Posts by Anna
Connecting
Exciting things are happening at the sanctuary. The electricians and plumbers have been busy at work these last couple of days, connecting our existing building to the next phase of expansion! This unusual flurry of activity inside the Chimp House has knocked us off our routine so we’ve been cleaning enclosures in a sporadic fashion…
Read MoreThe Ghost of Upcoming Christmas
When he wrote A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens forgot to mention the most important holiday ghost of all, the Ghost of Upcoming Christmas! This afternoon, Mave was visited by this joyful, sheet covered apparition. In case you were wondering, the only way to rid the sanctuary of this phantom is through tickles. Good thing we…
Read MoreThanksgiving Day 2020
Today I am thankful for the chimps and the way they are a steady anchor of normalcy in the sea of chaos that is this strange year. For many of us, Thanksgiving might look a lot different this year. For the chimpanzees, it looked just about exactly the way it always does. It was filled…
Read MoreSenior superlatives
Today I revisited Diana’s Inviting your questions blog to look for some inspiration for my post. Tami asked which chimp is the class clown, most congenial, most beautiful/handsome, and most quiet? This reminded me of those awkward yet entertaining yearbook surveys where students get to vote for class superlatives. I’ve taken it upon myself to…
Read MoreIce-capades
Ahhhh that time of year has arrived where the chimpanzees scurry around Young’s Hill, picking up bountiful mouthfuls of snow and ice along the way. Burrito is a real ice eating enthusiast. This afternoon we spotted him climbing all over the Escher structure searching for the cold stuff. Snow is more fun to eat than…
Read More2020 Great Pumpkin Heist
A bonus live action video from last Saturday’s Jamieween Party. Just in case you missed it, make sure to check out Diana’s blog about the big day.
Read MoreAll business
She may sometimes choose to wear relaxed boho scarves on her outdoor adventures, but don’t let it fool you. Jamie is all work and no play.
Read MoreThe chilly snap of Autumn
This morning marked the first solid frost for the Central Washington Valley. I had the new, yet old and familiar task of scraping frost off my windshield before I drove through the foggy chill to the sanctuary. Tomorrow we even have SNOW in the forecast, but I refuse to believe it until I see it…
Read MoreLittle odd moments
This morning I witnessed one of those odd scenes which always makes me love the chimpanzees and their choices in sanctuary life just a little bit more. Please forgive me as I didn’t get proper photographic evidence to share here. Anthony and I were midway through cleaning the playroom when we spotted Foxie playing with…
Read MoreA little bit devilish
Today Willy B spent a couple of sunshine filled hours in the courtyard. While he lounged in his outdoor space, staff member Kelsi took this dashing yet devilish photo of him: His spiky shoulder pads are not unique at the sanctuary though. This photo sent me on a spiral into the archives looking for the…
Read MoreThe blanket shredder strikes again!
As we welcome Autumn to the sanctuary, we also welcome the days of cozy nests. Negra in particular is usually found on top of a mountain of fabric, with a nice big blanket pulled all the way up to her chin. And then there’s Jody… Jody loves a big nest… but she also loves to…
Read MoreWorking hard for lettuce
The chimpanzees absolutely LOVE lettuce. Their simple desire for a healthy food makes it a fun item to incorporate into enrichment puzzles (we can definitely give them a larger serving of iceberg than peanut butter). Please enjoy this crunch-filled video of two busy chimpanzees.
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