Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

young's hill

What goes up must come down

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If you ever climbed trees as a kid, you might remember that going up is the easy part…

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…getting back down is an entirely different challenge.

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Foxie seemed unprepared for the latter when she climbed to the roof of Carlene’s Tower with her Dora doll to check out the view. It took her a few minutes to formulate a plan and work up the courage to get herself and Dora back down safely.

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I found myself holding my breath as she made a few different attempts to lower herself to the platform below.

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But she is a chimpanzee after all, so both she and Dora returned from their sightseeing excursion without incident.

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Intrepid Explorers

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Hi everyone! My name is Whitney and I am filling in for Keri as a temporary staff caregiver for the chimpanzees while she is on maternity leave. I began volunteering at CSNW about two years ago, and one of my favorite things about coming here is witnessing the chimpanzees’ confidence grow.

Today was no exception. As background to this story, any time we enter part of the chimpanzees’ enclosure to clean, every staff member, intern, and volunteer present in the building must perform a series of safety checks before the room in question can be unlocked. Part of the checks involve visually identifying all seven chimpanzees in rooms other than the one we want to enter.

This morning I went to identify the chimpanzees so we could enter the playroom for cleaning, and after extensive searching I could only find two of them in the building. Lo and behold, five of the seven were way out on the hill! It took some time, but I eventually saw Burrito, Jody, Missy, Foxie, and Annie as they explored the hill, occasionally appearing between bamboo and climbing up their magnificent climbing structures. I remember that just two years ago it was a delightful surprise to see any of the Seven out exploring the hill, even close to the greenhouse, and now it seems to be a daily occurrence that they are not only on the hill but are now confident enough to explore their home far and wide.

I couldn’t get any pictures while they were out on the hill this morning, but here are a few of my favorites from this afternoon. Some grooming, some lunch, some play time with friends.

Annie (right) grooming her best friend Missy (left):

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Burrito, caught in a rare playful mood (just kidding, he’s almost always in a playful mood):

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Foxie grooming her foot:

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Jamie, ever inventive, enjoyed her lunch at a makeshift table:

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“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.”

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“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.”
-William Cullen

Yesterday was an exciting day at the sanctuary as we had some of our first fall quarter interns from Central Washington University come for part of the day. The chimpanzees were interested in all this activity and staff were busy training the new recruits. Today is a more typical quiet day with grey skies and lots of napping. Here are just a few scenes from this peaceful afternoon.

Missy
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Burrito
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Missy (foreground) Burrito (background)
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Foxie
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The view from the top

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It’s not uncommon to find Missy on one of the towers at the top of Young’s Hill, just taking in the view.

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Jody tagged along with Missy on one of her little adventures this afternoon.

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On the way back down, Jody made sure to grab a snack to bring back to the greenhouse.

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When we got to the bottom of the hill, I got what I’m pretty sure is the world’s only photo of a chimpanzee watching an elk watching the UPS man (you may have to look closely to find Ellie in the middle).

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Her Royal Neggie-ness

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The chimpanzees welcomed in the first day of autumn with a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill complete with chimp approved weather – cool air and warm morning sun. Negra, in particular, was exceptionally active, climbing structures and venturing to parts of the hill that we don’t usually see her in. With each handful of food she found she would take the time to sit and enjoy it in the warm sun as she took in the view of her beloved valley below.

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After all that activity, Negra came in for a well-deserved rest with the sun streaming into her nest and onto her belly. A day befitting the queen.

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Between Storms

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Today at the sanctuary we received several genuine downpours of rain. Not just sprinkles or mist, but actual, much needed rainfall! The chimpanzees spent the rainy part of the day inside, either sleeping in their warm nests in the playroom, or hanging out in the cooler, covered greenhouse.

In a particular break in the weather, Jamie and I went for a walk around Young’s Hill.
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And Missy ate a snack at the top of the hill.
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Annie got a drink of fresh rainwater that had collected on a platform.
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And then we all returned inside to watch the next rain cloud roll in.
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Missy doing what she does best

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Missy seems to have boundless energy and is the chimpanzee most likely to be seen climbing structures with absolute ease, fire hose walking without so much as a wobble (or the use of her hands) and also sprinting around Young’s Hill at full speed. I think JB’s description of her being like a coiled up spring waiting to be released captures her spirit perfectly.

After foraging for lunch on Young’s Hill, Missy made her way up to the top of the hill and climbed the tallest structure. She barely sat down long enough on Carlene’s Tower to take in the view of the valley below before heading over the bridge and climbing back down. And then she was off, doing what Missy does best.