Posts by Anthony
Spectators
The chimps in Jamie’s group have been supervising the expansion and renovation of their outdoor enclosure, Young’s Hill. It’s been a few months since J.B. gave this detailed progress report on the project, and it’s been several weeks since Chad posted this update that the chimps would be temporarily without access to The Hill. J.B.,…
Read MoreEat, Drink and Be Terry
We caregivers often talk about Terry’s kind and easygoing personality. He’s not without occasional bursts of machismo, but these emotional tempests quickly subside to reveal his true gentle nature. It’s always a pleasure to be in Terry’s warm presence, and he seems to hold us caregivers in equally high esteem. Today, I sat near Terry…
Read MoreVersions of Annie
It’s been a busy day. Rather than write a detailed blog post, I’m sharing a simple portrait of Annie that I took earlier this afternoon. Annie was lounging on the elevated platform in her group’s greenhouse enclosure. The chimpanzees who live on that side of the building have been closely watching J.B. and the Sage…
Read MorePaparazzi
Jamie is always aware of what the humans are up to and doesn’t shy away from sharing her opinions. I love Jamie’s dominant personality and respect her autonomous attitude, but satisfying her desires for choice and control is a continuous challenge given the limitations of her captive environment. I am grateful that her outspoken honesty…
Read MorePuzzles
Today’s blog is centered around a short video of chimpanzees extracting food from enrichment puzzles. All of the chimps are given enrichment activities and items every day, but we’re giving additional enrichment to Willy B to keep him entertained while in recovery. So far, his favorite activity has been to tease grapes, walnuts, and other…
Read MoreRecall Me by Your Name
I recently discussed the behavioral training program in this blog post: “Are the chimps trained?” The post summarized our efforts to improve the chimps’ lives by promoting cooperative behaviors. However, I neglected to mention one of the simplest and most important behaviors of all: recall. In plain terms, recall behavior is approaching another individual’s location…
Read MoreGraze Anatomy
Before I dive into today’s blog, I have an exciting update to share: The HOOT! 2022 online auction started today! You can visit the online-only page to decide which amazing items to bid on. Tickets are still available for the live event which will be held on Friday, Sept. 16 at The Foundry by Herban…
Read More“Are the chimps trained?”
When I tell people that I work at a chimpanzee sanctuary, they usually respond with one of the following frequently-asked questions: Do you get to touch the chimps? Do they go outside? Can people visit the sanctuary? Today’s blog post responds to another common question with a complex answer: Are the chimps trained? If this…
Read MoreThe Pregame
We all know that Missy is an accomplished athlete. She tirelessly outruns the fastest Gators, deftly balances on the thinnest tightropes, and snatches the juiciest tomatoes from her opponents with ease. Her cunning and skill have been lighting up the blog for years. This stocky, springy chimpanzee truly know no bounds. All of her feats…
Read MoreOfficial Party Business
Today, we have three blog “topics” to cover, all related to upcoming celebrations. (I’ve dotted the blog with recent photos as well.) First and foremost, this day of sanctuary was generously sponsored by our friend Laura Bradshaw to honor the birthday of her son, Ben. To accompany her gift, Laura wrote: I’d like to celebrate…
Read MoreFoxie’s 46th
I think that the title of this morning’s post (It’s Foxie’s birthdaaayyy!!) accurately reflected our staff’s enthusiasm for today’s big celebration. It was a busy day for the humans, but the sanctuary’s chimpanzee residents seemed to enjoy every minute of it. First, this morning’s caregiving team prepared fruit-filled watermelon bowls and berry smoothies for both…
Read MoreBetween Two Burns
This morning, the staff were greeted by cloudy skies, relatively cool temperatures, and even a tantalizing sprinkle of rain. The overcast weather created a welcome break from the blistering sun and oppressive heat of the past few days. With the worst of the Northwest’s heat wave now seemingly behind us, the sanctuary’s chimpanzee residents have…
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