Greenhouse Energy
June 20, 2022 by Anthony -
Although the next season is still a sunset away, the chimpanzees are already exhibiting typical summer behavior.
This transition has been most notable on warm days when the chimps spend most of their time in the greenhouse areas. The first of these unique enclosures was built shortly after the first group of chimpanzees arrived, and we added the Oakwood Greenhouse and Riverview Greenhouse just last year. These enclosures offer the best elements of the indoors and outdoors, especially when a few select panels are removed from the outside and the cool breezes can pass through. It’s not surprising that the residents choose to hang out in those spaces more often than not during this time of year.
Here are some photos of the chimpanzees enjoying their favorite summer digs.
Annie letting a foot hang off the edge of the platform
Willy B
Gordo
Dora (left) grooms Mave (center) while Rayne (right) sits nearby
Missy
Gordo
Annie
Burrito (right) and Foxie (left) grooming each other
Burrito returning to the greenhouse after racing around Young’s Hill
Foxie
Cy looks down at caregivers from an elevated area
Jody
Gordo
Negra
Jody
46 Comments
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Very glad to see more pictures of Foxie in recent blogs. Good! Didn’t Burrito eat her ear? Or have I mixed thst up? And here they are grooming one another. Repairs must have been made, however and whenever it happened.
I don’t think he ate it, lol. just bit it off!
In the late summer of 2019, Foxie was decidedly agitated at the presence of three newly arrived chimpanzees (Honey B, Mave, Willy) who had moved in next door. It is thought that during some altercation with Burrito that he bit her ear off. According to the account, within fifteen minutes they were grooming each other. Morals of the story: (1) Chimpanzees are very tough and resilient; (2) Chimpanzee do not make good house pets or domestic companion animals for human primates.
3) Most of us come nowhere near the chimps’ capacity for rapid forgiveness
Not usually, Linda. Studies have shown that chimpanzees, just like humans, have the ability (and do) to hold grudges and even plan revenge up to a year later.
Personally, I think both can be accurate! I find that chimps have an intuitive and decisive approach to reconciliation within their social groups (express good will and cement it with physical touch). However, we see conflicts occur in similar patterns over the years with no permanent resolution, so it’s likely that they hold long-term grudges of some sort. Chimps certainly have the memory and attitude required to do so.
Carla, how many of those studies were about chimp-human grudges? I’ve seen chimps avoid or harass humans who don’t pass their vibe check, and those situations can be tough to resolve given the contexts.
This is all good food for thought.
Another example of how closely we are related… Tyson and Holyfield comes to mind.
Hey Penelope! The other commenters are correct that Burrito bit off a piece of Foxie’s ear back in 2019. The altercation was violent but brief; the two resumed their friendship almost immediately after. Anna wrote a compelling blog about their conflict and reconciliation: https://staging.chimpsnw.org/2019/09/the-other-side-of-things/
The greenhouses give off good vibes. Fresh air, sunshine and shade, and the comfort and safety of home….meaning you can close your eyes and catch a snooze with no worries (as Negra always demonstrates!).
Thank you Anthony for loading up so many great photos!
We love catching snoozes around here. 🙂
Thanks, Anthony!
Pretty Annie from below–what a regal look! Amazing to me that her feet aren’t as lon as her hands.
Is Neggie picking at her stitches?
Neggie’s stitches are long gone and that wound has healed up nicely!
I’m glad you liked that one of Annie! That’s actually my favorite from this set. I was lucky enough to pinpoint her eye and the lighting makes a nice glow around the edges of her profile.
I love these photographs, and I hope that they indicate that the chimpsters are being able to keep cool (we are sweltering in the Midwest). I especially like the photographs of Gordo sitting atop what appears to be a beach blanket (or, maybe it is just a beach cardboard), and the picture of Jody striking a Happy Baby position in her yoga regimen.
Gordo looks like he’s auditioning for a role in ” Muscle Beach Party”. But can he sing?
He can do the bunnyhop!
Seriously though, that is about the nicest photo of Gordo that I’ve seen to date.Seriously though, that is about the nicest photo of Gordo that I’ve seen to date.
The way he has his ankles crossed is too cute!
And can he surf?
It’s actually been a cool, wet June for the Pacific Northwest, only recently beginning to dry out and warm up a bit. It seems to be very different from the current heat and drought of the Southwest and the Midwest. We still have most of the external panels up on the greenhouses to block the wind, and all the vegetation is still lush and green!
As for Gordo, he set himself up a little picnic area with craft paper, a strawberry box, and a donated tumbler toy. 🙂
Great choices of pics, Anthony! It’s so wonderful to see them in their various preferences of places to hang out alone and together. I’ve not actually noticed before just how beautiful Missy’s ears are! They all look so relaxed, fingers and toes here & there & lying about so peacefully — til the next “hoo-haa” erupts, that is! Joys of spring/summer!
When I was processing the photos here in the Chimp House foyer, I had to show Jenna that picture of Missy for that very reason! She has pointy elf ears.
I’m glad you liked the post!
What a great photo of Willy B.!
He is amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Rosalie! I’m glad you liked the post!
Hmmm. I would’ve thought all of the panels would be off by now.
Fantastic and lovely photos Anthony! Looks like a beautiful day to be a chimp in a greenhouse.
Me too, Paulette! We’ve had a damp and chilly spring here in the Northwest so we can delay some of the summer rituals, like preparing the fire sprinklers and taking off all the greenhouse panels. It’s so nice to have a mild transition after enduring last June’s oppressive “heat dome” and prolonged fire season.
any recent pics of the construction on the new fences…..?
Hey Tom! I’ll ask J.B. if he is planning to post an update soon, but I don’t have any photos to add here yet.
All the posts are in place for the new perimeter and J.B. has been working hard to get the wires and strainers tied in to the corner posts. We recently had a small volunteer work party install insulators on about a third of the new posts, and they’ll be back to do more. Yesterday, I helped J.B. to put up the first section of field fence and he even started the trench for the rattlesnake barrier, so things are moving along gradually! It’s going to require a full summer of work, for sure.
Me again. I just keep looking at these pictures. They’re just so good Anthony! Willy B has an interesting complexion. It’s like he wears matte make up and everyone else wears glossy. I wonder why. Either way he is very distinctive. My niece has started following recently and is just learning how to distinguish one from another. I couldn’t either in the beginning but I’m really good at it now. It’s no harder than distinguishing between all of your friends and family.
And the other pic I keep looking at is Gordo’s toes! With sunshine highlights. Just too adorable!
Anthony is a professional photographer. He won’t tout that himself so I will. 😀 His landscapes are also breathtaking!
“Me again.” haha 🙂
I agree about Willy B! The matte effect may be partially due to flat lighting in the shady greenhouse and the haze introduced when shooting through the caging, but he is distinctive regardless.
I’m glad youre niece is learning the ropes from you! I had similar experiences when working with chimps, capuchins, spider monkeys, harbor seals, macaws, etc… they start out as just a “chimpanzee” and then your brain starts thinking “male chimpanzee” and then “big male chimpanzee” and then “big dark-faced male chimpanzee” and suddenly he’s just “Cy” and you know him in the same way you know your human family members. Face recognition is a remarkable skill! 🙂
I dont blame Gordo for sitting on his paper blanket – that dry grass looks prickly!!!
Great photo.
Haha, neither do I! We’re trying to keep that area watered but it’s tough when the chimps are only out of there for 20 minutes a day. Most of the chimps prefer to sit on the logs, so it’s nice to see him laying out on the “lawn.” 🙂
Fantastic pics of everyone. But I have to say my favorite is of Willy B.
Thanks, John! He’s a handsome gentleman but it’s tough to get photos of him since he usually sits down right in front of us! I was lucky enough to catch him distracted by another chimp.
Thank you for the wonderful pictures, Anthony. I love the one of Jody on the blanket. I was also thinking that I would love to reach up and tickle Annie’s foot.
Haha, you’d make a good chimp in that regard! We’ve seen them just reach out and poke each other, hold hands, and tickle feet while lounging in proximity to one another. I’m glad you liked the photos!
Sweet pictures. Thank you!
Thanks, Arlene! 🙂
i know finances limit everything, and I think what you have been able to do with those limited funds is amazing, but I’m just wondering about when Mave and her friends will be able to have a place to run outside. Love to all.
If I understand it correctly, Francoise, they had to wait until a certain time in order to begin welding, because of the weather and risk of wildfires. I think it’s more a question of time and labor than it is materials at this point. I could be wrong.
I really do hope that the increased size of the group encourages Mave and Honey B to go out with Willy and the rest of them!
Thanks. I expect you are right. As someone who lives for summer sun, I hope it can be managed soon. I would love to see them outside. As I know the folks at CSNW would too.
We’re all with you on that! I can’t wait for the shenanigans, to see what they’ll get up to!
We’re excited for that too, Francoise!
In short, work is already underway on the renovation and expansion of the outdoor habitats but the project will likely extend into the autumn months.
The plan is to first get the Young’s Hill portion complete to minimize interruption to that group’s routine. (They will have to be closed out for a short time while we complete the new section of fence that lays inside the existing enclosure.) The Bray will follow close behind, giving the newly integrated group a chance to go outside.
Right now, the expansion isn’t limited by materials but rather by tools and labor. J.B. has been working independently on some key features that require his skills (and the tractor), but a volunteer work party also installed a significant percentage of the insulators last weekend!
Thank you for replying to everyone’s post Anthony. You are so kind to do so, especially knowing your wildly crazy schedule. I enjoyed reading every single response and learned a great deal. I am impressed to hear about J.B.’s progress working on the fencing outside (“Thank You” to the Volunteer Team!!). This is going to be a major undertaking. I can just imagine how cruious the chimps must be over the construction!
Ditto! We enjoy your responses Anthony.
From: Me again:wink: