Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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young's hill

The Boot Book Fiend

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As you all may know, Jamie has quite the collection of boots and a pretty broad library. Jamie started her morning in a big comfy nest surrounded by some educational reading material and a few good boots. What she didn’t know was that there were a pair of boots coming to her in the mail! Jamie has been intrigued with this style of boot for some time, so you could say she was thrilled to find out they were hers.

Say hello to Jamie’s newest addition, Vegan Dr. Martens (photo taken after we already wore them around the Hill):

Jamie this morning with a bonobo book:


Jamie with her new Vegan Doc Martens:

And some bonus photos because I mean just look at these chimps!

Sweet tiny Foxie:

Smoldering Burrito:

Kind eyed Jo:

And the wise Negra:

Bring on the Warm Weather

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Today is one of those days that gets you excited for the warm weather season. It is a comfortable temperature outside, there is a nice breeze, a few clouds in the sky. This warmth feels so good that a few Greenhouse panels came off today! Which means summer is right around the corner! But that’s enough chit chat! I got a lot of good photos over the last couple days and thought I would let them do the talking!

Negra:




Missy & Jody:

Jody:

Missy:

Burrito:

Annie:

Annie & Burrito:

Foxie:

Jamie:

 

 

“Me time”

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We often talk about how Foxie is a good friend to all the chimpanzees in her group. She keeps the peace and gets a playfulness out of her companions like no one else can. I would imagine that having so much social responsibility must be taxing, because she also seems to enjoy her alone time, particularly when she goes on a solo mission on Young’s Hill. Of course, she isn’t entirely “solo” on these adventures. There is almost always a prized doll close at hand to keep her company.

What’s Your Strategy?

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Today, while observing the chimpanzees forage on Young’s Hill, volunteer Patti said she likes how Negra goes about things.

While Missy is running from one structure to another, finding all of the food that was placed or hidden high up on the structures or the treat rock:

And Jody is busy running around collecting as much as she can, mostly from the ground (low hanging fruit, you might say):

Negra wanders about until she finds some food:

And then she plops herself down and simply enjoys what is at hand (in this case, a beet that she seems to have splayed open and a prized pineapple top):

After finishing, she’ll sit for a bit and look around before moving on to the next station:

J.B. described this as a lack of a strategy, but I think it’s still a strategy to have a laid back, “see what happens” way of approaching the forage.

Either way, she looked very happy out there. ❤️

The Thief

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Boss Jamie is not generally light-hearted. She runs a tight ship and she takes her job seriously. It’s rare to catch her playing with anyone, but when we do, it’s almost always with Foxie, and it’s almost always the same game.

Jamie knows that a surefire way to get Foxie’s attention is to swipe one of her beloved dolls, because Foxie will inevitably join Jamie’s game of keepaway.

Jamie (left, plotting) and Foxie (right, oblivious):

The theft is complete and Jamie makes her getaway.

All the way down to the ground…

Foxie follows, as Jamie knew she would.

Pictures Say it All

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Honestly, today I don’t have a lot of words. The chimps were having a blast on Young’s Hill all day and baking in the warm Green House! The pictures really say it all.

Burrito with a mouth full of grass:


This guy:

Fierce little Foxie:





Foxie trying to get Burrito the play:

Jody (the den mother):


Jamie:

 



After the party

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The day after a party means different things for different people. For the chimpanzees, it means continuing to enjoy any leftover treats, especially anything that may have been missed during a Young’s Hill forage, and general lolling about to rest and recover.

Even Negra went out first thing to look for leftovers from the Easter bunny:

Annie and Foxie:

Missy:

For the humans, the day after a party means party clean-up! Also for the chimpanzees, it means the humans not bothering them with cleaning details. So you may see the dilemma. For the humans, not the chimps. 😉  Case in point, we have been attempting to access and clean the party room, aka the greenhouse, all weekend. Multiple times a day we’ve offered the chimps all manner of exciting opportunities to vacate the greenhouse and enjoy a forage, a treat, a piece of gum in the playroom. Every single time there has been a lot of running back and forth, in and out, and then just as you think everyone has agreed to come inside for a few minutes, there is one person holding steadfast in their choice to decline the humans’ invitation.

Which lately has been this tiny lady:

Along with the support of her good friend, Jody:

I’m not going to lie. We pulled out all the stops. Despite an exciting forage going on in the playroom, here Foxie sat with her dolls in the toasty hot, after-party mess of a greenhouse. I offered, “Chow (a Foxie favorite!!)?” “No, thank you.”….”Half a banana?” “No thank you.” It was then that I got it. If she was turning down some of her favorites, she was truly content exactly where she was. And it no longer became important to try and get in to clean at that time. There’s always after dinner…maybe.

In the end, I fully appreciate that the chimpanzees get this agency over their lives, to choose when and where they want to move to and what they want to participate in. The joy they receive from enrichment such as parties and the pleasure that lingers afterward, or just the contentment that comes with relaxing in a warm greenhouse on a sunny spring day makes any effort on our parts more than worth the effort. And who knows, maybe they are just doing a little “caregiver enrichment” in making us think a little more creatively, outside the box. 😉

And a bonus photo! One of our fabulous volunteers took the unbelievable time and care to make the amazing Easter baskets the chimps had yesterday. Burrito found them to be useful for all manner of shenanigans:

And oh! A bonus bonus photo! We DID make it to the greenhouse to clean while the chimps enjoyed an extra exciting dinner forage and grab bags for enrichment. Jamie was late to dinner when I noticed her searching for some reading material. A food magazine. Which she carried through dinner. The chimps are all curled into their night nests as I write this and I just glanced through the window, surprised to see busy boss lady, Jamie, who is usually still up when we leave for the night, already at rest for the evening. And then I noticed her reading material. She is a surprise and a delight every.single.day.