Watermelon Forage, Missy in a box
June 18, 2008 by J.B. -
Today was a good day. Jamie greeted us wearing a necktie she fashioned out of a strip of sheet. Negra was stubborn about leaving the front rooms after breakfast (while it sometimes messes with the routine, stubbornness is a characteristic I find completely understandable in captive chimpanzees, and I actually appreciate when someone decides they can choose to do what they want rather than going with what the humans want). For dinner, we had a big watermelon forage, and, for the first time since they arrived, the building erupted in food grunts. Then, during dinner, Missy sat in a banana box and ate her watermelon. What more could anyone ask for in a day at a chimpanzee sanctuary? Diana
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Hi Diana, love to hear that today was the first day for food grunts! Seems like that must be a sign that they are feeling at home 🙂
Food grunts! That sounds like happiness to me! I too love it that Negra decided what she wanted for herself–regardless of what the humans wanted. We can at least give them that! Thanks, Diana, as always.
Thanks to all of you who comment on the blog. I read your comments as avidly as you are reading the blog posts, and it makes me so happy to know that you are learning about the chimpanzees just as we are. It feels great to share their personalities with you. Finally they are being recognized as individuals who matter. Thank you for caring about them.
When will the chimpanzees get to go outside? Do they have a lot of trees for climbing? If not, I know another sanctuary recruited university students in architecture and engineering to help design and build structures. Thank you for all you do and I love the blog.
This is from Karen…. Having been in the animal rights and welfare movement for more than 30 years my mind is filled with reading about and hearing horendous stories of terrible animal abuses, it is EXTREMELY uplifting to be reading daily blog with photos showing happiness the chimpanzees and the people around them. The amazing enrichment continues to unfold and it is exciting to see what is next. Seeing animals liberated from laboratories is thrilling. Your daily blog is the best happiness medicine that helps to heal hearts wounded from knowledge of animal abuses.
Hello,
I am the Produce manager at Safeway in Cle Elum. I would love to get a couple pics of the Chimps eating and playing in the Banana box. I would like to send them into our safeway magazine to get a story in it for all the employees of safeway to see what the cle elum produce department is doing.
Chris Pauley
I love Missy’s creativity! When I was a kid I like to eat my watermelon in a box too!
Thanks Diana for all these amazing updates and pictures. The blog is the first thing I check every morning when I wake up!!
😉
Zibby
Hi Dianna and all,
I am a friend of Rachelle’s in Ontario and I am so inspired by your efforts. So nice to read of the folks progress and discovery of things they liked to do before the were horribly imprisoned. Bless you guys and much luck for the future! I will continue to enjoy your posts!
Kim
And…to Chris at Safeway. Thank you so much to you and the Cle Elum Safeway for providing the chimpanzees with fresh, healthy produce! What a treat it must be for them to experience so many new tastes along with all the great new sounds and sights and smells!!!