito.

Don’t forget to check our Amazon wishlist for Christmas gift ideas for the chimpies!

 

New Appliances!

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Yesterday we welcomed two gifts that we received from the combined efforts of many donors during our Comfort and Joy Auction… A new dryer and a frost-free freezer! This is a thrilling gift for the staff and volunteers and makes our work that much easier! Stay tuned this month as we will be continuing to highlight our Comfort and Joy donors and the items they generously purchased for the sanctuary.

Volunteer Dusty models our newest appliances:

Clean and dry blankets bring so much comfort to the chimps!

Negra:

Dora:

Ice treats are a hit, no matter the time of year!

Terry:

Annie:

 

 

Special thanks to:

Cheney C., Ellen G., Kathie J., Kathleen K., Carrie M., Aprile P., Lorna P., Jamie R., Patti S., and Karen W.

For buying the dryer!

 

Rosalie A., Ellen G., Carrie M. Julie O., Julia O., Aprile P. and Patti S.

For buying the Freezer!

 

 

 

One for the Road

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Disclaimer: It’s after midnight and I’m drafting this blog post while listening to some of my favorite records. (Check out Turnover’s Peripheral Vision if you want to share my current vibe.) The post will be my 188th entry since I authored my first in the summer of 2019, and I am feeling a bit sentimental about it. I honestly don’t know how it’s going to come together. Right now it seems a bit disorganized, so you’ll have to forgive my excessive use of semicolons and parentheses (because one consequence of living with ADHD is that each thought “has a corresponding sub-thought” to go along with it).

Anyway, here it goes.

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First and foremost, I want to simply thank everyone who attended yesterday’s virtual presentation. Jenna and I enjoyed showing you our training methods and responding to your thoughtful questions about chimpanzee behavior. Watching Diana’s recording of the live demonstration really drove home just how much progress these individuals have made recently, enabling us to take better care of them in tangible ways (e.g., Terry’s Procedure). Revamping the training program has been a rewarding project and it felt good to share some of our modest successes with all of you.

Now, as many of you already know, my time as a CSNW caregiver is quickly coming to an end and a new caregiver will soon fill my spot on the team. In fact, this Thursday will be my last day on the staff and in my role as the Health and Behavior Coordinator.

I’ve been a caregiver here at CSNW for three and a half years and previously spent two years as a student intern. In total, I have worked in primate sanctuaries for eight years and cared for and studied nonhuman primates in various capacities for over a decade. Like many people who pursue a career in this field, I spent my twenties scraping together my resources to embark on new adventures to remote places, collecting only stories and photographs along the way. My modest tenure here in Washington has actually been the most stable and longest of my adult life by a wide margin, meaning that CSNW and the surroundings are the closest thing I’ve had to a home since I left the one I grew up in.

Given how much this place has meant to me, I wouldn’t have withdrawn from my role here without careful deliberation. Indeed, I spent much of the past year considering how to balance my fondness for the sanctuary with my interest in mitigating human-wildlife conflict, my desire to spend more time with friends and loved ones who live further away, and my everlasting itch for new adventures.

Some of you have expressed curiosity regarding my next endeavor. Last month, I accepted an offer to be the new Wildlife Naturalist at PAWS Wildlife Center, located just north of Seattle. In addition to re-homing animals in need through their companion animal shelter, PAWS also cares for thousands of orphaned and injured animals each year through their wildlife center. As the team’s de facto biologist, my primary role will be to coordinate the releases of rehabilitated patients and document those events for storytelling and scientific purposes. I’ll also be doing outreach to help people coexist more compassionately and sustainably with Washington’s native wildlife, a cause that has been important to me for a long time. (If you need any further proof, just read the post where I “roasted the cat”.) PAWS is now in the process of building a new, state-of-the-art wildlife facility in nearby Snohomish, from the front door of which I will be able to see different faces of the same snow-capped mountains that peak peek at CSNW from behind the surrounding foothills.

One perk of staying in the Pacific Northwest for now is that I can still drive over the mountains to visit the sanctuary as long as the pass remains, uh, passable. I promised Anna that I will periodically volunteer, even if just to remain familiar with all the sanctuary’s primates and keep my squeegee skills on point. J.B. hinted that I should also help him install some new cabinets when they arrive next month (a reasonable expectation given that Sofia and I campaigned the loudest for more storage space in the clinic). I also asked if I could occasionally mow the lawn for free, just like Forrest Gump chose to do when he became a bazillionaire. Meanwhile, Diana has been giving not-so-subtle hints that I need to bring fresh vegan doughnuts from Seattle whenever I choose to swing by, which sounds like a fair deal for all involved.

On that note, instead of writing one last post about the chimpanzees or cattle, I have decided to use my remaining words to express heartfelt gratitude for all the humans who make CSNW the special place that it is.

The aforementioned co-directors Diana and J.B. are amazing role models to the staff and students here at the sanctuary, and their dedication to the cause is unrivaled. They do it all with witty humor, thoughtful self-assessment, and steadfast compassion for humans and non-humans alike. I have never seen two people put so much of their own eclectic personalities into a place without letting their egos get in the way. In fact, they might be two of the most humble individuals I’ve ever worked with, despite all of the sacrifices they’ve made to create a comfortable home for deserving chimpanzees, cattle, canines, cats, and even houseplants. I feel so fortunate to have them as mentors, and I hope I can keep learning from them through the organization’s bright future.

Our manager Anna has been a positive influence on me since I was an intern, not just as a young professional but also as an imperfect human trying to navigate a unique social environment. I’ve learned that her ability to connect with diverse people and penchant for finding practical solutions to complex problems are the two fabrics that hold this team together. I’m not sure if she’ll miss my incessant banter in the foyer when she’s trying to focus on her own blog posts, but I already have it in writing that she’ll miss some of my better qualities. She can’t take that praise back, no matter how much she might regret boosting my ego when I come back to help out.

As for the rest of the staff, they’re an incredible group of individuals and I am so glad I got to work alongside each and every one of them. This group includes:

Chad with his vast knowledge of chimp behavior, sly sense of humor, and “great head of hair”; Grace with her social media expertise, contagious snorty laughter, and enthusiasm for taking on new projects; Jenna with her eagerness to grow the training program, thoughtful contributions to conversations, and impressive cup-stacking skills; Katelyn with her unwavering concern for the well-being of all living creatures, ability to carry an entire cohort of troll dolls at once, and mysterious fascination with the occult that has us all just a little bit spooked; Kelsi with her team-oriented perspective, energetic efficiency, and dubious advice for stopping nosebleeds; Sofia with her confidence and tenacity in the vet clinic, spunky attitude, and habit of reminding us how warm the weather is in Puerto Rico whenever the Northwest goes a few weeks without sunshine; and Dr. Erin with her commitment to making the local community a safer and more inclusive place to live, tendency to show up to parties with a three-legged rescue pig, and willingness to do a deep dive into any obscure health condition that pops up unexpectedly.

The sanctuary also depends on effort given to us by an unparalleled team of volunteers, and I consider these people to be some of the most dedicated caregivers that I have ever met. They spend their available hours laboring alongside those of us on the payroll and have become part of the family in the process. This sentiment was only strengthened by the pandemic, during which a small group of eligible volunteers followed the tightest restrictions in order to continue assisting the staff and entertaining the chimps.

We also benefited greatly from the CWU students and faculty who still found ways to gather donations, create enrichment puzzles, and advocate for the chimps despite having to remain distanced from the sanctuary. I’d also be negligent if I failed to thank all of the talented people who have contributed to the expansion of the facility, allowing us to take in four cattle and nine more chimpanzees during my short time here. Foremost among them are Gary and the Sage Mechanical crew, who have grown to know and love the chimps and take pride in improving their home.

I also appreciate all the people who cared for the sanctuary’s residents in their previous living situations, with a special round of applause for the former staff of the Wildlife Waystation who are presumably responsible for allowing my good friend Honey B to become the adorable little spitfire that she is today. These humans made the best of untenable conditions in order to care for these remarkable individuals, ultimately helping them to reach their permanent sanctuary homes.

Even in the best environments, caring for captive primates is difficult. (Reminder: they don’t belong in captivity.) I can’t possibly explain to you all how emotionally burdensome it can be to grow attached to individuals who have tragic and traumatic backgrounds, complex social and biological needs, and the ability to act violently towards each other in ways we cannot always anticipate or control. When you also consider that even experts rarely agree on the best strategies for managing chimpanzees housed in captivity, making progress in this line of work proves to be incredibly complicated.

I also want you all to appreciate what caregivers go through just to get to the point where they have secure employment in the field. Most of us have taken out loans to pay for college degrees that are unlikely to return that investment, worked part-time service jobs so that we can afford to complete unpaid internships, and moved across the country once or twice to pursue job opportunities, straining our relationships with our friends, families, and partners.

If you happen to meet a chimpanzee caregiver in person, you should probably ask them if they need a hug, or perhaps invite them out to have a stiff drink. Alternatively, you could just write them a check.

Despite the arduous nature of caregiving and the adversity that humans face in this industry, we who have ended up here at CSNW all love what we do and who we do it for. I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that the opportunity to care for these individuals and contribute to this organization has been worth all the hard times we have endured. I personally feel so fortunate to have served on this team for a few memorable years, and I look forward to being a member of the sanctuary’s extended family for many years to come.

Last, but certainly not least, I wish to express one final message of gratitude to all of you who follow the blog. As a supplement to the love we receive from our friends and families, your kind words have proven to be the suds in our buckets, the gasoline in our Gators, and the peanuts in our night bags. Your thoughtful questions and insightful commentary help us caregivers to put things in perspective and continue onward with purpose during tough times, and your dedication tells us that the words we write here can have a positive impact on the chimpanzees we care about so much.

So please keep reading along, keep watching the videos, keep sharing your feedback, keep asking questions, and keep giving to the sanctuary (if and when you are able to). It means more to us than you could possibly imagine.

Your friend,
Anthony

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P.S. Here are some photos for the road.

for the Winter Warriors

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If you follow the blog, you may have seen the brief mentions from Kelsi and then J.B. of the very eventful end of December that the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest staff and volunteers endured this year.

For the first time in over a decade (as far as we can remember), J.B. and I had scheduled a short trip to visit family together (together!) on the east coast for some winter celebrations. Almost as soon as we left, things started to malfunction at the sanctuary as Cle Elum was hit with extreme cold temperatures. J.B. helped troubleshoot the issues at a distance, but the staff on the ground had to navigate mechanical failures and multiple days with a non-functioning well, all the while caring for the chimpanzees and cattle, getting to work in icy conditions, and taking turns staying overnight to look after office cat LouLou and pups Abbey and Benny.

The nonhumans were none the wiser to these issues as the staff and volunteers managed to maintain the routine and get creative with procedures as though everything was in pristine working order. Meanwhile, J.B. and I had to extend our time away due to the weather and the complete meltdown of the aviation industry.

All of this, whilst also being away from their own families, the staff carried on with the CSNW Christmas countdown on the blog and the preparation for holiday festivities without skipping a beat.

J.B. and I couldn’t be more grateful. Neither of us worried in the least that this crew of staff, volunteers, and their spouses could handle whatever obstacle Mother Nature and Murphy’s Law presented to them. There was never a doubt that the nonhumans at the sanctuary were in the best hands possible.

Today, we thank them most humbly with this sponsor-a-day post, and invite you, too, to thank them for looking after the sanctuary every day under any and all circumstances!

Endearing Photos of the Day and Special Sanctuary Supporters

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This post includes photos of the day along with information about this year’s HOOT! sponsors.

First, in case you didn’t see this little video on Facebook, take a look and share:

In reference to the video, the sanctuary continues to provide a wonderful and full life for the chimpanzees and is poised to expand only because of people who have supported the chimps over the years. We can’t say thank you enough, and we are excited to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the arrival of Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, and Negra to the sanctuary!

HOOT! 2018 sponsors have made generous contributions this year to help with the costs of the event, and many have gone above-and-beyond throughout the years.

You can join them in making a donation at the HOOT! event on May 19th or right now if you’re unable to attend the event.

Before I get into the wonderful sponsors, below is a photo of Jody. One of the best things about the sanctuary is that the chimpanzees have choices about what they can do in any given moment. In this moment, Jody was choosing to relax in the greenhouse while Jamie was walking around the hill with volunteer Becca.

 

Now for some sponsors that make these choices possible:

HOOT! 2018 Happy Hour Sponsors are:

Tracy Headley
Tracy is a dedicated donor and Foxie Pal. Tracy is a great friend of the sanctuary and supports the chimpanzees in so many ways. We were lucky enough to bring her onto the gala committee for the last two HOOT! events, and she’s really helped this year with ideas and planning. It takes a lot of work to put on the event, and I’m so grateful for everyone who is on the committee!

Pam Lehnert & Marc Warner
Pam was one of our first chimp house volunteers and a key part of our gala for years, and Marc has always been willing to help with whatever creative project Pam comes up with to add to events. Pam was also an early participant in our Chimpanzee Pal program and continues to be a monthly Missy Pal donor. Pam and Marc now live full-time on “this side of the mountains” as they say around here, so they are the chimps’ neighbors too.

 

Poppoff Logo

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you probably know we’re big fans of this family-owned business. Gay Dorsey was on our board at a critical point in time and we were so appreciative of her leadership and support. Poppoff, Inc has not only donated funds over the years, but has also given in-kind support with various construction projects. We can’t wait to see Poppoff, Inc out here when we start the foundation for Phase 1 of the expansion!

 


Pet Connection Magazine is the only free publication in the Puget Sound region that focuses on people, pets, community, and the connections we share with each other. It provides fresh content with each release and is dedicated to supporting and highlighting local businesses and nonprofits helping animals, including past articles on CSNW. You can see all of the locations where you can pick up the magazine and information about the latest issue on their website.

 

While Jody was relaxing and Jamie was walking, Burrito was inviting me to play. I think the photo below captures Burrito’s charming but mischievous qualities pretty well.

 

Here are a couple of Burrito fans who are also HOOT! sponsors (let’s face it, anyone who knows anything about Burrito becomes a fan pretty quickly).

HOOT! 2018 Chimpanzee Champion Sponsors are:

Julie Gralow and Hugh Allen are newer supporters, having been recruited and inspired by their friend Tracy Headley (see Happy Hour Sponsors above). Tracy is also a friend of their rescued dog Sheldon. Julie, a physician, has dedicated her life to fighting breast cancer and Hugh is an aesthesiologist–we’re big fans of anesthesiologists in general now that we’ve had first-hand experience with procedures requiring anesthesia on Burrito and Negra. We’ve utilized our on-site medical trailer for these procedures, and we are really looking forward to having a medical room connected directly to the building, which is part of the Phase 1 expansion. Even though Julie and Hugh have never seen the sanctuary in person or attended the gala (maybe next year!), they were Play Laugh Sponsors last year and increased their sponsorship level this year.



Martha Faulkner was introduced to the sanctuary through the HOOT! event and then became a board member a couple of years ago. In addition to her event sponsorships and donating a portion of her commission from real estate sales, she’s been infinitely helpful these last few years as we were investing in the future of the sanctuary buy acquiring land. Her advice and expertise helped the sanctuary purchase the original 26 acres from founder Keith and increase the total sanctuary land to 90 acres. Martha also uses her real estate business to help other nonprofits. Definitely get in touch with her if you are buying or selling property in and around Seattle because you can help the animal cause of your choice in the process!



We are SO LUCKY that we met the owner of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, Gary Tashjian, at a community fair in Seattle several years ago. Darwin’s makes fresh and healthy pet food using produce from Charlie’s Produce and Gary immediately realized he could help the chimpanzees by donating produce to the sanctuary. Not only has this arrangement saved CSNW many thousands of dollars in the last several years, but it has provided the chimpanzees with wonderful and nutritious food. All seven of the chimpanzees are well-beyond middle age, and keeping them healthy is a top priority. Big thanks goes to Gary, Darwin’s and Charlies Produce for doing just that.

 

Burrito, the consummate lover of food, was really pulling out all of the stops to get me to play, including “kissing” through the caging in the greenhouse:

Obviously, I had no choice but to stop taking photos and play with him. He was being pretty goofy–throwing a blanket around and laughing. And that’s a perfect segue to the next sponsor level!

 

Big thanks also to HOOT! 2018 Play Laugh Sponsors:

Merritt & John Atwood

Melanie Kelsey

 

In addition to all of these featured sponsors, we have had many more supporters who have donated at amounts less than the $500 Play Laugh level. Every single donation is appreciated!

To round out the photos of the day, here’s Negra, who, like Jody, was lying on the “top shelf” of the structure in the greenhouse. To get this photo, I moved a bench over so I could stand on it and be eye-level with the chimpanzees. Negra thought I should also dance while I was up there, which of course I did. I was stomping around on the bench and she was nodding her head in appreciation.

I love this job.