Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

young's hill

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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My goodness today was a busy day! We had two great parties for the chimps and a staff meeting too! The seven celebrate with a Hill forage and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. On the other side Honey B, Willy B, and Mave celebrated with some pots of gold in the chute as well as a St. Patrick themed meal. What was on the menu you might be asking? Of course, there was lots of cabbage, beets, potatoes, and corn! Since today was so busy I thought maybe I would let the photos speak for themselves.

Here is a photo of the three’s pots of gold(en potatoes). It was a great day to eat in the chute and sit in the warm sunshine.

And another photo of what was for lunch!

Negra was the first one out for the party!

Jody got a few good hauls of cabbage.

Burrito didn’t do too bad either.

Missy zipped around everyone snatching up cabbage and potatoes left and right!

Annie took a more low key approach than Missy.

Foxie took a birds eye view approach.

And Jamie, well Jamie did every well for herself :).

I love this photo of her.

The three didn’t really want their photos taken today, but I managed to get a few.

When Mave saw lunch she got very excited! You can see she is pilo in this photo. Mave was hooting and asking for reassurance.

Willy B enjoying some corn!

And Honey B enjoying her pot of gold(en potatoes).

Morning Adventures and Afternoon Naps

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The staff will continue our positive reinforcement training this afternoon. But before we dive into our training, here are some photos of some chimpanzee adventures and naps.

Jody eating her breakfast clementine orange while looking out onto Young’s Hill.
Jody, Foxie (above) and Missy (below) take in this morning’s scenery from a platform after going out onto Young’s Hill.
Burrito later soon joined Foxie on the platform after Jody and Missy left.
Annie took some time for herself high above the bamboo on Young’s Hill. She later joined Missy and Jamie on a patrol around the parameter.
Foxie embraces one of her new Strawberry Shortcake dolls on the top platform in the Greenhouse.
Jamie embracing a cowboy boot while snoozing off. You may wonder why she doesn’t elect to lay down while taking her afternoon slumber. She is the boss you know and has to be ready to go at the drop of a hat. This photo was from yesterday, but Jamie is currently in this same position and I couldn’t get a better photo from today.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite piece of art! The three designs with the most votes will win the People’s Choice awards! So be sure to vote before March 14th!

A Blossoming Friendship

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Since Burrito’s life-threatening situations, most particularly the rattlesnake incident, Jamie seems to be more tolerant of Burrito. It wasn’t that they weren’t friends before, they would play or groom from time to time. But something in their friendship has shifted. For example, Jamie often wants to go on walks alone with her caregivers; she will even hideout in the culvert to ditch everyone. Recently though, she doesn’t mind when Burrito joins, she doesn’t even try to ditch him! We find them going on adventures, like climbing the twister. They even share a barrel while eating! He is kind of her shadow sometimes. Could it be that Burrito is less reactive overall, maybe? Could it be the near death experience, possibly? Or it could be a little column A and a little column B, we will never know for certain. But, what I do know is that watching them share a barrel while eating a meal brings me more joy than words can express.

I mean look how close they are!

Burrito wearing a blanket around his neck. It looks like a sweat towel, which makes perfect sense for him because he is always working up a sweat. Wait, no, his caregivers are the ones sweating.

Bonus Mave photo! Personally, I love a good photo of chimps hands or feet clasped together.

out of the shadow

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In the past, we’ve described Burrito as being tentative and unsure about things.

It took a while for him to join Jamie on her perimeter walks of Young’s Hill. In July of 2013, about ten months after the 2-acre enclosure was complete, J.B. writes that Missy, Annie, and Jody were often seen taking part in Jamie’s adventures at the top of the hill and all around the perimeter, while Burrito, Foxie, and Negra tended to stick to the lower half of the enclosure.

By October of that same year, Burrito was occasionally joining Jamie on her perimeter walks, On these walks, he was always the follower.

In March of 2015, Katelyn describes how Burrito was joining more perimeter patrols, and even relaxing a bit. A few days later, Burrito started to invite caregivers to go on walks without Jamie, which J.B. excitedly wrote about (read to the end for one reason he was excited).

Jamie’s walks still far eclipsed Burrito’s in quantity, and most of Burrito’s were with other chimpanzees with him following behind.

Burrito would often appear to be hesitant when Jamie veered off the usual pathway. Katelyn described Burrito gingerly following Jamie as she effortless climbed the Twister structure in September of 2016.

Today Burrito took twice as many walks / runs as Jamie around the perimeter. Some with just him and me and some with a chimpanzee group.

He was the occasional leader, sometimes even waiting for Jamie to catch up.

He and Jamie appeared to decide at the same time to climb up Twister.

But Burrito was the only one to go to the very top.

Before going back inside, on his own, he took a path less traveled to explore a different part of the hill.

Choices, opportunities, and space that allow for gradual gains in confidence and incremental steps towards discovery – this really is what sanctuary is about.

Chimpanzees

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This afternoon, I reached back to draw some interesting words from my quiver and found out it was empty.

Instead, I am giving you all that I’ve got: photographs of chimpanzees.

Quirky, unique, fascinating, charismatic, weird, goofy, expressive, resilient, inspiring, celebrated, beloved and deserving chimpanzees.

Weird and Routine

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Since Anna included it in her Top 10 Sanctuary Videos of 2020, you may have been reminded recently of the video of J.B. and I in the gator racing Jamie at sunset. Thanks to J.B.’s transcription, you know I said, “This is the weirdest job.”

That’s true, in many ways.

The weird, however, has a way of becoming quite routine round here.

Jamie now frequently asks us to get the gator so she can race it, or us in it, or maybe just the boots we are wearing while driving it, around the hill.

Today, she made this request of Kelsi as they were starting off on a walk (you just need to know Jamie and how to interpret her gestures to know what she’s asking for – it’s a learning curve).

Kelsi ran back into the barn and started up the gator and Jamie took off at a sprint to get a head start. This time Burrito, Missy, Annie, and Jody joined the race. I climbed up to the observation deck to get a few photos.

 

Jamie up top, Missy standing bipedally, and Jody’s and Annie’s behinds

Annie catching up

 

Jamie in the lead

 

Missy likes to do things the hard fun way!
Annie and Missy taking in the sights at the end of the walk
Annie seems to really like the view from the top of the Escher structure
Jody sporting a classic drooped lip

Later in the day, Mave was having me play a fun game of chase where she ran around the mezzanine and I went from the human area of the mezzanine, downstairs via the rungs, through the door into the new getting-closer-to-being-finished playrooms, and upstairs to the window, where she was waiting for me.

She thought this was great fun.

While I was playing with Mave, I looked out one of the upstairs playroom windows, which have great views of the hill. Honey B was in the chute and spotted me through the window, so then she and I played a little game of chase where she ran back and forth in the chute and I went from one window to another.

Like J.B. yesterday, my batteries seemed to run out at an alarmingly accelerated pace compared to the chimpanzees.

It was all kind of weird, kind of routine, and very special at the same time.

Happy 38th Birthday Burrito!

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Today we celebrated Burrito’s 38th birthday! The fact that Burrito has a birthday today fills my heart with more joy than words can express, and I am sure I am not alone. It is fun to watch Burrito get back to his old self, but also to see him grow more as well. For example, Burrito going for walks/runs around the Hill on his own or Jamie letting him join too. Don’t quote me on this because it may not last forever, he does do big displays, but overall he seems more relaxed. Every day with Burrito is a blessing. Burrito is loved by many all over the country. Burrito has the most infectious laugh and smile, he is sweet, he is funny, he is also wild at times, and he is that bright light we all need. I think Chad said it best yesterday! If you are like, “What did Chad say yesterday”? You must read yesterday’s blog and then come back to this video!

This guy spent his day doing all of his favorite things. He played, non-stop! We had a snow party before lunch, he groomed with friends, ran around the Hill, played some more, and of course ate pasta! Due to popular demand, the pasta cam is back! The food squeaks in this video are unbelievable, look out for Jody’s. Burrito had a great day and we hope you did too!