Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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toes

THOSE MISSY TOMATOES

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Sometimes, a blog post just appears.

Like today, when Ellen told me that Missy was sitting in Negra’s usual nesting spot with a tomato blanket draped over her shoulders. The blanket was purchased with Missy and her love of tomatoes in mind, of course.

When I went to snap some photos, I saw that Missy was sitting with her stocky legs straight out in front of her on top of the nest that she was borrowing from Negra, with her perfect (toma)toes curled with contentment.

The photos aren’t the best quality, but the subject matter is what makes them winners in my book.

Magic Moments

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Earlier in the summer, J.B. and I fixed up the irrigation and soil for the old garden beds that are now near the chute. I, a little late in the season, pretty much randomly threw some seeds in the ground. Not much has grown, with the major exception of some sunflowers. One sunflower in particular has shot up exponentially compared to the others, grown a thick stem, and is going to bloom soon.

It’s so interesting to me that among all the seeds, it was just that one who not just survived, but seemed to find the perfect conditions to thrive.

I’m not a very good gardener, or at least not a very ordered and meticulous one, as you can tell from this story, but I love to see plants thrive. Just like I love to see the chimpanzees and the bovines, and the humans too, thrive at the sanctuary. We don’t always know the exact ingredients and conditions that each individual will respond to, so there’s a lot of trying and observing, taking note, and doing more of the things that produce happiness, joy, contentment, relaxation, and interest. There’s no one formula that works for everyone.

Missy, for example, doesn’t need a lot of human attention. Her physical environment is important. She needs space to run, things to climb on, and puzzles that she has to solve.

When she does seek out human attention, like today, it is pretty rewarding for the human. Today that human was me. I’m pretty sure Missy is quite aware that I love her toes. Whenever she’s in the mood to hang out, at some point she will put her toes out for me to touch. It’s the best.

She also puts her back against the caging so I can give her a little knuckle rub massage. This is my view when she does that:

One bonus photo that shows her face. At dinner, Anthony cut up some romaine lettuce, much to the delight of every single chimpanzee in the house. Here’s Missy enjoying hers, with Annie lurking behind:

We are trying to put together all of the ingredients to make our HOOT! event thrive for all of you (too much of a stretch)? Don’t forget to get your tickets!

Chimp feet are pretty handy

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Recently, Edie asked: I am amazed when I see pictures of their feet-they seem so versatile! Do they ever use their feet like hands?

Chimpanzee feet are pretty amazing indeed. Unlike our own, they are prehensile, meaning they have the ability to grasp. This is because their big toes are opposable, like our thumbs.

Annie, holding her hand with her foot

This is presumably an adaptation to aid in climbing, like when scaling tree trunks:

Or when clinging to vines and small branches:

They can also aid in maintaining balance when perched precariously above the ground:

But they can also function like an extra set of hands when necessary. Gathering tomatoes? With prehensile feet you can haul twice as many.

Difficult Kong puzzle? Why not let your feet do some of the work and free up both hands?

Wondering where to put your doll when you are eating lunch suspended from the caging? You can trust that Dora the Explorer will remain safely in the grip of your opposable toe.

The dexterity of chimpanzee feet also makes them great for tickling.

I hope all chimpanzees stop once and a while to appreciate having such useful feet.

Enjoying ice on a hot day

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Volunteer caregiver Sandra came up with the idea to fill small water balloons with water (with a few blueberries) and then freeze them as enrichment for the chimpanzees. After they were frozen, we removed the balloon portion, leaving behind balls of ice with frozen berries inside. Ice provides a lot of enrichment for the chimps. And ice with frozen blueberries inside seems to be even more enjoyable when temperatures exceed 100 degrees like they did today.

I can’t decide which part I love more; Jamie’s use of a tool or Foxie rubbing her toes together…which is your favorite?