Posts by Diana
Jamie and the Tumbleweed
Sometimes the chimpanzees do something we’ve never seen before. Once in a while we are able to capture it on video!
Read MoreA Fine Forage
First things first – the Summer Biddin’ online auction is crazy! As I write this (way later than I intended to be writing a blog post), the total is up to $21,761! Thank you to everyone who has bid on items and donated to Raise the Barn. Bidding ends Monday night! Now, for the chimp…
Read MoreJody Feeling Better
Yesterday was the day after Jody’s eyelid repair surgery. She spent most of the day sleeping off the anesthesia after making a giant nest. Yesterday she wasn’t so interested in food or drinks, but was taking sips of water. I know that chimpanzees are known for their quick healing and tough spirits, but even I…
Read MoreThe many shades of Jamie
Jamie is intense, capable, determined, moody, stubborn, and on occasion sweet and silly. This one is more of an outtake:
Read MoreSparking an Idea
There’s so much that happens at the sanctuary that we often have stories or tidbits we want to share on the blog that get “bumped” for something else noteworthy, heartwarming, or amazing (all of these adjectives describe yesterday’s post about Negra! My heart will remain full after that experience for a very long time to…
Read MoreChimpanzees and Cattails?
The Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees and their relationship with cattails goes way back. In fact, I can’t think about cattails without thinking about Burrito covered in cattail fluff way back in 2008. We have a couple of big ponds and some wetland areas around the property and the cattails look just beautiful right now, so…
Read MoreThe Beauty of Jody
I have been periodically looking at these photos of Jody on the computer in the chimp house throughout the day today. They just fill my heart with love for her. All of the chimpanzees are so different from one another in so many ways and each one has qualities that pull you into their personalities. I…
Read MoreCubby Holes
Way back in 2010, we replaced a bunch of caged windows with chimp-proof glass. On the greenhouse (what we used to call the outdoor area) side of things, this created deep window sills that the chimpanzees appreciated right away. Below is a flashback video from when the windows were first installed in 2010. You can…
Read MoreAdvocacy on #WorldChimpanzeeDay
Today is the first #WorldChimpanzeeDay, a day to celebrate our closest living evolutionary cousins and an opportunity to raise awareness about the vital need for worldwide participation in their care, protection, and conservation in the wild and in the captivity. So, in addition to celebrating the seven chimpanzees at CSNW, as we do everyday, I…
Read MoreA Delicacy Worth the Risk
Today we set out a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill. Here’s a photo of the morning sun glinting off of Negra’s beautiful head: As we were watching Jody forage near the cabin, she screamed a little and batted at the air. We all collectively thought she had been stung by a wasp. When Jody started…
Read MoreCeremonial Groundbreaking
Yesterday was awesome. At our 2016 HOOT! gala, we had an exciting auction item – the “Golden Shovel Groundbreaking” with the opportunity to “fling the first shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking for the expansion.” Yesterday, we were able to finally have that ceremonial groundbreaking! There were two separate donors who won the item at the…
Read MoreFemales in Charge
We’re getting ready for the small groundbreaking ceremony this afternoon! The actual construction on Phase 1 of the expansion will start in a little over two weeks, but today we’re having a ceremonial start to this huge project. I can’t even express how happy we are to have arrived at this day and how incredibly…
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