Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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young's hill

Neggie’s Great Adventure

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It may not quite look like Spring yet, but it’s definitely starting to feel like it! Something extraordinary happened today that needs to be shared!

When Jamie’s group went out onto Young’s Hill, Foxie and Burrito burst out chasing each other, Annie and Missy not far behind them, and Jody popped out for a second but walked back into the greenhouse shortly after. I was curious where she went, but when Jody came back out she had brought Negra and Jamie with her. Negra didn’t stop at her usual spots (like her cabin), she just kept following Jody up the hill.  Jody was always looking back to make sure Negra wasn’t far behind. I assumed that Negra would stop at one of the mounds in the middle of the Hill where she likes to forage for foliage and then usually turns back to go inside for a nap in the greenhouse, but to all of our surprise, Negra had other plans today! About 30 minutes after letting the chimps onto Young’s Hill, JB was going around the hill with Burrito for a walk. When they got to the top of the hill JB found Neggie sitting on Carlene’s tower eating pine needles like it was no big deal, like she always goes up to the top of the Hill and hangs out on structures. JB radioed to tell us Negra was on the tower, I dropped my scrub brush and came running up the Hill with the camera to capture the moment. If this story sounds familiar, it’s because Negra has only done this one other time 3 years ago! On top of Negra being on Carlene’s Tower, since our new expansion Negra has not ventured up to this new tree space. This rare sighting of Negra exploring is one of the best feelings of sanctuary. The feeling of comfort, safety, choice, and freedom.

JB took video, so maybe he will share that with us all soon, but for now, let us enjoy photos of Negra on Carlene’s Tower, where she has always belonged.

This morning Jody (left) making sure Negra (right) was going to join her on an adventure:

Negra making her way up:

I couldn’t pick just one photo of Negra!

The highly anticipated Negra on Carlene’s Tower:

Negra was also enjoying a pine needle snack:

Negra stayed out for more than an hour out on Young’s Hill. When she decided to go inside Jody was waiting for her :).

Bonus!

Burrito:

Missy Reassuring Jamie on Young’s Hill:

Little Foxie:

Two is Better than One!

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Today was absolutely beautiful! The sun was out, the chimps were enjoying their warm greenhouses, and the seven had another lunch Hill forage! I know I always talk about little moments in the chimp house: the moments that just kind of make your heart melt and remind you how grateful you are that these chimps are in sanctuary. Today was full of those little moments.

1. Negra was the first chimp out of the raceway for the lunch forage! She was going everywhere trying to find the potatoes and chow. It was very nice to watch.

2. Annie, as you may know, has already been spotted with her sweatbands! Today, she was either wearing them or carrying them in her pelvic pocket (a hot pink and green one).

3. Lucky was also spotted wearing a green sweatband (not pictured).

4. Foxie gave me her doll through the raceway so that we could go take a quiet walk around a little bit of Young’s Hill.

5. One of our interns gave us a pair of her Doc Martins that Jamie had been eyeing for awhile. We gave Jamie those boots today and she seemed elated to have them <3!

6. Cy’s group were out in the greenhouses for most of the day, all grooming each other.

Bonus photos!

Negra on the Hill foraging:

Missy foraging:

Jody:

Foxie:

Burrito in the warm green house:

I hope you enjoy these little moments and Annie’s video :)!

A Plum Day

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Today started off as any other. Caregivers arrived, served breakfast, and began their tasks of cleaning of the day prior. When the door leading to Young’s Hill opened, the members of Jody’s group were eager to set off on their morning adventures.

Burrito, of course, wanted to take his morning run. Cold doesn’t seem to bother him one bit when it comes to his morning exercise. Between his sprints, he would take a break and seem to just take it all in.

As we were nearing the top, I caught something out of place in my peripheral vision. Something that stood out like a sore thumb amongst the brown and yellow foliage of winter.

This purple-haired figure on top of a moving black mass could only be one thing…

It’s Plum Pudding hitching a ride on Foxie!

After reaching the top of the hill, Foxie and Plum Pudding headed back to the Chimp House…

But not before a little thrilling adventure!

Plum Pudding ended up in a perilous predicament!

And only Foxie could save her!

This rescue was so dramatic, Jamie had to be a bystander to witness it all unfold!

But nonetheless, Foxie would not give up on her Puddin’! She was able to rescue her and whisk her back to safety!

Bonus Photo of Cy during a game of chase!

A CSNW Clip Show

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As I was clearing out my phone to make room for more memory, there were several small clips that were too short to make a video out of at the time. So just like those TV shows that inevitably air a “clip show” of random scenes from the season, please enjoy the CSNW Clip Show!

Some bonus photos from today:

Can you guess who the dinosaur is? (Hint: the answer is in the video!)

Foxie and Strawberry Shortcake:

Jamie, Foxie, and Strawberry Shortcake:

Burrito:

A King of his domain:

Mid-yawn

Watching Jody on the other structure:

The answer to question above is Negra!!! Negra was in the hooded dinosaur blanket!

Winter Projects

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Old man winter has “generously” provided caregivers with steady projects since November. Luckily, we have a system in place so the chimpanzees can still go outside and get fresh air if they choose to. Today we caught up from our other chores and made sure Jamie’s group got to stretch their legs on some freshly dug pathways!

Where There’s a Hill, There’s a Way

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The chimpanzees in Jamie’s group often begin their mornings by patrolling their outdoor enclosure, Young’s Hill.

Downpours, blizzards, and extreme cold are just about the only events that can deter them from engaging in this ritual activity. The temperature was well below freezing this morning when I opened the door to Young’s Hill after breakfast. I was quite cold despite the morning sun and a couple extra layers over my scrubs, so I doubted any of them would want to be outside either. I had equipped my shorter camera lens thinking that I might photograph a brave chimp or two as they curiously peeked their heads across the threshold.

I was quite wrong (as we humans so often are when we attempt to predict chimpanzee behavior).

The chimpanzees darted out into the wide open habitat in a single file line, diverging further up the slope and dispersing among the structures and bamboo. Some individuals seemed more interested in watching Aaron, Gary, Jose, and J.B. work on The Bray, while others trekked uphill to the grove of pine trees. I managed to get only unflattering shots of their backsides as they disappeared beyond my view.

Missy and Annie:

Missy, Annie and Burrito:

Foxie, Burrito and Annie:

Jamie, Foxie, Burrito, Annie and Jody:

Foxie and Burrito:

Missy (if you can spot her):

Only Negra chose to remain inside. As comedian Jim Gaffigan would probably describe her, Negra is “what you would call indoorsy.” With the exception of special events, Neggie generally prefers to nest in the greenhouse after breakfast and leaves the outdoor exploration to her companions. I stopped to visit her on my way back to the Chimp House and saw she was snoozing peacefully under a mountain of fleece blankets in the warm greenhouse.

The care staff had been busy cleaning the playrooms for a short while when J.B. shared an unexpected photo in our team’s group chat. Negra was now sitting atop a platform outside on Young’s Hill! The Queen, for some reason, decided that this chilly morning was the perfect moment to go on a hike.

I detoured into the foyer to switch lenses and dashed outside in a desperate attempt to document the moment (hoping to share it on the blog this afternoon). I made it around the corner just in time to get a single blurry photo of Negra plodding her way back into the greenhouse. Some of the other chimps remained outside for a bit longer, but Neggie’s interest in the outdoors appeared to have subsided for the day.

However brief, these unexpected winter adventures have been reason enough to keep the outdoor enclosures accessible even when the conditions are less than ideal. We never know what interests and motives the chimpanzees might have, so we give them the freedom to choose their own path whenever it is safe to do so.

Burrito sunbathing this morning:

P.S. It’s 3:00 p.m. and I just stepped outside for a quick breath of fresh air before publishing this post. The sun is now behind a wall of incoming clouds and the temperature is about to start plummeting. I started to think about how the chimpanzees were probably snuggling in the heated playroom when a dark, incongruous silhouette atop Young’s Hill caught my eye. I could just make out Missy’s stout frame as she galloped alone along the far edge of the enclosure. It was yet another surprise that shouldn’t have surprised me.

Rainy Day Adventures

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It’s a rainy, cool day here in Cle Elum today. Driving into work this morning through the mist I thought that the chimps would maybe be pretty relaxed and be content to spend the day in comfy nests listening to the rain.

I was wrong. 🙂

When I went to say good morning to Cy’s group, everyone was rearin’ to play chase, groom, or just stare at me for long periods of time without blinking (hi, Honey B). On the other side of the chimp house, everyone was off on their adventures as soon as I gave them access to Young’s Hill! I’m pretty sure Missy spent the whole morning after breakfast out under the trees and everyone else came and went as they pleased. I was cleaning Playroom 1 with one of our awesome volunteers, Patti, when Jamie decided it was time to go for a patrol around the hill. She had me wear one of her new favorite boots and when we made it to the top of the hill, she stopped and hung out for a while. It was a pretty exciting walk- be sure to check out today’s video to see why! 🙂 I might have cried a little bit, but that’s just me.

This afternoon, though, has been quiet as everyone nests in warm, fresh, cozy blankets. All in all, it’s been a pretty darn good rainy day.

Cy:

Gordo, holding his feet, because why not?

Sweet Lucky:

Terry, mid-chew:

Honey B, gazing into my soul… pretty sure she knows my social security number, what I got on my SAT’s in high school, and every other little secret about me: