Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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young's hill

Resilience + Playful Mave Video

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A few weeks ago, the staff received amazing personalized gift baskets from past and current volunteers as a gesture of support following the emotionally challenging times with the now-failed integration attempts of the two groups of chimpanzees. These surprise gifts were incredible and generous.

Along with the gift baskets was a jar filled with pieces of paper that had typed messages. Many were from interns and volunteers we haven’t seen in years. Some were particularly touching messages from blog readers that had been copied and included with the words from volunteers. Kelsi immediately dubbed it “The Feelings Jar.”

I was pretty overwhelmed by the gesture and could not keep my composure to read the messages that day, or the next day, or the day after that. My composure seemed to be rather elusive, truth be told.

This past weekend, after having the jar at home for over a week, I finally sat down by myself on my couch, tissues nearby, and read each message. My composure disappeared after reading the first words on the first piece of paper and didn’t return until I had finished all of them.

Chimpanzees are known for their resilience.

We see it every day at the sanctuary. It’s easy to forget what the ten chimpanzees at CSNW have been through in their pasts when watching them independently explore the outdoor habitat, wrestle with each other while sporting huge play-faces, or get out-of-their-minds excited about what would appear to be a run-of-the-mill meal. They have each been through a lot of negative experiences, but they carry on with the here-and-now with a determined focus on the good things they can get out of each day.

I can’t say that I always share this same quality with them. I am rather skilled at directing my attention either on all of my errors in the past or the doom that is sure to come in the future.

I’ve heard that one way to improve resilience is to have a support system. These last few months have been some of the most difficult, but I’ve also never felt so bolstered by others. Thank you.

I haven’t been very focused on my main job, fundraising, these last few months, and seeing year-end donations come in the mail and online also provides me with the knowledge that you believe in what the sanctuary is doing and you want to be a part of it’s future.

You know that there is much work to be done to help more chimpanzees. For them, I thank you for helping us humans feel like we can move forward while also focusing on the positives of today.

Which brings me to today!

It’s a bright, sunny day in Cle Elum, and we decided it was perfect timing for Burrito, who was with Jamie and Jody, to get outside on Young’s Hill for the first time since his surgery.

As though this were not enough of a positive to focus on, I found Mave inside this morning being very playful:

Happy Christmas Eve, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Tuesday. Whether you are celebrating or not, I hope you too found some positive things in your day today. Maybe it was this blog post!

A Traffic Jam in the Snow

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Sharing space with other people can be difficult, especially when one of those people is Jamie.

This week, Jamie has been a little bit more irritable than her usual baseline. This may be because we have just finished weaning her off of the contraceptive that we used as a safeguard during social integrations. Jamie’s genitalia have consequently resumed their regular cycle and are presently enlarged, presumably altering her mood. She’s even more dramatic, determined, and dominant than her normal self. She’s even grown possessive over snow despite the fact that it will be practically unlimited over the next few months.

Jamie
Jamie’s swollen genital area acts as a rosy, heart-shaped beacon to male chimpanzees.

The other females have been giving Jamie a wide berth to stay clear of her path. Today, when Chad and I gave the chimpanzees access to Young’s Hill, she was the first one out into the slushy yard. A few of her female peers followed her out at a safe distance. Annie, Missy, and Jody wanted to explore the snow-covered meadow, too.

Annie
Missy
Missy (left) and Annie (right) with Jamie on the structure in the background

The four girls dispersed out onto the wooden structures that watch over the sanctuary. They had been taking in the winter scenery and dining on wet snow for a few minutes when Foxie poked her head out of the Greenhouse and tip-toed out onto Young’s Hill to join them. Chad and I had just seen Foxie playfully twirling and bouncing around the warmer indoor spaces, but we were surprised to see her outside. To be honest, she did not seem to enjoy being outdoors in the cold. Her hair stood out straight and her face contorted into a tense sneer. She was only brave enough to venture out onto the bridge of fallen logs that forms a solid path between the Greenhouse and the closest structures. She sat there quietly for several minutes.

Foxie

Of course the other females did not want to remain outside in the damp mist for very long, either. Missy was the first to make her way back, followed by Annie and Jody. However, Foxie was still perched on the log bridge and seemed to be blocking their path. The ground on either side of the bridge was soggy and cold, so Missy and Annie seemed determined to get around Foxie somehow. Annie even tried to walk with one foot on the fallen logs and the other on the tiny islands of dry earth. Her flexibility and determination were impressive but unsuccessful.

Missy…
… and Annie…
… who tries to use gymnastics to get back down the Hill.

This subtle drama unfolded gradually and quietly, but everyone started to look more panicked when Jamie came trudging down the Hill, hauling an enlarged backside and an inflated attitude along with her. Missy desperately tried to get Foxie to move as if Jamie was a freight train that was about to run them over. Eventually, after some coarse vocalizations and physical pushing, Foxie turned around and the chimpanzee pile-up was cleared just as Jamie arrived. The imminent crisis was averted.

Jamie saunters down the log bridge towards the Greenhouse.
Missy (left) and Annie (behind) try to push past Foxie (right).

Back in the building, we have been provisioning all of the chimpanzees with plenty of fresh snow. Even Willy B and Honey B have been sampling this Washingtonian delicacy and seem to be developing a taste for it. This way, even those who don’t want to brave the cold can still get some of this seasonal treat and partake in the winter fun.

Missy, Annie and Foxie eat snow on Friday
Foxie
Missy
Foxie

Gloomy Yet Beautiful

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Today was a bit of a gloomy and frosty day.

Though when you get closer it is beautiful. Everywhere around the sanctuary was covered in hoar frost.

J.B. has been very busy building what we are calling the courtyard, which is where we extended Young’s Hill and the new structure was built. He put fencing up to help create a smaller Hill for Mave, Honey B, and Willy B, which also includes a boardwalk to the new structure since they are still getting use to their new surroundings. We are hoping this will entice the three to go out onto the Hill. Their first experience was not great. They all touched the fence many times. The Hill is also a huge open spaced compared anything they have ever experienced. Honey B, Willy B, and Mave have lived on concrete for a long time in a relatively small space. This kind of open area could take a long time to warm up too. Willy B especially, seems to not like touching the ground. This may be one of the many reasons the three have not yet adventured onto the Hill again.

Jody was on Young’s Hill and excited to see Willy B in the chute:

Willy B in the chute and the girls looking at him from the playroom windows:

Mave joined in too:

Missy (top) and Annie (bottom) watching Willy B and Mave in the chute:

Jody decided that this was fun, but she needed to nest:

Willy B let Burrito borrow his TV! Burrito enjoyed a film about Koko the gorilla and a documentary about Jane Goodall 🙂

Mave <3:

I also wanted to let you all know, we have started putting the chimps Christmas presents on the Amazon Wishlist! So if you missed out on the blankets or were wondering what the chimps would like for Christmas, check it out!

 

 

Sleep, groom, patrol, & repeat

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Today was a busy day in the chimp house. J.B. was working out on Young’s Hill, we had a full house of hard working volunteers, and lots of training! However, the chimps had a nice relaxing Friday. There was a lot of grooming, small games of chase, & napping.

A grooming train of Honey B grooming Willy B and Mave grooming Willy:

Mave than moved onto just grooming Honey B:

The handsome Willy B:

The Winds of Winter

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It was weird to join the CSNW staff in the middle of summer.

Although many features of the sanctuary felt familiar, there was one aspect of the return that felt foreign: warm, sunny weather. Strangely, I had never actually spent time at the sanctuary during the summer. I began to intern here in the fall of 2015, was away for the entire summer of 2016, and only volunteered during the following fall and winter before accepting an employment offer from another sanctuary in early 2017. Because of this patchwork timeline, my earlier experiences here were largely characterized by damp weather and cold temperatures. Until this year, I had never experienced the wonders of summer in the Pacific Northwest and witnessed the amazing opportunities that the season provides for the chimpanzees.

The Chimp House looked cozy this morning.

Those golden summer days are long gone, and they won’t be back for a long while. Winter is here. Without the ex machina heroism of Arya Stark, we have no reason to believe that it will end early.

Last night, the skies began their annual efforts to cover this half of the state in a blanket of snow and ice. As I trudged up the sanctuary driveway this morning, I saw that Young’s Hill, the chimpanzees’ outdoor enclosure, was covered in a film of white powder that gradually thickened over the course of the day. Within a few weeks, the structures and grass will be hidden under perhaps several feet of snow that won’t fully melt until the spring. Given that chimpanzees have evolved to live in tropical forests, one would think that this climate would be detrimental to their well-being. Indeed, it creates many challenges for us caregivers, such as keeping the building warm at night and finding other ways to occupy the chimps besides repeated walks around the Hill. Despite its hassles, however, winter also allows the chimpanzees to have novel and exciting experiences, adding to the overall quality of their sanctuary life. Just as the human residents of the Pacific Northwest make the most of each season, so do the chimps.

I took this photo of rare patch of blue, clear sky during the winter of 2016.

On one January morning a few years ago, the other interns and I were helping J.B. to move thick, wet snow in order to make paths for the chimps. J.B. was using the tractor to bulldoze through the snow around the perimeter of the Hill, thereby creating a route for Jamie to patrol. The rest of us had shovels and were tasked with creating trails up to the nearest structures and bamboo forest. Nobody had seen the chimpanzees out on Young’s Hill since the last snowfall, so our goal was to give them a way to access their favorite spots without wading through the deeper drifts. I was halfway up the Hill, slinging the snow aside, when I noticed an odd pattern cutting through the smooth white surface off to my right. There, winding their way up the slope, were a set of chimpanzee tracks. They were unmistakably chimpy; each foot-print featured a conspicuously large thumb and each hand-print was really just a set of four knuckle-prints. I was in complete awe that one of the chimpanzees had, without any coaxing, ventured out alone into the icy landscape in search of some bamboo shoots. I placed my fist in the snow next to one print, snapped a photo with my phone, and returned to my labor.

I placed my fist in the snow (right) next to an existing chimpanzee hand-print (left). Note that my clunky human thumb got in the way.

Although chimps are often afraid of new or unpleasant sensations, sometimes they can surprise us by being brave and adventurous. In this way, even the most experienced caregivers can occasionally underestimate their adaptability, audacity, and determination.

Young’s Hill is slowly beginning to disappear under snow.

With winter now upon us, I am looking forward to spending more time observing the sanctuary’s residents making the most of it. The cattle seem to be frustrated that the green grasses of early summer have desiccated until next year, but they seem to enjoy the extra hay and alfalfa that we provision. They’ve certainly changed quite a bit since their arrival here last winter, and it seems like they have grown more adaptable and independent. They’re also looking fuzzy and warm in their dense winter coats, so perhaps they won’t mind hanging out in their lower pasture until spring comes. Perhaps they can even dream of grazing in bright green fields as they lay in their barn this winter.

Honey (C.) awaits her bale of hay this morning.

I am also eager to see how Willy B, Honey B, and Mave adjust to the seasons. They just had their first CSNW Thanksgiving with us a few days ago, and they may be given buckets of snow to eat and play with before the end of the week. Although they’re not regularly getting access to Young’s Hill after their first attempts to venture outside weren’t very successful, they will have plenty of opportunities to experience the winter season from the security of the outdoor chute. We’re not sure if the “Californian” chimps have ever seen snow before, but I’m confident that, like the seven chimps before them, they will embrace the new experiences with gusto.

Willy B. Chimpanzee

P.S. Burrito had another good day today. He’s definitely itchy and possibly a bit bored, but he’s healing nicely. Bubba spent the day eating normal foods, picking at his scabs, and playing with vigor. We’ll hopefully have more updates soon.

Mo’ Doors, Mo’ Problems

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Our facility is a maze of doors, and each is important in its own way.

To be exact, we have 31 doors that are intended for humans and 21 doors that allow chimpanzees to access different areas. All of these are within the electric fence perimeter that surrounds the Chimp House and Young’s Hill. There are many other doors, gates, and other entryways located around the property, and we still have many new ones left to build as we expand.

It’s not easy to get lost, but it is a never-ending challenge to keep track of the doors. Monitoring doors is one aspect of being a caregiver that we rarely mention on social media even though the task dominates our work day. We’re constantly double-checking to make sure doors are closed, testing the accompanying padlocks, and reporting to each other when we open and unlock new ones. We inspect the corresponding locks and levers that allow us to operate the hydraulic and pneumatic doors constantly, and we have a huge checklist of safety checks that we complete at the end of the day to ensure that the doors are open and closed in a safe and appropriate arrangement.

For the chimps, the doors are also a priority. This Chimp House is their territory, and they know every inch of it.

Annie patrols her group’s territory on Young’s Hill

Free-ranging chimpanzees living in African forests use a combination of memorable landmarks and acute spatial awareness to find their way around. It’s not surprising, therefore, that our chimpanzee residents are highly attuned to changes in their own environment. Their ability to notice and remember minute details is remarkable, and we all have anecdotes that highlight their perceptiveness. Any changes to their home are, by default, their business, and sometimes even subtle changes can have a big impact on their day-to-day lives.

The infamous flaps over Door F.

On Thursday, J.B. added a set of translucent vinyl flaps over the doorway that leads from the new chimp rooms into the outdoor chute. These flaps will allow us to have the door open while still keeping it warm inside, so they’re a critical addition as we prepare the sanctuary for winter. So far, Annie, Jamie, Jody and Missy have all learned to waltz through them without any noticeable issues. Foxie, on the other hand, is absolutely terrified of brushing past them. We’d probably have more luck asking her to go into the sewer drain from the opening scene of It. Each morning, she has had to muster up the courage to charge through the flaps on her way out onto the Hill, and then she has to dart back inside at the end of the day. Right now, as I am typing this, she is beating the flaps to death with one of her dolls as we try to entice her inside with handfuls of grapes and encouragement. We’re optimistic that she will acclimate eventually, especially since she sees four of her closest friends passing through repeatedly without hesitation. At one point, Jody even hit the flaps in what appeared to be Foxie’s defense. We have some options for making the strange new barrier less impactful, too.

Jody passes through the vinyl flaps on her way through the chute.

On top of the new door flaps and the regular drama within her own social group (including a brief fight over breakfast), the tension between social groups has seemingly added to Foxie’s pre-existing anxiety. With Burrito, Honey B, Mave, Negra and Willy B now living together on the other side of the building, Foxie and her pals have been trying to interact with them through every window possible. To accommodate housing two social groups in the same facility, we’ve added another new door to the complex. This door, known by us as Door Z, is an additional barrier that separates the chimpanzees in the Greenhouse from those on Young’s Hill. Because of this, we could give the Girl Gang access to the Hill while the mixed group occupies the Greenhouse and Playroom.

Foxie and the rest of the Girl Gang (left) look into the Playroom from their vantage point in the chute.

Today, Jamie went to inspect the new door and search for a way through while the others followed. They were shocked to see Willy B’s silhouette through the semitransparent doors and they all took turns anxiously screaming, submissively pant-grunting, and excitedly bouncing at him. Even though the communication was mostly positive, the arousal was contagious and the females tried their best to break through the new steel door so that they could get closer to Willy. Foxie tried to stick her head around the new door, between the electrified wires of the fence, and ended up receiving a painful shock that sent her screaming back to the perceived safety of the chute.

Annie pant-grunts at Willy B through the new set of doors.
Jamie tries to break through the new door.

Eventually, the drama subsided enough to let Willy take a peaceful nap while the Girl Gang resumed their normal activities of patrolling the boundary of Young’s Hill and exploring the habitat.

Willy (left) and Mave (right) chill out by the new door.

After our string of peaceful days in the Chimp House, today snapped us back to the reality of trying to manage two groups of chimpanzees in adjacent enclosures. It certainly had more than its share of drama and tension. The growing pains are very real, but we hope that every challenge we overcome now will lead to a more stable and enjoyable future for Foxie and her friends.

Foxie Chimpanzee

 

 

Connections Made and Lost

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Working at a chimpanzee sanctuary, I never anticipated the number of (human) people I would get to know. I like to say, because I believe it is verifiably true, that the chimpanzees have brought the most amazing people into my life.

No one has ever called me a social butterfly, but even an introvert like me has managed to develop unexpected relationships over the years with those who hold the chimpanzees in the hearts. I can’t help but respect people who love the chimpanzees. Even if I don’t know donors very well, I think about them often.

Because of our sponsor-a-day and personalized/memorial stone fundraising programs, we learn about the people (human and non) in the lives of donors who they love and, often, who they have lost. It’s an intimate view that we wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s something that is special way beyond the dollars that are generated to help care for the chimpanzees.

When donors themselves pass, sometimes we find out because relatives make donations in their honor and sometimes, because we’ve had a personal connection to them at some point, we find out like any friend or acquaintance would – through the heartbreaking announcements that those left behind make in order to inform everyone that someone irreplaceable is gone.

This year we have received far too many of those announcements. I don’t feel it’s the sanctuary’s place to pass along this information outside of the circle of people who are directly connected, but I’m so glad that we have ways to honor them in non-public ways.

To anyone who has lost someone this year, my heart goes out to you. To all of the donors who have passed this year, thank you for being the generous being you were and for spreading your light.

Today was a gorgeous day at the sanctuary. Before the humans arrived, I saw on the remote camera that Willy B and Burrito were sitting in front of a window grooming up on the catwalk of the playroom, silhouetted by the gentle morning light. These guys have been somewhat reserved with each other the last few days. There haven’t been any raucous games of chase or wrestling, like on Wednesday when they first got together, but today they had at least three quiet grooming sessions.

Mave, Honey B, and Negra spent some of the morning relaxing in the greenhouse before I shifted everyone to allow the “Girl Gang” to have some time on Young’s Hill.

J.B. snapped these winning photos.

Jamie

 

Jody and Foxie having a moment of excitement together.

 

Missy looking strong and contemplative.

If you are familiar with our now rather-complicated building, you might wonder how Jamie, Jody, Foxie, Missy, and Annie got onto the hill without disrupting Willy B and Burrito. And the answer is, they did disrupt them. We decided it was time for a little disruption. The girl gang went out through the chute, right past the playroom where Willy B and Burrito were together.

They guys spied on them through the windows and did some (separate) displaying, but overall there wasn’t as much drama as I was anticipating, given that they haven’t seen each other in a while.

It was a good day.