Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

young's hill

Nobody Puts Bubba in a Corner!

by 3 Comments

Today was a chilly autumn Sunday. Many parts of the Inland Northwest received their first snowfall last night, and much of the Cascades was covered in a dusting of white powder. Down here in the canyon, the weather was damp and cool and the skies were gray.

The chimps were slow to perk up this morning and seemed a bit groggy, making me think that they might spend the whole day napping and grooming in the Playroom. I watched Burrito for a bit before breakfast; he had a difficult time keeping his eyes open as he sat on one of the benches, and it made me smile. He lazily rolled over and drifted off several times, only regaining his alertness each time he heard promising sounds from the kitchen. It felt oddly familiar.

Negra even stopped by to participate in a quick session of grooming, but Burrito only gave her a few minutes of attention before redirecting his gaze out the window and returning to his solitude.

Everything changed when we walked around the building to open the door to Young’s Hill. Burrito and the others immediately got excited. His sideburns stood on end and his demeanor changed completely.

Lately, the seasonal shift has not deterred the Seven from enjoying Young’s Hill. Instead, they seem to relish the outdoors even more now that the weather is gloomy and wet. After being here for over a decade, the Seven are true residents of the Pacific Northwest and seem to embrace the mild temperatures of spring and fall. As I recently overheard one Washingtonian say, “I’ll pass on snow and heat, but I’ll hike in the rain all day.”

In true Northwest fashion, the Seven set out into the wilderness of Young’s Hill. Burrito led the way.

We have been excited to let the chimps go outside for the past few days because we just completed a modest expansion of the Young’s Hill enclosure. J.B. led the extension of the electric fencing downhill so that the perimeter now links up to the end of the shiny new chute (and the recently-constructed wing that houses Willy B, Mave and Honey B). We will soon be updating our followers about the new three and their gradual introduction to the outdoors, but for now the Seven long-time residents are exploring the additional space and using it to get a better view of their new surroundings

Today, Missy and Burrito each spent some time in front of the steel gateway leading into the chute. Burrito displayed and Missy even attempted to open the hydraulic door to crawl inside. Both seemed to be eager to get inside the building and come face-to-face with their new neighbors. (Fortunately for us, the doors are sturdy and didn’t budge in either scenario.)

Back in the Chimp House, the new arrivals (“The Californians”?) spent most of the day playing and lounging but immediately peered out of their bedrooms each time that one of the seven walked by. Willy B seemed most interested in Jamie and her foraging skills, while Mave tried to pant at Burrito through the sealed window. Honey B was more focused on the caregivers and kept nodding at us and soliciting attention as we completed tasks nearby.

It’s always interesting to see how quickly chimpanzees can alter their mood, thereby exhibiting a completely different set of behaviors. It still amazes me to see all ten of them snoozing in various corners of the Chimp House then suddenly hear a thunderstorm of pant-hoots, drumming and screams resonating throughout the building.

Even as the mornings get colder and the chimps spend more time in their overnight nests, it’s reassuring to see that they can still make a little excitement for themselves on a gloomy autumn day.

 

Throwback Thursday!

by 13 Comments

I wanted to do a throwback today to a very special day at the sanctuary, the day the Cle Elum 7 got to go out on Young’s Hill for the very first time. Perhaps the best way to remember that day is to watch the KOMO News Story about the event. It’s amazing that the chimps first set foot on Young’s Hill in September 2011 (8 years ago!), because we hope that our new 3 residents will soon get to follow in their footsteps.

We are excited to announce that we are finishing up the final adjustments to Young’s Hill so that the outdoor chute that Honey B, Willy B and Mave currently occupy will now connect to the 2 acre outdoor enclosure. If all goes as planned, we are going to give the “new guys” access to the hill in the next couple of days and let them get this new experience under their belts before we start introductions of the 2 groups. It will be both exciting and a little scary, and perhaps exploration will come more naturally to some than others. We can’t wait for them to start enjoying this next part of their sanctuary!

Honey B:

Mave:

Willy B:

Summer’s End Begins

by 8 Comments

The rain today did not feel like a passing summer shower. It felt like summer’s end.

Besides the rain, many smaller changes have become evident this weekend. As the temperature dipped, the mountains shrouded themselves in chilly fog and gray drizzle. The larches are abandoning their greenish hue in favor of warmer tones. The bucks that inhabit the woods around the sanctuary are showing off their new antlers, while this spring’s fawns are losing their spots and grow more independent by the day. The tourists in nearby Roslyn are sporting flannels and hoodies, not sunglasses and flip flops (and our staff and volunteers had to say a sad goodbye to this year’s edition of the Roslyn Farmer’s Market). In neighboring Ellensburg, new students are flocking to campus to begin classes next week; a handful of them will compose our next cohort of interns starting at the end of this month. The air itself seems to call for coffeehouse folk music and pumpkin spice everything. Autumn has made its first appearance of its three-month residency.

Meanwhile, the chimps are embracing the cooler surroundings in their own way.

Jamie spent this morning huddled under a makeshift tent of blankets, taking in the crisp morning air and watching the caregivers go about their morning rounds. She even snoozed for a bit before breakfast (as did Annie, in the background).

Over in the new wing, things went similarly. Lately, the new three have been chilling out in the new archway tunnel almost constantly. However, today’s weather made the uncovered chute less appealing and the trio spent more time grooming and nesting in their sheltered indoor spaces. From her secluded corner in one of the bedrooms, Mave made sure to keep looking out the window at the surrounding pastures, passing rail cars and two-lane highway far below.

Because of the drizzle and dew, we only scattered a small portion of their lunch on Young’s Hill. Even so, the seven long-term residents made the best of the conditions and found all of the carrots and walnuts that Level II volunteer Dusty placed among the tall grass and wooden structures. Of all the chimpanzees, Annie seemed to enjoy foraging in the damp prairie grass, always watching her surroundings for potential competitors and new opportunities to obtain more food.

Today’s only drama was centered around corn. Erin and Miranda, two of our dedicated Level III volunteers, served breakfast and lunch, respectively. All went smoothly until Jamie decided to get upset every time one of the lower-ranking females received an ear of corn-on-the-cob. Either she was being possessive (likely) or she’s terrified of things on cobs (slightly less likely). She kept her eyes on everyone else while she munched on her own corn, as well as poor Foxie’s.

Annie, Foxie, and Missy all processed their remaining corn and potatoes with trepidation, frequently pausing to monitor Jamie’s expression.

Missy even had a swollen eye this morning. It was not a grievous wound by any means, but served as a potential artifact of recent conflict within their social group (Note: Missy didn’t seem to care and even made J.B. playfully chase her around the Hill in the rain).

Only Negra and Burrito were left out of the corn fiasco. Negra opted to sift through her chow bags from the safety of her fleece blankets, while Burrito spent more time gazing over at the adjacent tunnel and neighboring chimps.

 

In memory of Carlene

by 2 Comments

This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Joseph Garza in memory of his beautiful late wife, Carlene. Joseph shared this lovely message about Carlene:

“Today would have been Carlene’s 62nd birthday and she would have been overjoyed to have this as a gift. Carlene K. Olsen-Garza, a lover of all things wild and beloved follower of the Seven. She would be overjoyed to hear of the reunion of Missy and Honey B, just as I when I heard the news. I’ve not been able to attend HOOT these past few years, but the Seven are never far from my thoughts and wells wishes. My late wife Carlene would be thrilled with all that’s been done for these magnificent creatures and the hope that the Board of Directors, Staff and supporters have shown through their hard work and generous contributions. BRING THEM HOME!”

Joseph, thank you for continuing to hold the chimpanzees in your heart and allowing us to celebrate Carlene and her loving heart and legacy with you. Her legacy continues to grow here, now making a difference in the lives of Honey B, Willy B and Mave, as well as all who may follow them here to this sanctuary home. We think of you both always and are wishing you and your family a day filled with comfort, love and treasured memories.

Annie and Missy enjoying “Carlene’s Tower”, the structure which Carlene’s family won the naming rights to in an auction:

Jamie:

Distracted

by 9 Comments

As Kelsi mentioned yesterday, the Cle Elum 7 got their first real look at their new neighbors on Tuesday afternoon, and Mave, Willy B, and Honey B got to explore their new outdoor chute. We don’t have the video of their first reactions ready for you just yet (sorry for all the suspense), but I think I can safely tell you that there has been no one more preoccupied with the sight of new chimpanzees than Burrito.

We were all pleasantly surprised with how interested (and almost calm) he seemed to take their first reveal. I might have been expecting his reaction to be something more like total panic and fear (or maybe even pretend that he cannot see them), but instead he seemed to take it all in stride and has now moved on to complete (high arousal) fascination. He has been spending his days moving from the Playroom windows to the Greenhouse, trying to get a peek at anyone sitting outside in their new space. Here was Mr. B on the lookout on Young’s Hill this morning (notice his erect hair and fixed gaze).

A Tale of Two Pineapples

by 18 Comments

“A day wasted on others is not wasted on one’s self.” – Charles Dickens

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Volunteers Miranda and Elizabeth prepared breakfast this morning, with the centerpiece being a pineapple-strawberry-protein smoothie. The chimps ate their raw fruit and then drank every last drop of the bright pink smoothie. Of course, we couldn’t just throw the prickly pineapple tops into the Vitamix and we didn’t want to toss them in the compost bucket, either. Because the weather was so pleasant this morning, we ended up hiding the pineapple tops out on Young’s Hill at lunch, along with a forage spread of beets, carrots and potatoes. The chimps gathered themselves (and their dolls) and headed out to forage with gusto.

Of all the chimps, Jody is known for her expertise as a forager. We predicted that she would find at least one of the hidden treasures among the grass.

Surprisingly, Annie was the first to find a pineapple (the one that had been placed on a structure in the middle of the Hill). She triumphantly carried it back down the slope to the Greenhouse.

Negra found the second one since it was hidden in her favorite spot (a straw-lined cabin ear the bottom of the slope). She also carted her pineapple and vegetables back to the shade and shelter of the Greenhouse.

Annie’s pineapple wasn’t hers for very long before Jody casually took it from her. Annie didn’t seem to mind, though.

Jody reclined on the lower deck and relished every spiny leaf of the pineapple top. She held it lovingly and slowly picked it apart.

Neggie was a bit more industrious. Her mechanical breakdown of the pineapple top was quick and purposeful. She ripped off each spine and chewed it to a pulp before spitting it on the deck below. She soon had a pile of peels and discarded wadges at her feet, then chomped into the juicy core.

Jamie was not interested in either pineapple, preferring to eat beets and supervise from afar.

Burrito, meanwhile, ate anything and everything that he could find.

 

On the hunt for wild greens

by

The chimpanzees made a group dash for Young’s Hill this morning after breakfast, everyone filing up the hill along the perimeter together. Then to our delight, they all decided to hang on the upper structures, Jamie’s Tower and Carlene’s Tower together. But Ms. Jody was on the lookout for something exciting to eat. And being “Farmer Jo,” as we endearingly call her, naturally, she came back with a prize.

Jody and Burrito:

This technique 🙂

And two bonus Negra and troll photos:

Our newest family members, Honey B, Willy B, and Mave continue to loosen up and settle in more with each passing day. I arrived this morning to find Honey B racing and ripping and flailing around playfully, much like Foxie does, instigating a game of chase. I wasn’t able to capture any photos today, but they all enjoyed an afternoon of selfies and checking out some recent videos. I showed the video from Missy’s birthday bash last Friday which they all wanted to watch a few times. They seemed to really enjoy the jazzy music so I also showed this older one of Foxie and her belly button and troll doll which appeared to be a personal favorite of Willy B’s. Every time it ended he’d bounce up and down frantically which I took for “Play it again!” So of course, I did. I even noticed him rubbing his toes together while he watched it. 😉