young's hill

It’s a jungle out there

May 19, 2015 by Debbie

Okay, so, not quite a jungle—but the grass is very tall on Young’s Hill and the weeds are at the perfect stage for chimp snacking! Everyone has been on the hill a lot today, Negra was even out there on her own for awhile!

Even after nearly seven years in sanctuary, we still see the chimpanzees growing and truly coming into their own. I find that no matter how many times we see the chimps on the hill, it will never, ever get old. It’s still so awesome to see them outside, in their element foraging for tasty snacks, and sometimes even venturing to a point where we can’t see them!

It’s moments like those that make us reflect on how incredible sanctuary is and how much you all have really changed the lives of the Cle Elum Seven. Young’s Hill would not have been possible without generous gifts from supporters such as yourselves, and the exciting new projects we have in mind would never be able to get off the ground if it weren’t for our remarkable CSNW family. Words could really never say how much your support means to us, or to the chimpanzees, but maybe a few pictures can.

Jody in the grass jungle:

Negra, all on her own munching on some grass and weeds:

We are gearing up for our HOOT! gala in a couple weeks—the biggest fundraiser of the year, where folks can help sustain the sanctuary and support more indescribable moments like Jody getting lost in the grass jungle, and Negra hanging out on the hill all on her own for some delicious dandelion greens.

This year, I have been helping get all the auction items organized and ready for the big night. I’m astounded by all the wonderful items that have been donated! We have a preview site available, so check that out and decide now what you plan to bid on!

Join us May 30th for a fun night and learn more about the last seven years of moments!

The lush life

May 17, 2015 by Katelyn

Today has been steamy and warm, dark skies threatening to rain in between bursts of hot sun, but not a drop has fallen. Life is full and lush this time of year. It feels as though you could see things grow if you watched close enough. The air is heavily scented with wildflowers and woven with the trilling of birds, the hum of honeybees, and the slow whine of grasshoppers.

Our bluebird pair, despite being gifted with some lovely bluebird houses made by Daniel Anderman and kindly donated to the sanctuary by he and his family, have seemingly chosen to nest on Young’s Hill. Not the wisest choice, but so far they’ve gone undisturbed by the chimpanzees:

While all this was happening outside, this was happening inside: Foxie napping.

When Foxie is happy and content she rubs her toes together. I wonder what she was dreaming about?

It must have been an adventure, because minutes after these photos were taken, Foxie suddenly woke up, swung through the greenhouse with her hair standing on end (pilo erect), Dora the Explorer in hand, and marched with purpose toward Young’s Hill. Her behavior was the same she exhibits when she wants her caregivers to chase her, but what happened next? Everyone, even Jamie, suddenly fell in line behind this mighty little lady with a purpose, as she led them out onto Young’s Hill.

Foxie and Dora lead the way with Jamie, Jody, and Burrito following:

Foxie, Jamie and Jody:

Annie and Missy bringing up the rear (Negra was fast asleep in her nest for this adventure):

Everyone began to disappear into the tall, lush grass as they foraged for wild plants. Occasionally, I caught glimpses of them in between the structures and bamboo.

Jamie and Foxie:

Burrito:

Foxie:

Missy:

Jamie:

Who knows what, if anything, Foxie may have been dreaming about before leading the way onto the hill, but it brings to mind the words of Thoreau, “Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.”

Making the perfect tool

May 16, 2015 by Debbie

After breakfast Jamie set out onto Young’s Hill with purpose in her step.

We watched as she very methodically selected a bamboo shoot and headed back into the greenhouse.

As it turns out, she had unsuccessfully attempted to get some peanuts outside the caging using a toy rake. The handle was just slightly too big to reach out to the peanuts.

The bamboo stick was a little too cumbersome, so Jamie needed to tweak it a bit. First she broke it in half, and then she removed some of the branches.

Now that she designed the perfect tool, she could reach the peanuts!

Success.

If peace had a face…and toes

May 5, 2015 by Katelyn

The chimpanzees have all appeared particularly serene and at peace today. It’s a beautiful spring day, but the wind is especially cold and everyone has spent a lot of time lounging in the warm greenhouse as they looked out over Young’s Hill.

While we often try to imagine what these moments must feel like to the chimpanzees after decades of trauma and uncertainty, I doubt we ever fully could. I am grateful and hopeful that with each passing day these moments outweigh those that came before. And I am grateful and hopeful that these faces (and toes) say it’s so.

Annie:

Annie feet:

Burrito:

Foxie:

Jody:

Missy:

Jamie was tucked away in a cozy nest in the front rooms, one arm splayed out over her eyes and the other hugging her boots to her chest, sound asleep. Unfortunately, not a spot the camera can get.

And you’ll never believe who the chimpanzees were watching from the comfort of the toasty greenhouse…

Negra. Hair blowing in the wind, the hill to herself, and how peace looked for her today.

Fresh Picked Greens

April 27, 2015 by Keri

There has been a lot of talk these past few weeks regarding spring and the emergence of fresh green grass. Warm weather (minus the wind) and the appearance of the fresh grass signify the onset of spring here at the sanctuary. Most spring mornings the chimpanzees can be found lounging on the deck in the Greenhouse, where the morning sun shines on them.

This morning when staff member Katelyn and I walked up to the Greenhouse to greet the chimps, most of them lined up and gestured toward the grass growing just on the other side of the caging. We happily picked a few handfuls for them to enjoy as their morning snack.

After lunch, most of the chimps ventured out onto Young’s Hill, their 2-acre outdoor enclosure. Jamie and Missy set off on one (of many) walks around the hill, while Annie, Burrito, Foxie and Jody searched the ground for fresh grass and plants to eat.

Annie found a stash of fresh plants to forage on.

Jody (right) joined Annie (left).

And then along came Burrito (far right).

Jody left the spot where her and Annie were sitting and gathered stalks of grass on her way back to the Greenhouse.

And then she made herself comfortable on the deck to enjoy her grass.

While everyone else went back inside, Annie ventured further uphill to continue her foraging.

A peaceful decision

April 21, 2015 by Katelyn

The chimpanzees access Young’s Hill through what we refer to as “the raceway,” a short, caged tunnel which leads directly from the greenhouse to their 2-acre outdoor enrichment area. If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, you’ve probably seen us mention how Jamie often likes to stay out late during the warmer months to walk around the hill. One of her favorite tactics to let us know she’s not ready to come inside yet is to sit in the doorway of the raceway so we can’t close it. The chimpanzees all know that we won’t leave them on the hill overnight and wait until they are ready to come in for the evening before closing the door. It’s also one of the chimps’ favorite spots from which to look out onto the hill, the valley below, or just check out what the other chimpanzees might be up to out there, all while staying within close proximity to the greenhouse. It’s also a good spot to assess weather conditions before committing to going out onto the hill. Perhaps the equivalent to poking your head out the door to assess things from a comfortable spot.

Today, as many of the chimpanzees ran out onto Young’s Hill, Annie decided to check the situation out first before making her decision to join them or not. Not so long ago this is where we would see Annie sitting, rocking with anxiety and distress, while her best friend, Missy, explored the hill, not always comfortable following after her. Those days seem gone for Annie now and she typically has no problem venturing out on her own, or sitting peacefully while she makes up her mind as to what she would like to do. She increasingly bases her choices simply on what will bring her pleasure in the moment, as opposed to decisions based on anxiety.

Debbie caught some photos of beautiful Annie, sitting in the raceway, as she watched her friends run out onto the hill, happy and relaxed as she chose to just observe, and with the droopy lip to show it.

Foxie the Brave

April 16, 2015 by Elizabeth

In the three and a half years since we opened Young’s Hill, the chimpanzees’ two-acre outdoor habitat, the chimps have become more and more comfortable with the wide open space it provides. It didn’t happen immediately for many of them. After living for thirty years in climate-controlled buildings, touching nothing but steel and concrete, it takes time to adjust to the feeling of wind through your hair, or hot sun on your back, or rain. Not to mention how vulnerable and exposed they must have felt in such a huge space – it wouldn’t have been surprising if one or more of the chimps decided not to venture out at all.

But they did go outside, and they have continued to go outside on most days since we first opened the hill. They have gradually become more at ease with things that they wouldn’t tolerate in the early days, like wind and rain and cold temperatures. Almost four years later, they’re still making strides.

In the last couple of weeks, Foxie has been pushing the boundaries of her own personal comfort zone and spending more time alone on Young’s Hill. Until recently, she has stayed near the bottom of the hill, closer to the familiar chimp house, during her excursions outside. The other day, though, I was on a perimeter walk with Jamie and we found Foxie all alone at the very top of the hill, calmly and methodically exploring. I thought she might be relieved to see us, and join us on our walk back down to the chimp house, but she remained up there by herself, walking around in the grass. There are certain moments when one of the chimps surprises you in the best way, and that was one of them.

Today really feels like spring in Cle Elum – warm temperatures and a pleasant breeze – so we set up a lunch forage on Young’s Hill. Foxie was one of the last ones to remain outside after the others had gone back into the greenhouse with their food.