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valentine's day

Between Love and War: Valentine’s Day 2023

February 14, 2023 by Chad de Bree

Valentine’s is a day meant to be spent with loved ones and show affection to them. But as you know, sometimes you can fight with loved ones. J.B. actually just wrote a magnificent blog about conflict and resolution the other. Well today both Jamie and Cy’s groups spent a good chunk of the morning what I will call “bickering.” There wasn’t too much physical contact between everyone, just a lot of screaming. But, also as J.B. mentioned, they were quick to reconcile. What they were all bickering about? It would be hard to say, though I am going scapegoat the six inches of snow and colder weather that came in overnight.

Regardless, everything calmed down once they all realized something special was in store for them today: lots of strawberries, blood oranges, grape tomatoes, radishes, and sparkling blush cider with raspberries and mint leaves! Once their bellies were full of delicious treats, bygones were bygones and everybody had a restful afternoon.

Here are some photos from today:

Missy enjoying her plate of tomatoes and strawberries

And her daughter, Honey B, enjoying the same thing on the other side of the sanctuary!

The devilishly handsome Willy B

Gordo lovingly admiring his radishes

And Dora. Oh so sweet little Dora resting after the parties

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody!

Filed Under: Party, Sanctuary Tagged With: Burrito, celebration, Cy, forage, Foxie, Honey B, Jamie, lunch, Mave, Missy, Negra, Party, Rayne, valentine's day, valentines 2023, Willy B

Will You (Honey) B My Valentine?

February 14, 2021 by Anthony

The chimps had an absolute banger of Valentine’s Day party.

There’s a lot to be said about this strange holiday that I won’t say here (although I encourage you to read about the event’s namesake). To us caregivers, however, Valentine’s Day is yet another great excuse to give special treats to the chimpanzees.

My morning began with a safety patrol around Young’s Hill, the chimps’ outdoor enclosure, although the fresh snow made the short walk into an adventure. The valley was veiled in gray clouds that quelled any hope of a visible sunrise. It was surreal to see the climbing structures buried in snowdrifts. Far below, I could see J.B. plowing the sanctuary’s driveway yet again.

 

Back in the Chimp House, everyone else got right to work. While Katelyn shoveled off the sidewalks and stairs around the building, Chad got right to work in the kitchen. As the Enrichment Coordinator, Chad’s the de facto Party Planner, and he had a big spread in mind for Valentine’s Day brunch. The meal consisted of red-colored foods (diluted Gatorade, sliced blood oranges, whole strawberries) and some special heart-shaped banana pancakes made by Patti, one of our amazing volunteers.

When the chimps saw these platters from their vantage in the Playroom, they lost their minds in an excited frenzy. They were all overwhelmed (in a good way). Foxie was the craziest, stomping around and grimacing, until Jody reassured her by gently touching her backside.

Jody
Missy in the loft of the Playroom
Foxie stomping around
Foxie and Jody

 

As we prepared the Greenhouse for the celebration, the chimpanzees milled around the Playroom, peeking through the windows as they passed by each like some sort of primate carousel.

Negra
Missy and Annie
Jamie
Jamie
Burrito

Once we humans were safely out of the Greenhouse, I opened up the doors so the chimps could feast. They immediately diffused around the enclosure, floor to ceiling and wall to wall, foraging for all their favorite bits of the brunch platters. It was difficult for Chad and I to take photos because they were so busy (and the layer of snow on top of the Greenhouse prevented sunlight from getting in).

Negra
Negra
Negra
Missy
Annie
Burrito

On the other side of the building, the chimpanzees weren’t as excited about brunch (which is surprising because they’re Millennials). Honey B and Mave were actually content to stay downstairs all day, so that’s where we ended up serving their meals. They seemed to be feeling well, but the chimps always have a choice to stay where they are (thus declining our generous offer to clean their enclosures). Eventually, they all got to try Patti’s banana pancakes (which the loved) and then settled down for some grooming, napping, and play with caregivers.

Mave relaxed and groomed her friends while Willy B watched Shrek (three times in a row) and frequently checked in on the neighbors. Honey B spent most of the time following caregivers around, playing chase and grooming snow off their boots through the caging. She was always at the window or caging whenever I walked by, so we continued the tradition of playing tag between the windows of the new Playrooms. If paying attention is the only requirement for someone to be called a “Valentine,” then I think Honey B has earned that right today.

Honey B
Honey B
Honey B

Honey B
Honey B

Of course, while Honey B may be my “Valentine” today, our supporters made it clear that all the chimps are loved. Diana shared a video yesterday to celebrate this special occasion with the sanctuary’s family, We even had TWO sponsors for this day of sanctuary, the second of whom is particular enamored with this handsome gentleman.

Burrito

Filed Under: Enrichment, Honey B, Party, Thanks, Weather Tagged With: animal sanctuary, chimpanzee, chimpanzees, chimps, donation, Enrichment, february, holiday, nonprofit, primate, Primates, Sanctuary, snow, valentine's day, winter

Fall in Love with Mave

February 14, 2020 by J.B.

Today, we present the Fall in Love with Mave video (link above)! As you know by now, becoming a Pal to one the of the chimpanzees or bovines at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is one of the best ways to support their ongoing care. In the spirit of the day, we hope there are a few people out there who’d like to be Mave’s valentine by signing up to be her Pal.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, the chimpanzee celebrated the day as they do most holidays – by stuffing themselves with delicious food. Today began with a special breakfast prepared by volunteer Patti, consisting of healthy waffles topped with peanut butter. Negra, as you can imagine, was thrilled. The new guys, on the other hand, weren’t sure what to make of this unusual Valentine’s day tradition. Honey B even returned her waffles to the waitstaff by pushing them back through the caging, but after trying them she excitedly asked us to pick them all up and hand them back to her. It’s a good reminder to always taste your food before sending it back to the kitchen.

Later in the day we set out forages of fresh fruits and veggies along with shots of fruit smoothie.

Negra (with Jody in the background):

Jody:

Foxie:

Missy:

Burrito:

 

Honey B:

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Filed Under: Food, Latest Videos, Mave, Most Viewed Videos, Party Tagged With: chimpanzee, fall in love with mave, Food, forage, Mave, northwest, Party, rescue, Sanctuary, valentine's day

The Month of Love

February 1, 2020 by Diana

I spent the last few weeks fretting over our ambitious budget for 2020. It’s a dramatic increase from past years as we prepare for further expansion by adding staff and increasing all operational funds to care for more wonderful chimpanzees who will arrive this fall if the construction and the funds come together.

I will send out an e-newsletter next week to entice people to join our Chimpanzee Pal and Bovine Buddy programs, but I wanted to share the accompanying video with blog readers and social media followers first (see video above).

You all are the dedicated loyal supporters who follow along with rapt attention. Many of you are already Chimpanzee Pals, and a small handful are Bovine Buddies. Maybe you’ll consider adding another chimpanzee or bovine to sponsor?

You can also share the video and tell people why you are supporters – you’d be surprised how helpful it is to refer other people to the sanctuary!

Since you are still here, I’m guessing you want an update on the day today. I am more than happy to tell you that it was a great day.

It was cloudy and drizzling in the morning and I did not expect anyone to go outside, but Honey B, Mave, and Willy B spent time in the chute, and, in the other group, everyone but Negra took a walk around the hill despite the damp weather. They went counter-clockwise, for those keeping track.

Burrito was not very speedy, but he walked the entire perimeter. Foxie slowed down her brisk pace to stay with him, which just completely melted my heart.

When Foxie came back to the greenhouse, she took some time to release a troll doll from bondage:

Two things to note about the photos of Foxie: 1. That gray hair that J.B. mentioned yesterday! 2. The gorgeousness of Foxie brought out by the camera lens that was gifted to us off of our wish list. I love that camera lens!

While you are pondering which chimpanzee and/or bovine to sponsor, we could also really use some more Safeway gift cards from our wish list. It turns out that ten chimpanzees consume a lot more food than seven chimpanzees, and we find ourselves supplementing the weekly donated produce from Darwin’s Natural Pet Products via Charlie’s Produce quite regularly these days.

Thank you for everything you do to share your love of the sanctuary! Stay tuned for more videos and information for the month of love!

 

Filed Under: Burrito, Cattle, Featured Post, Foxie, Fundraising, Latest Videos, Most Viewed Videos, Play, Sanctuary, Thanks, Trolls, Wishlist Tagged With: animal protection, Animal Welfare, chimp enrichment, chimpanzee rescue, chimpanzee retirement, chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, photography, Sanctuary, valentine's day, video

Fall in love with Annie

February 4, 2017 by Diana

We are creating and sharing videos of all of the chimpanzees in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day!
 

Starting with beautiful Annie:
 

 

Learn more
about how to participate in the Share the Chimp Love fundraising or how to become a Chimpanzee Pal.

 

And if the above video didn’t quite convince you to become Annie’s newest Pal, here are a few photos from today of Annie making the most of winter by enjoying the snow and icicles served indoors:

 

and the biggest snow forage imaginable (aka the outdoors right now):

 

Seriously, how could you NOT fall in love?!
 

Save

Filed Under: Annie, Friendship, Sanctuary Tagged With: chimpanzee, chimps, csnw, northwest, rescue, Sanctuary, share the chimps love, shelter, snow, valentine, valentine's day

Celebrating Valentine’s Day Chimp Style

February 14, 2016 by Keri

How did the chimpanzees celebrate Valentine’s Day? Well, with a party of course!

Volunteer caregivers Patti and Debbie prepared today’s breakfast smoothie and enrichment along with the help of staff member Elizabeth.

web_Volunteers_caregivers_Patti_Debbie_prepare_valentines_day_celebration_IMG_9046

web_Valentines_Day_enrichment_party_preparation_IMG_9048

web_Valentines_Day_enrichment_preparations_troll_doll_IMG_9047

After we finished cleaning the Playroom (one of the chimps’ indoor enclosures), we laid out blankets in the shape of hearts on the floor and placed pomegranate seeds and organic red roses inside. We also hung three pink, heart-shaped pinatas with nuts inside and scattered the Valentine-themed cups and treat boxes (with nuts hidden inside) throughout the enclosure. Unfortunately, I accidentally erased all of the photos of the setup, so you’ll have to use your imagination for that or see if you can spot some of it in the following video taken today.

And here are a few photo highlights from today as well. Unfortunately, the setup photos weren’t the only ones I erased by accident; I also erased photos of Negra, Jody and Missy enjoying the party.

Jamie
web_Jamie_hold_inspect_valentines_box_PR_kh_IMG_9074

web_Jamie_gather_roses_check_enrichment_Valentines_Day_PR_kh_IMG_9097

web_Jamie_hold_inspect_boot_enrichment_hold_roses_hand_Valentines_Day_PR_IMG_9099

Burrito
web_Burrito_open_heart_pinata_IMG_9066

web_Burrito_hold_open_heart_pinata_enrichement_Valentines_day_IMG_9115

Annie
web_Annie_multiple_roses_in_mouth_enrichment_Valentines_Day_PR_IMG_9090

web_Annie_multiple_roses_in_mouth_Valentines_Day_PR_IMG_9092

web_Annie_hold_eat_leaves_off_roses_Valentines_Day_PR_IMG_9130

Foxie
web_Foxie_inspect_hold_troll_doll_enrichment_Valentines_Day_IMG_9135

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! And if you haven’t already, it’s not too late to Share the Love for the Cle Elum Seven! This Share the Chimp Love fundraiser will provide funds for the direct care of the chimpanzees now and will help with our plans for the future.

Negra Share the Love pic

Filed Under: Annie, Burrito, Caregivers, Enrichment, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, Negra, Party, Sanctuary Tagged With: Annie, Burrito, chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, Negra, Party, Sanctuary, valentine's day

Be Still My Heart

February 13, 2016 by Diana

It’s appropriate to get really mushy because it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, right?

I am going to share something I love about each of the chimpanzees below, but first I need to get mushy about you – Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest supporters.

First, a confession: fundraising has not been my life’s ambition. I’ve met people who I might call “born fundraisers,” and I can definitively say that they posses qualities that I  simply do not.

However, the more I do this fundraising thing, the more I appreciate what a unique and special position I am in. I get to make dreams come true – dreams for the chimpanzees, and dreams for donors who support the chimpanzees. We are all very much in this together, with the same goals for the future, and I feel that connection when I talk to those who support the sanctuary.

Not many people have a job that is so fulfilling, and very few people have a job with so much positive feedback. Katelyn and I were talking about this in the office the other day – we regularly have people call or email to not only make a donation, but also to say that they love the work we are doing and appreciate us sharing stories of the chimpanzees, allowing them to feel connected to the chimps as the individuals who they are.

Thank you for being supportive and for sharing your love with the chimpanzees – and with the humans too!

Speaking of which… as I write this, we are just $1,797 away from reaching our $12,000 goal for the Share the Chimp Love fundraiser, which ends at the end of the day tomorrow. UPDATE: big thanks to Julie L. for donating exactly $1,797 after this post was published!

If you are feeling the love, but haven’t yet made a donation, you can share that love now on this page.  You can choose to spread the love even further by donating in honor of someone else for Valentine’s Day, or just make a donation for the love of Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, and Negra.

Below are just some of the things that I love about each of the chimpanzees at the sanctuary.

It would be so fun for me if you also shared what you love about Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, and Negra in the comments!

 

I love ANNIE’s serenity:

web_Annie_lie_on_back_deck_blanket_hold_feet_GH_kh_IMG_1241

web_Annie_lie_on_back_deck_blanket_hold_feet_eyes_closed_GH_kh_IMG_1245

and her bird noises!

 

I love when BURRITO’s “chimpanzeeness” really comes through (for the full explanation of the video below, see this blog post from 2013 when it was originally published):

 

I love FOXIE’S “happy toes” (video from 2010):

 

I love JAMIE’s brave leadership:

 

I love JODY’ nesting skills:

 

I love MISSY’s ability to entertain herself:

 

I love NEGRA’s playful moments (video from 2011):

 

Thank you again for being a part of Sharing the Chimp Love!

Layout 1

Filed Under: Annie, Burrito, Chimpanzee Behavior, Foxie, Fundraising, Jamie, Jody, Missy, Negra, Sanctuary Tagged With: behavior, chimp, chimpanzee, csnw, Fundraising, love, northwest, Sanctuary, valentine's day

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PO Box 952
Cle Elum, WA 98922
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509-699-0728
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EIN: 68-0552915

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