Posts by Anthony
One for the Road
Disclaimer: It’s after midnight and I’m drafting this blog post while listening to some of my favorite records. (Check out Turnover’s Peripheral Vision if you want to share my current vibe.) The post will be my 188th entry since I authored my first in the summer of 2019, and I am feeling a bit sentimental…
Read MoreSun’s Out, Puns Out!
Today’s weather was consistently sunny and a bit warmer than usual: a merciful break in what has otherwise been a wet and gloomy winter season. The chimpanzees spent the day lounging in the greenhouses, grooming each other, and even doing a bit of reconnaissance from the taller structures on Young’s Hill. The embedded video and…
Read MoreFavoritism
Supporters often ask us caregivers if we have “favorites” among the sixteen chimpanzees who reside at the sanctuary. I refuse to answer. Any caregiver worth their salt responds to this common line of inquiry with a prudent, noncommittal reply. It would be irresponsible for us to grow more attached to one chimp than the others,…
Read MoreOn the Sixth Day of Christmas…
On the sixth day of Christmas Donor Linda gave to me New People magazines! – Cy Chimpanzee, probably We send our most heartfelt gratitude and warmest wishes to our supporters who have donated to the chimpanzees through the Comfort & Joy online auction! You can go directly to the event’s web page to see the…
Read MoreThey Always Do
Winter here on the eastern slopes of the Cascades can be difficult. We go to work in the dark and return home in the same. The wind stings, the cold air bites. Thick mats of snow and ice cover the landscape. Wintry conditions turn scenic drives across the mountain passes into foggy, wet, anxiety-inducing ordeals.…
Read MoreCreative Slinking
Today’s enrichment theme (blanket forts) didn’t get the chimpanzees as excited as we caregivers thought they would be. Instead, Burrito decided it was the perfect morning to goof around with a slinky! Enjoy the video on this snowy winter afternoon.
Read More“Commuting”
This morning’s dusting of powdery, fluffy snow converted the drab November landscape into a winter spectacle. My morning drive to the sanctuary cuts through open farmland into desert hills furnished with towering wind turbines. The highway then plunges into the Yakima River canyon and winds upstream along its forested banks and basalt cliffs. Closer to…
Read MoreWhere There’s a Hill, There’s a Way
The chimpanzees in Jamie’s group often begin their mornings by patrolling their outdoor enclosure, Young’s Hill. Downpours, blizzards, and extreme cold are just about the only events that can deter them from engaging in this ritual activity. The temperature was well below freezing this morning when I opened the door to Young’s Hill after breakfast.…
Read MoreSkips Don’t Lie
Wherever, whenever, Gordo’s ready to play chase together. The playful “bunny hop” that Gordo performs during games of chase is perfection. The hop has been mentioned on the blog before (1, 2, 3), but I wanted to share some additional video clips so you all could see Gordo’s iconic moves up close. Gordo has some…
Read MoreThe VIP Lounge
The chimpanzees spend more time resting and socializing in the heated indoor areas as the weather gets wetter and colder. We’ve recently been focusing much of our content on the chimps’ outdoor enclosures, especially Young’s Hill and The Bray. Large outdoor habitats are irreplaceable because they provide chimpanzees with unique opportunities to engage in “natural”…
Read MoreJamieween 2022
This year’s iteration of Jamieween was a joyful success! With the help of our amazing supporters, we caregivers prepared a feast and party to celebrate The Boss’s honorary birthday. The staff collected some video clips and photographs of the event to share with you all. Please be aware that we also recorded the highlights of…
Read MoreVignettes of Young’s Hill
We caregivers have been excitedly toting around cameras while the chimpanzees continue to explore the new version of Young’s Hill. The outdoor habitat has retained all the lovable qualities of the original and provides the chimps with even more space and a potential for novel experiences (e.g., climbing up the trunk of a real tree).…
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