Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

young's hill

Happy Summer!

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Dylan Most is sponsoring this wonderful day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees to wish them “a great summer!”  Dylan, thank you for helping the chimpanzees (and humans) celebrate this season of light, growth and abundance!

Like every year, in some ways it’s hard to believe it’s already summer here in the northern hemisphere. But with many of us having slowed down some, or most of our lives during these past months due to the global pandemic, we’ve also hopefully found moments to be more present with time making the arrival of summer seem, well, right on time. As it always is. It’s definitely a season when we humans here at CSNW relish watching the chimpanzees enjoy their days full of sun, lush scenery, adventure and the ease that only summertime brings.

Jody and Negra (background):

Negra:

Jamie:

Burrito and Foxie and Strawberry Shortcake:

Missy:

Annie:

Mave and Honey B:

Willy B:

Where the Wild Honey B’s Are

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We often jokingly refer to the chimpanzees as Pacific Northwest chimps due to their love of our often quintessential cloudy, on the cool side days. Though such weather is much less common here on the eastern side of Washington state, we relish our stormy springs. Well, most of us. Okay, maybe just me and the chimpanzees. 😉 Having been born and raised in the foggy coastal redwoods, I understand the chimps’ joy completely. And despite the rainy morning, the chimpanzees didn’t hesitate to rush out to Young’s Hill, hair standing on end with excitement, still clutching their breakfast, to head off on a walk or just enjoy their pineapple outdoors:

Burrito:

Missy and Jody conferring about their neighbors:

Missy wasted no time heading off to run around the perimeter in the rain, chow bag in mouth. She kept stopping to see who was joining her and finally took off at full zoom on her own:

Foxie and her apples:

Cuuuute!:

Burrito is not a fan of walking in the grass or walking in the rain. I mean, tall, wet grass?? Ugh. But he braved it all to come along on a walk with Jamie and Missy and I. Why on earth he took the route full of tall, wet grass vs. the cleared path, only he knows. But he’s just the most endearing guy, sneer face and all:

Burrito, Jamie and Missy:

Nutmeg, Betsy, Honey and Meredith chose to take cover under the Ponderosas in the rain and seemed to think the chimps were kooky for being out in it:

Burrito as it began raining in earnest:

Meanwhile, there’s Honey B. As an enrichment item for the big celebration on Saturday for Queen Negra’s birthday and the chimps’ twelve year anniversary in sanctuary, a knit crown was tossed in the mix of party stuff. The Queen didn’t take an interest in it, but who do you think we found sporting it around her neck today?! Of course! Honey B! Creative person that she is. It’s a little hard to make out as she had been ripping and running and zooming, but it really reminds me of the crown Max in “Where the Wild Things Are” wears.

Here she is enjoying a snack while sitting on her new birthday skateboard:

Special and ordinary, all at once

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Sometimes morning patrols around Young’s Hill are busy! There are wild edible plants that need picking and territories that need to be checked up on. There’s something special about seeing the chimpanzees go on outdoor adventures, both together and apart, each with their own idea of how to spend the morning.

Young’s Hill will be featured on the Virtual Tour of the Chimp House auction item. Don’t forget to register for The Queen’s Brunch . Online auction bidding begins June 1st (this coming MONDAY!!).

The Saga of Willy B

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Right now, I know that many folks are struggling to adjust to the new normal: a degree of social isolation, economic strife and general mistrust that rails against our innate drives to be together. No matter what we believe should be happening right now, I think it’s safe to say that most of us are frustrated, worried, and even exasperated. We want this to be over, but it won’t end.

Instead, we must look at our own lifestyles, identify the things that truly bring us fulfillment, and work to keep those fires lit even as boredom, anxiety, loneliness and grief do their best to snuff them out.

Amid this uncertain period of perpetual unease, one new development in particular is giving us all some inspiration: the methodical progress and unexpected bravery of Willy B.

I could sit here writing about this chapter of Willy B’s story for hours on end. Given the gradual adjustment of the three new chimpanzees to life at CSNW, punctuated by a couple heartbreaking setbacks, Willy’s recent exploits have given his tale the flavor of an odyssey. It’s now a epic saga of sorts, complete with a courageous, endearing and hairy little hero. Lately, he seems to be on a vague quest with a yet undetermined goal.

In recent weeks, I think that other staff have done an amazing job describing each step in his journey. If you’re looking to catch up, I suggest skimming the previous blog posts about Willy, the Courtyard, and the tall wooden structure that he is gradually conquering one ladder rung at a time. If you are really feeling ambitious, you could skip back to last June when we first announced that we would be welcoming three chimpanzees from the Wildlife Waystation, including a mysterious dominant male named Willy B.

Today, I’m focusing on one particular chapter describing one short event. It occurred over the span of an hour today in the Courtyard.

We’ve been setting food items in small caches throughout the Courtyard to entice Willy B and the others to explore. Gradually, Willy B’s bottomless appetite is leading him to venture into parts unknown. He recently made sporadic forays out onto the boardwalk until he determined that each section was safe. He then grew comfortable sitting at the end of the boardwalk and began to investigate the base of the multi-tiered wooden structure that it leads to. Last week, he climbed the tower, and he has been slowly acclimatizing to the new sensations of sitting on wood decking, perching high above the ground, and being able to see clear over the Chimp House. He’s made tremendous progress, but there are still areas of the Courtyard that he has yet to explore. For example, the structure has two thin spits of decking that jut out toward the rest of Young’s Hill. These pier-like extensions are connected by a web of twisted vines (“the ropes”) and a large hammock, all made from repurposed firehose.

Here is an old photo of caregiver Chad testing out the hammock after it was first made and hung inside the building. It was moved outdoors when we realized that the chimps didn’t seem interested unless we placed food on it.

 

Today, I placed a whole apple on the hammock. Willy B will do almost anything for an apple, but I wasn’t sure if he’d have the confidence to go after this one. He’s an athletic and intelligent individual with a bold personality, but he’s not as skilled at climbing as an adult chimpanzee should be.

Well, he tried. He tried hard.

First, he scouted the area.

Then, he tested whether the new sections of decking were safe to sit on. They were.

Suddenly, shockingly, Willy B dropped down below the decking and swung himself over towards the hammock.

He was so close. But then, with the visible apple just out of reach, he turned back. It seems that he wasn’t yet confident in his ability to make the final swing over to the hammock. From the safety of the decking, he surveyed the area from above a second time.

He dropped down again and swung back to the hammock, gripping the firehose vines with his chubby chimpanzee feet.

This wasn’t the right moment to try out the hammock, though. He backtracked all the way to the safest spot in the Courtyard at the base of the structure. There, he checked in on the neighbors, nibbled on a slice of tomato, and let out a muted display.

After expressing himself as only a chimpanzee can, he gave the ropes another try.

Again, he retreated and regrouped.

He mustered up the bravery and strength to make one more push. He got so close, but seemed hesitant to put any weight on the hammock and did not reach out to grab the apple.

Willy b even thought about lowering himself to the ground to find a new route over to the hammock, but he apparently decided the dirt and grass were too strange for today. He paused, suspended from the decking with his toes skimming the blades of grass, and then hoisted himself back up without ever planting his heels on the firm ground below.

Fortunately for Willy B, he gets several apples each day (along with many other nutritious foods). Importantly, he’ll get another shot at the elusive hammock apple for as many days as he needs. If he’s ambitious enough, he’ll conquer the ropes tomorrow just as he has so many other unusual obstacles in his path. We’re hopeful that he will eventually grow to enjoy climbing and exploring even without the promise of a shiny red apple to propel him forward, just as a chimpanzee should. Either way, I look forward to watching the saga continue.

Happy

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Last Wednesday Jamie wanted to stay out. She waited for me finish the blog. Really, she had been waiting all day. It had been pouring down rain almost all day. Or so windy it could blow you over. By the time the staff meeting was finished and the blog was done, I found her out in the Green House. The rain had subsided for the moment. She glanced over and burst into a full sprint onto the Hill. We sprinted clockwise, counter clockwise, up, down, and all around. In our sprints I would look over at Jamie, she looked happy. It started to rain again, but a little rain or mist has never stopped Jamie before. 😉

It is what felt like a true moment of happiness, cheesy, I know. In that moment it also felt like a true expression of freedom. She chose to stay out late, she got to let her guard down, and she seemed very content.

Jamie running in the rain:

Me trying to capture the moment, the look of happiness and content on her face. However, I missed it by a second because it was time to run again! *Jamie is the only person I will take a selfie with.*

The stormy view:

And the not so stormy view. It changes in the blink of an eye in Washington.

Grooming in between:

Look at that focus:

Jamie’s view today:

Bonus photos of Nutmeg!

 

Random Assortments of the Day

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I’m finding it hard to piece together things that have happened today at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest into a nice, fluid story. However, there were just a wide assortment of things that happened, that it’s probably best to just showcase them.

Before the clouds came rolling in to give us a nice, cool Spring rain, Willy B did venture outside. He stayed outside for nearly an hour on his own before the sun was swallowed up by the gray clouds. Caregiver Kelsi was able to grab this shot of him soaking up as much sun before it disappeared.

After Willy B went inside, we gave the Group of 7 access to Young’s Hill where first order of business was to patrol their area. Foxie was the first one to race out onto Young’s Hill, but Jody and Missy weren’t far behind.

After their patrol, the staff conducted some positive reinforcement training. Here, J.B. is asking Burrito to show him his foot.

Kelsi asked Negra to open her mouth to get a look inside.

And Anna is giving Jody a grape for showing her hand.

Positive reinforcement training (PRT) is an important tool for caregivers for medical purposes. It allows us to conduct a quick health overview of the individual or to inspect an extremity without the use of anesthesia. Though it is an important tool for us, the chimpanzees sometimes view it as a game.

The PRT session ended right as it began to rain. Listening to raindrops hit the window can drum up the desire to wrap yourself in a blanket, and take a nice afternoon nap. In Honey B’s case, replace “blanket” with “blanket fort.”

The chimpanzees were just served dinner and are enjoying their evening enrichment puzzle. Today’s puzzle is peanut butter in small containers. The idea is for the chimpanzees to fish out the peanut butter using a tool. In this case, Missy is using a chopstick. (My apologies for such a blurry photo.)

For extra stability, she used her foot to hold on the small container.

Foxie, on the other hand, bypassed using chopsticks and just used her fingers.

Now if you please pardon me, I hear raspberries being blown by a certain Burrito Chimpanzee, and I think it’s time for his nightly ice. Good night, everybody!

Band of Mothers

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This sanctuary is full of mothers. We spent the day honoring them.

For those of you who may not already know, five of the sanctuary’s ten chimpanzee residents (Annie, Foxie, Jody, Missy, Negra) were used for breeding in their past lives as biomedical research subjects. All of their children were taken from them immediately after birth, thus denying them the ability to care for and raise their offspring. Their infants were raised in laboratories as a scientific resource, but this practice was incrementally brought to a halt. Some of their sons and daughters made it to sanctuaries where several are still enjoying their retirements.

Missy’s daughter, Honey B, was transferred to this sanctuary last summer when the facility that previously cared for her, the Wildlife Waystation, permanently shut down. It was unfortunate that so many individuals lost their homes, but it was serendipitous that we were finishing a new wing of enclosures exactly when Honey B and her companions needed it most. (Note: The sanctuary community is currently raising funds that will care for the Waystation’s remaining chimpanzees and help create new homes for them at reputable sanctuaries. You can visit this page to learn more!) Missy and Honey B were able to meet, but it’s unlikely that they recognized each other. Amid the drama of attempting to integrate their two groups, their face-to-face meeting was relatively uneventful. Still, we sometimes notice that Honey B has a tinge of Missy infused in her personality and appearance. There are many ways in which they differ, but Honey B occasionally behaves with a Missy-like flavor. Notably, they both play chase the same way. Today, Chad managed to capture portraits of the two in the same pose and posted it on the sanctuary’s Instagram, so you can all see it for yourselves.

Today’s festivities weren’t centered around that relationship alone. Every year, we celebrate Jody‘s birthday on Mother’s Day. Nobody knows Jody’s real birthday, but we do know that she gave birth to nine infants during her time in the laboratory. All were taken from her. We would never allow the chimpanzees to breed since we would be furthering a practice that we aim to end and condemning yet another chimpanzee individual to a life of captivity. Nevertheless, Jody possesses a tender maternal spirit and serves as a guardian and peacemaker within her group of seven adult chimps. It seems like Jody was born for motherhood and, despite her tragic past, she has found a new way to fulfill that duty with enthusiasm.

The chimps aren’t the only ones who have brought new life into this world. The sanctuary’s small herd of four cattle consists of two mother-offspring pairs; the enormous steer Nutmeg is Betsy’s son and Meredith is Honey’s daughter. Among the humans, current staff members Erin and Anna are mothers to children of their own when they aren’t busy caring for chimps. Recently, we received the good news that our friend and former coworker, Keri, joyously welcomed her second child, Skyler, into her family. This is just one of the many ways by which the CSNW family continues to grow.

For all of these reasons and more, today is an important day to celebrate mothers of all species, whether they were allowed to raise their own children or not.

Chad, our Enrichment Coordinator, assembled a celebratory forage of lilac flowers, corn, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes. Honey B and Mave tried lilacs for the first time and loved them, although Willy B wouldn’t even give them a taste and seemed way more interested in climbing the outdoor structure yet again. Of course, Jody savored her floral snacks while her six companions scoured the Hill for caches of food. As a whole, the chimps thoroughly enjoyed the midday celebration and spent most of the afternoon resting and foraging in the warm sunshine of late spring. I have included some photographs of today’s events (taken by Katelyn, Chad, and I).

Honey B smells and tastes lilac flowers, possibly for the first time ever!
Mave preferred to carry the flowers around but eventually nibbled on them with interest.
Jody loved the flowers, but first she had to secure a whole ear of corn on the cob.
Negra (L) and Missy (R) climbed structures to search for food.
Annie brought her lilacs into the Greenhouse.
Foxie initially ignored the flowers and searched for chow and potatoes instead.
Eventually, Foxie ate some lilacs but Jody (“Farmer Jo”) had already amassed a large collection of them.
Missy delicately smelled her flowers before gingerly picking the entire bouquet apart with her lips.

Whether you are a mother or not, we hope you enjoyed this celebratory Sunday and showed appreciation for the people who shaped you into the person you are today.