Particular palates

The chimpanzees each have their own unique food preferences. We’ve talked a lot about how Jody will eat a huge assortment of vegetation she finds on Young’s Hill. Foxie on the other hand, has more of a sweet tooth, so she will opt out of many types of greens, in favor of things like sweet…

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That special shade of green

Each spring we wait for the hill to reach “peak greenness.” Today we might have hit that marker! All this neon makes a chimpanzee’s dark hair really stand out. Annie: Jamie, Burrito, Foxie: Missy: Negra:

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The long game

Missy and Annie often play a long morning game of chase on Young’s Hill. This game isn’t always so obvious to the observer because it involves them each taking long breaks on opposing structures, where they seem to be doing their own thing. However, with just a flicker of communication between the two of them,…

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A cabin built for her

Happiness is watching Negra enjoy some quiet time under the shelter lovingly named “Negra’s Cabin.” The cabin was designed with her comfort especially in mind. Negra isn’t quite as adventurous a forager as Jody, but she enjoys her fair share of browse. This morning she found a Ponderosa pine tree bough in the cabin and…

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An early heat wave

The summer heat has arrived a little early this year (for at least the moment). We are supposed to spike into the mid 80’s this afternoon, which seems unusual for May in Central Washington! To keep cool, the chimps move to lower spots around the sanctuary, spread their limbs wide, and melt into relaxation poses.…

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New enrichment puzzle on Young’s Hill!

Intern caregiver Grace came up with this cool new enrichment puzzle for the chimps! This bag was originally a slow feeder bag for horses, but to make it into a chimp puzzle, we added fresh vegetables (in addition to hay), locked it closed, and hung it on Young’s Hill! Thanks to Grace for her brilliant…

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Boot and Barrel

We always know that Jamie is pretty relaxed and happy when we find her laying on her back on top of one of the plastic barrels in the chimps’ enclosure. Yesterday, she chose to wear one of her favorite boots and admire it while she took it easy next to the breezy barn doors.

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Journey to the top of the hill

The time of the year has come where Negra climbs out of her cozy bed… And heads for the hills! The hills full of freshly sprouted wild prickly lettuce that is.. Today, many of the chimps joined Negra in her hunt for wild plants. Jody found an assortment of weeds. And harvested a piece of…

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Business to attend to

Jamie has kept us busy with perimeter patrols all day today. So as not to displease the boss by slacking on my true duties as a caregiver, here are just a few photos from this morning. Foxie swapped her red headed “Kate” doll for a lost and found Dora doll mid-way through her morning hill…

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You are getting sleeeeepy

This time of year, the chimps spend a great deal of their day grooming and napping in the greenhouse. When they aren’t grooming with each other, they spend some quiet time grooming themselves. Foxie sometimes sticks her tongue out when she’s focused on grooming: There is a definite aura of relaxation, particularly as the sun…

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