Negra’s Favorite Thing
November 14, 2015 by Diana -
One thing that’s quite clear about the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees is that they are each unique individuals with different tastes, activity levels, and habits.
Though for most of their lives they didn’t have these things, it’s hard to fathom Foxie without her troll and Dora dolls, Jamie without her boots, and Negra without her blankets, which she puts over her head and shoulders – something she’s done from her first day in sanctuary.
Today I tried (fairly unsuccessfully) to get a photo of Negra as she lay on the heated catwalk with a Halloween blanket wrapped around her. Here’s the best photo I got:
As I was watching her, she got up suddenly. Curious about the suddenness of her motion, I followed her. She traveled down from the catwalk, across the playroom, and into the front rooms, then went out into the greenhouse.
She was clearly on a mission, and was still moving quickly as she climbed up to the top of the platform in the greenhouse.
And this was the result of her mission:
Apparently she knew of another blanket with her name on it.
Because she seemed to be in a black and white mood today, here is a black and white photo of Negra after she got the blanket just how she wanted it:
Long live Queen Negra. We hope she has many more years and many more blankets in her future.
11 Comments
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I LOVE IT!!!!!
Great pics, Diana!
Glad to hear she knows what she wants and she goes about getting it!
Beautiful post and pics of the Queen!
LOVED this post Diana!! I think Negra realized that Halloween had past and if the Paparazzi were going to post her photos all over the blog today, she wanted to be sure she was looking up-to-date in wild zebra skins instead. Smart, stylish, and cozy Negra. Yes, long live Queen Negra, may she always be cozy, snug and safe. (I love her so!)
She’s a girl after my own heart – I love a comfy blanket to curl up in. Great pictures!
Great pictures of the lovely Queen Negra. There is nothing like a cozy blanket.
What a lover at heart
Beautiful Negra. Beautiful pictures. I love that black and white photo Diana.
Every morning I come into work (I have no computer at home) and the first thing I do is read the blog. It starts my day off right. Sometimes it makes me laugh, sometimes cry, but always my heart swells like the good old Grinch.
There was one day last week that I think there was no blog entry…or maybe I just missed it. But no matter, I knew there would be the next day to enjoy. But I found myself concerned, “is everything okay?” That is how much the chimps are on my mind everyday. But there they were the next day, happy, content, well fed, cozy in their blankets.
I want you to know that the feeling I get from helping the chimps when I can financially and sending them my love and admiration all the time and from afar has made my life much richer. I hope they know they are loved. I can’t imagine they don’t, with all that you do for them. Thank you. There’s a place in chimp heaven for all of you.
Francoise,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write and express this. I just felt my heart grow three sizes bigger reading your words and knowing that you are out there caring for the chimpanzees, with them occupying a place in your life.