Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Willy B

Not Today, but Maybe Tomorrow

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Today we gave Mave, Honey B, Willy B, and Negra access to Young’s Hill. I am not sure we have talked about this much. Though this is not the first time we have given them access to Young’s Hill, a 2 acre outdoor space. I feel I should also mention that as far as we know the three have not had an outdoor space like this in almost 30 years or maybe ever. So you can only imagine how exciting, but also terrifying and scary this space must be for them. The Hill is a large outdoor area with unfamiliar fencing, ground, and also not knowing if anyone else is out there. The other chimps obviously haven’t been on the other side when they have access to the Hill, but the unknown can be intimidating! Right now Burrito is still alone recovering and the girl gang was inside phase 1 so they wouldn’t be too much of a distraction to the nervous 3 and Negra just napped the whole time.

Our first attempt was almost a month ago, before introductions had started. It did not go the way we had planned or the way I am sure the 3 chimps wanted it to go. We tried to show the chimps not to touch the electric fence. However, the electric fence was foreign and all they have ever really known is that they can hold onto caging. But the “caging” was shocking them and it was suppose to be safe. So there was screaming and they were nervous to say the least. Even with preparation and showing them not to touch, they still touched it, a lot. You might be wondering how we demonstrated this to them. There are many different methods. We pretended to touch the fence and get shocked. We made chimp vocalizations and screamed. J.B. grounded himself and made the fence spark (safely) and screamed as well. When the seven went out for the first time they had a mock test fence to touch so the chimps understood it would shock and J.B. also touched the fence to give them the real effect. J.B. did not want to touch the fence again (weird) and we didn’t feel that the mock test helped the seven not touch the fence, because they also got shocked the first time or two as well. An enclosure is all these three have known and mesh caging is what they are used to grabbing. Even the ground can be uncomfortable, for example, Willy B doesn’t like walking across the wood chips and tries to avoid them. This probably has a lot to do with living on concrete floors for most of his life.

There is a lot of adjustment for Honey B, Mave, and Willy B. We have continued to offer them the Hill when possible. However, they are scared. Honey B did go out again, but curiosity got the best of her and she touched the fence again. Though no one went out today, we will keep trying and hopefully one day they will feel comfortable enough to go out and explore, and not touch the fence as well!

Mave relaxing in the green house:

Honey B a little out of focus, enjoying some sun in the green house:

This photo shows a little bit of how Willy doesn’t like walking on the wood chips. He uses only one foot and tries to get across as fast a possible. Or tries to walk on chairs and enrichment to get on to the platform. This is actually every common for chimps in captivity that are adjusting to new environments. The unknown is scary until they can get use to it.

Negra in a cozy nest. Negra also spent some time grooming with Mave and play wrestling with Honey B.

Later in the afternoon the “Girl Gang” received access to the Hill. The girls and cattle went on a patrol together:

 

 

Rebuilding

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The result of our final introduction was disappointing, to say the least, but all hope is not lost. I’m sharing this short clip so you can see how Burrito and Willy B got along while separated by mesh. It was a 45-minute love fest. And this was the morning after their conflict.

This is a good illustration of one of the core truths of chimpanzee life: severe conflicts do not necessarily preclude or end meaningful relationships. We didn’t force these two to get together like this; they were desperate to be together, and remain so. They were scared at first, sure, but within minutes they were grooming, kissing, and even sticking fingers in each other’s mouths – a sure sign of trust. They got off to a bad start during their first meeting but they were intent on reconciling. And after just a short time together, they would actually seek each other out for reassurance when they got anxious.

Still, it’s important to remember that these one-on-one meetings through the mesh do not necessarily predict how they will behave when meeting in the same enclosure again or when surrounded by other chimpanzees (such as, ahem, a band of very closely-bonded and strong-willed females). Behavior does not exist in a vacuum. These two will be influenced by many of the same factors if and when they meet again in person. And they, in turn, will influence those around them. Perhaps next time there will be a little less fear and uncertainty.

Burrito and Willy B have had difficult lives and they’ve missed out on so much. But the door has not closed all the way. In the wild, bonds between males are lifelong and central to their social lives. Maybe it’s not too late for these two.

A Day to Give

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I thought since today was Giving Day for Apes I would reflect on this amazing opportunity that I get to call my job. I am a caregiver for primates and a handful of farm animals. Chimpanzee have changed my life. The Chimpanzee Human Communication Institute was my first introduction to chimpanzees. To be honest, I always wanted to work with marine mammals, but after I met Tatu, Loulis, and Dar I fell in love with chimps intelligence, their playfulness, their physical strength, but most importantly their resiliency. When I learned about the pain humans have inflicted on primates I wanted to make a difference and from then on I never looked back. I followed Tatu and Loulis to Canada and than I came back to Washington where I was lucky enough to get a job at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. It was hard to leave Tatu and Lou who I had known for 7 years, but the Pacific Northwest was my home. And to be lucky enough to get a job at CSNW, you just can’t say no to that!

There is a lot to the word caregiver. Being a caregiver is one of the most valuable parts of my life. I have learned how to put all of their needs before my own, feel so much compassion it hurts, and have a side of me be so silly I don’t care who sees. But there is also the side of being responsible for the well being of the individuals you are caring for and the humans involved. It can be emotionally straining, especially at a time like now. Care giving during this introduction period has been a challenge, the most amazing rewarding challenge! On one hand the friendships being formed are the whole reason we are doing this and it is so awesome you could cry! We want the best for the chimps and we also want to provide more homes to more chimps. But on the other hand it is one of the more stressful events in my career. On the human side watching your friends meet a bunch of strangers! Talk about social anxiety! But, as written in many of our blogs, you have to trust them. Each chimp has stepped up and gone above and beyond what we thought would happen. The hard work isn’t over, it might not have even started yet, but it is truly an amazing time to be at CSNW.

The chimps, as I’ve mentioned, are so resilient. Every chimp has a different background, some were raised by humans and given to biomedical research once they were too old to control, others where caught in the wild and taken away from their mothers, many were breed in captivity never knowing what the outside world felt like and would never know what it would feel like to be a “real” chimp, a wild chimp. Theses are just a few scenarios and there are so many more. But the fact that these chimps can form relationships with humans after what people have put them through will always blow my mind. And more than that, when they get the chance in sanctuary to make relationships with other chimps, get that feeling of freedom or choice, or even just feel relaxed. That is were my job is the most rewarding. Here in a sanctuary they get the opportunity to become themselves, or at least as much as possible. They will never get to go into the wild again, that was taken from them, but that they can make friends with other chimps or people and go onto the 2 acres must feel freeing in some way.

A few little moments that make my heart melt that I hope makes yours too: Annie making sweet bird noises, Burrito food squeaking so loud, Willy B lip smacking for food, Mave being a friend to all and her jumping up and clapping her feet when she wants to play (eekk!). Negra going out on the Hill alone, Jamie making a fort laying on a nest intertwined with boots and books, Honey B laying in a bunch of brown paper wrestling around in it, the moment you hand Foxie her doll back and she is completely content. Missy, Honey B, & Annie playing and Jody caring so intensely about each of her friends. But the winner today is Missy and Willy B playing chase. I haven’t seen Willy B with this big of a play face yet! We hope you enjoy this short video!

 

On to the Next One!

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We have made progress with our introductions. As of today, Jamie and Negra are now with Willy B, Mave, Honey B, Jody, Missy, Annie! The introduction has gone very well so far! Mave greeted Jamie and Negra with a warm embrace. Honey B partook in welcoming the girls in too. But Jamie and Mave really seem to be hitting it off! Mave has done a wonderful job defusing situations. For example, all the girls were screaming at Willy B who was in the green house. Mave shuffled the girls back into the playroom and then went to reassure Willy B. Jamie and Willy B seem to be fond of each other. However, individuals have been interrupting them once they finally get a moment alone! We don’t have a lot of photos or video because it is important that the humans not be involved or around too much while the group continues to build strong relationships. We are preparing a video from the introduction today! We are sorry for the delay, but the chimps and humans are very tired. As for future plans, if the 8 stay fairly stable our next step is to get Foxie and Burrito integrated soon and make it a group of 10!

In the meantime I hope you all enjoy these photos of Missy grooming Willy B this morning before the introductions started:

Shhhh!

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Everyday is different. However, today is finally a quiet day. I know, I just jinxed it! There was less screaming, a lot of playing between Missy and Honey B (!!!), good grooming sessions, and most of the interactions were positive! It was going so well that we tried to tip toe around the chimp house to not disturb the calm! There is usually a little drama pre dinner, but overall a very quiet day. Everyday will vary and who knows what tomorrow will hold!

Negra looks so cozy:

Willy B foraging out in the Green House:

Mave:

Mave enjoying a beet!

Jody:

Honey B was guarding the playroom door. We have been trying to get in there to clean for a day or so now! However, Honey B has other plans.

Over in phase 1 Jamie would lay down on door I which separate the mezzanine from the front rooms and watch the volunteers and staff clean the front rooms. As you can see Jamie even has a water cup next to her. But the best part of Jamie observing everyone from the top, what you can’t seen, is the troll scarf she tied around her waist!

Jamie:

Foxie and Burrito played a lot of chase and wrestling together:

Burrito:

Days like today are refreshing. It means the group is getting more and more comfortable with each other. Which also leads us to start thinking about doing more introductions!

The Great Adventure Begins

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Introductions have started! We as a staff had talked a lot about how introductions might go. We also had Amy Fultz from Chimp Haven provide advise from their successful introductions. To start intros we had Missy, Annie, and Jody meet Willy B, Honey B, and Mave first. We were very excited to have the chimps shift into the areas we needed them to so smoothly. To be honest, we were a bit shocked. We planned for one thing knowing that we might need 5 more back-up plans. Jamie, Burrito, Foxie, and Negra were offered a forage on the Hill that led to the new Chute and into Phase 1, which they have never been into! Foxie, Jamie, and Burrito went into the new Chute with ease. In the process Negra decided she wanted to stay on Young’s Hill. The Chute was foreign to her and she wasn’t ready for it yet, so Negra’s great adventure began!

I should start off by saying we do not normally close chimps onto only Young’s Hill. However, Negra was only out there until we could shift her back inside. Negra seemed to enjoy her time on the Hill. She grabbed a blanket and some forage and would go up to a structure and snack. Did I mention what was in the forage? There was lettuce, pomegranates, oranges, apples, pears, and Hawaiian rolls! When Negra needed more forage she would climb down, grab some more, and than go back up to relax on the structure. She even explored all over the Hill by herself. We thought she would hate being out there alone, but Negra was truly content. As some people say, Negra was living her best life.

I am sure you are all dying to know how the 3 on 3 meeting was. I can tell you there was fighting, hugging, A LOT of screaming, and A LOT of reassurance. Jody and Mave did a great job at keeping the peace! All of their reactions were normal for introductions. However, we were pretty busy the whole day and were not able to get very much video or photos. We also tried to keep the human interactions to a minimum. It is very important for Annie, Missy, Jody, Willy B, Honey B, and Mave to make a good relationship for the rest of the introductions to go smoothly. We are not out of the thick of things yet, but overall today’s introductions went well. Stay tuned for tomorrow, there will be a short video of clips from the introduction.

Flexibility

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A lot is changing around here! It is exciting change, but still an adjustment. We are learning that flexibility is key while the humans and chimps are learning a new routine. Even though it is just 3 new chimps, a lot of work has gone into this. We are getting to know 3 new chimps, while still devoting ourselves to the 7. We have new checks to do, spaces to organize, and old & new volunteers to train. With the new chimps comes a need for more fresh produce and toys. If you are ever curious about how to help, check out our amazon wish list. It is an easy way to help the chimps and we always need Safeway gift cards!

The 7 have been wonderful through this process with the new chimps arriving. They have been curious and as patient as they can be. Though the suspense of hoping to meet their new neighbors has brought some tension to the group. Overall, everyone is adjusting well and the 7 have been able to keep most of their days normal.

Negra is still catching some Zzz:

Jamie is still going on walks, maybe even more now:

Though Burrito is so interested in Honey B, Willy B, & Mave. He often waits by the window just to catch a glimpse:

All in all I think chimps and humans are very ready to get these intros started!