Posts by Elizabeth
The Luck o’ the Cle Elum Seven
The Cle Elum Seven may not head to the pubs on St. Patrick’s Day, but they still know how to have a good time. We had a breakfast party in the greenhouse this morning with fruit smoothie in plastic shot glasses with lime garnishes, peanuts, and chow. The main event, though, was undoubtedly the whole…
Read MoreA Chat Between Friends
Chimpanzees spend a lot of time grooming one another. You might think they have a pressing interest in cleanliness, but grooming is less about hygiene and more about strengthening social ties. Chimpanzees groom to make up after a fight, to build new relationships, or just to catch up with old friends. One evolutionary psychologist has…
Read MoreThe Best Laid Plans
Jamie is religious about her Young’s Hill perimeter walks. As the boss, maybe she feels some responsibility to make sure the sanctuary is safe from intruders. But she doesn’t like to go alone. Her preferred walking partners are her caregivers. I can only think of a handful of times we’ve seen her walk by herself…
Read MoreStickin’ Around
Burrito doesn’t need much to have fun. Just a good friend and a good stick.
Read MoreThen and Now
Caring for chimpanzees with traumatic pasts is probably a lot like caring for anyone with a traumatic past. You’re aware of the person’s history and how it has affected them, but you probably don’t dwell on it on a day-to-day basis. There are even moments when you don’t think of the past at all; you’re…
Read MoreCommander in Chief
There are certain people that have such presence that you can’t ignore them. Jamie is one of those people. She runs the show around here, and you know it at first glance, from her perfect posture to her cocky strut to the steely glint in her eye. When she is focused on something, you can…
Read MoreQuiet
Negra is an introvert. While she enjoys the occasional grooming session or gentle play with the other chimpanzees, she chooses to spend the vast majority of her time by herself, usually under a blanket, napping or gazing out the window at the valley below the chimp house. As the grandma of the group, she sometimes…
Read MoreDance, Human, Dance
If you visited the sanctuary on any given day you’d probably see the humans behaving very strangely. We’ll do just about anything to make the chimps happy, and sometimes that means swallowing our pride and acting like fools for their entertainment. For Foxie, you might see us balancing a troll doll on our heads or…
Read MoreA Nightly Treat
Each night after a dinner of fresh fruits and veggies, the chimpanzees are given a “night bag” consisting of a handful of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and other healthy treats. This tradition began on the chimps’ first night at the sanctuary, and they’ve enjoyed night bags every night since. As soon as we pass out…
Read MoreMen at Work
The men of CSNW took a play break today.
Read MoreThe New Annie
Just a few years ago, Annie was glued to her best friend Missy’s side. Missy was Annie’s security blanket, and she followed her everywhere. Annie was afraid to be alone. That’s not the case anymore. These days it’s not uncommon to see images like this one of Annie enjoying some solitude on Young’s Hill this…
Read MoreStirring Up Trouble
Jamie does not live in the moment. She is a thinker and a planner. Sometimes you can see her wheels turning and you have to wonder what she’s up to. As the leader of her group she performs frequent dominance displays, but with Jamie, they don’t always seem to be about dominance. Or at least…
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