Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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Late Winter on the Hill and A Day in the Clinic

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The weather has been beautiful lately and the chimps have been taking full advantage of this false spring before the inevitable second winter strikes back. Enjoy a few scenes from The Bray and Young’s Hill from the past couple of days.

I also want to share with you that yesterday, Honey B took what we hope will be her last trip to the clinic for a while. Here’s more on that from Dr. Erin:

Yesterday, Honey B had her 3rd clinic trip to manage a bite wound on her left hand. She’s had 2 regional limb perfusions to concentrate antibiotics, including deep flushing of the infected wound. Despite twice daily laser treatments, x-rays, and antibiotics, the swelling and drainage have persisted. A team of medical professionals, including Dr. Jeffrey Friedrich, a board certified hand surgeon, and surgery residents Dr. Thais Calderon and Dr. Emma Dwyer, performed a deeper exploratory surgery, which, unfortunately, resulted in the amputation of the affected finger to prevent arthritis and chronic pain. As sad as we are that we couldn’t defeat the bone infection in Honey B’s finger, we are looking forward to her being more comfortable and regaining better use of her hand. We’re grateful for the expertise of Dan Low MD (chimp anesthesiologist extraordinaire) who introduced us to Dr. Friedrich, CRNA Kate Uselman (anesthesia), Dr. Rachelle Chavez, DC, OB/GYN, and sonographer Huong Johnston who performed ultrasound and a complete pelvic exam. Honey B recovered well and was awake and hungry by dinnertime. Even though she was ready to join a brief fray yesterday afternoon, she will need to be isolated for a few days to monitor her healing. A huge thank you goes out to the entire medical team for their care and expertise!

And a huge thank you to Dr. Erin, too!

One team performs the ultrasound while another begins a regional limb perfusion:

The anesthesia team monitors Honey B’s vitals:

The surgical team at work, while CSNW Vet Assistant, Krissy, and visiting veterinary student extern, Eden, observe and help coordinate:

Honey B in recovery:

And Honey B the next day, ready to explore and rejoin her friends (but not until the doc gives the OK):

Presenting the Winner of the Easter Egg Hunt

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It was an exhilarating day (if you are really impatient, scroll down to find out exactly why).

To tell the truth, it didn’t really dawn on me until yesterday that today is Easter, so I was felt lucky to be able to help with the festivities of the day.

I did know there were some party plans in store for the chimps for Easter, including non-commercial eggs from happy chickens that Dr. Erin knows that were dyed using natural dyes (like blueberries and yellow beets) by volunteer Nancy yesterday.

and SO MANY paper eggs filled will all sorts of fruits and veggies that were hidden i both outdoor habitats by volunteer Patti and staff member Ellen for an Easter egg hunt.

It was a gorgeous day, and all the chimps appreciated the forages and the dyed eggs. We actually got quite a bit of footage, but I wasn’t able to get it all put together for a proper video, so look for that tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some photo highlights:

Jamie watching the set-up in the greenhouse from the playroom:

Annie on one of the new structures on Young’s Hill:

Burrito chomping down on a “baby” iceberg lettuce:

Foxie with a tomato she found in one of the paper eggs:

Negra even climbed a structure in search of more lettuce:

 

The true winner of today’s Easter egg hunt was, hands down, our very own Cy. He marched right outside and went to the new structures on The Bray. Structures that he had never climbed before this afternoon!!!

He deserved today.

Cy’s sister Lucky also was feeling adventurous and climbed the crow’s nest structures that are connected to Ryan’s Lookout:

Thank you to everyone who supports the sanctuary and who donated at year-end to make these structures possible. Look for the Easter video tomorrow!

The view from the top

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It’s not uncommon to find Missy on one of the towers at the top of Young’s Hill, just taking in the view.

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Jody tagged along with Missy on one of her little adventures this afternoon.

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On the way back down, Jody made sure to grab a snack to bring back to the greenhouse.

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When we got to the bottom of the hill, I got what I’m pretty sure is the world’s only photo of a chimpanzee watching an elk watching the UPS man (you may have to look closely to find Ellie in the middle).

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No time to rest

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I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve walked around Young’s Hill today. We started just after breakfast, with Jamie frantically gesturing towards the bin of boots in the kitchen, letting us know that is was time to begin the daily ritual. After exchanging one of my sneakers for a bright red cowboy boot, we set out together to patrol the perimeter of her two-acre enclosure. There was another walk before lunch, and then another just afterwards. Steph and Debbie went on a patrol with Jamie in mid-afternoon, and then I rejoined Jamie for another before dinner. As soon as dinner was over it was time to head out again for a couple more. And just a moment ago, at a little after 7pm, I handed my red cowboy boot to Diana, who will walk with Jamie as the sun starts to set. This might be the last, but somehow I doubt it.

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Taking it in

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Certain things about chimps are beyond our ability to measure, but I have no doubt that they share with us a sense of awe and wonder. Primatologists in the field have written about chimps going out of their way to stop and enjoy a sunset. We see the same thing when the chimps climb to the top of Young’s Hill and stare out at the valley below.

Jamie:

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Missy:

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Other times we see them stop and stare up at the sky. It could be something as simple as a bird flying by or the clouds passing overhead, but it often seems like something more profound, like an effort to take in the vastness of their new world.

Burrito:

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Missy:

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It’s in these moments that I have to remind myself where they came from, and to try to imagine what it must be like to still be discovering the most basic things about the world at nearly 40 years old.