Posts by Diana
Something’s Different
See if you can relate: you have a distinct feeling that something’s different, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is. That’s how I felt this morning. It wasn’t overly warm, but it felt nice outside. With the weather in mind, I tried to be quick with the morning routine so that…
Read MoreFall in Love with Willy B
Happy Valentine’s Eve! On Saturday, we shared the Fall in Love with Honey B video, so you’ve probably been anticipating this one! For a little background in case you missed Saturday’s post: a few years ago we made ‘Fall in Love with” videos for all of the chimpanzees. Like right now, these videos were part…
Read MoreFall in Love with Honey B
A few years ago we made ‘Fall in Love with” videos for all of the chimpanzees. Like right now, these videos were part of a February fundraiser highlighting the Chimpanzee Pal program. The videos are at the bottom of each of the chimpanzees‘ webpages. The new three needed their own videos too! So, I present…
Read MoreThe Month of Love
I spent the last few weeks fretting over our ambitious budget for 2020. It’s a dramatic increase from past years as we prepare for further expansion by adding staff and increasing all operational funds to care for more wonderful chimpanzees who will arrive this fall if the construction and the funds come together. I will…
Read MoreTransformations Then and Now
There’s a memory I have of Foxie that comes to my mind frequently. Foxie and her six friends arrived on June 13, 2008. Three days later, we put the finishing touches on the playroom and let the group into that large indoor space for the first time. Here’s the memory, which I mentioned on the…
Read Moreenrichment for busy chimpanzees
J.B. and I were the first humans in the chimp house this morning. Before greeting the chimpanzees, I was washing my hands at the kitchen sink and looking out the window that connects to the chimp area when I spotted a stuffed animal being tossed up into the air playfully by a chimpanzee lying on…
Read MoreSnippets of the day
I was trying to figure out some sort of brilliant narrative that weaves together the photos I took today, but my brilliance level seems to be pretty low right now. So, I’ll just share the photos as little glimpses of the day, which is how I experienced them too. First, that photo above and the…
Read MoreBurrito’s Walkabout Reunion
Today was weird, weather-wise. It started out super windy, then the wind subsided and it was nice enough for some outside time for the chimpanzees, then it snowed like it was going to never stop, until it stopped less than an hour later, and finally the sun announced itself as confidently as a spring day,…
Read MoreKnock, Knock
Kelsi took this delightful video yesterday! Personally, I have a hard time believing they are all over 40.
Read MoreResilience + Playful Mave Video
A few weeks ago, the staff received amazing personalized gift baskets from past and current volunteers as a gesture of support following the emotionally challenging times with the now-failed integration attempts of the two groups of chimpanzees. These surprise gifts were incredible and generous. Along with the gift baskets was a jar filled with pieces…
Read MoreWarming up to the cold stuff
Was it just a week ago that I was wondering out loud if the new three would grow to appreciate snow?! Check out the video of Willy B and Honey B clearly appreciating the buckets of snow we have been bringing inside. The first clip of Willy B cracks me up every time – drop…
Read MoreSnow: Treat or Trick?
Burrito, Annie Jody, Foxie, Missy, Jamie, and Negra arrived in June of 2008. Their first experience of snow at the sanctuary (though they may have encountered it earlier in their lives) was almost exactly eleven years ago today. If you can believe it, we’ve been doing the blog this entire time, so you can take…
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