Posts by Elizabeth
On the bright side…
Winter isn’t the chimpanzees’ favorite season. They don’t like to be cold or wet, so as much as they’d love to be having adventures outside, they end up spending most of their time indoors. Winter isn’t all bad, though. There’s something to be said for snuggling up with soft blankets on a cold day. Negra:…
Read MoreThe Warriors
Jamie and Negra are similar in many ways. Jamie, the youngest female at the sanctuary, is the undisputed leader. She rules through a combination of well-considered political strategy and fierce determination. Negra, the eldest chimpanzee at the sanctuary, is the grandma of the group, but she’s the grandma you don’t mess with. Jamie and Negra…
Read MoreAn Enduring Love
Over seven years after meeting and falling in love with her first troll doll, Foxie is still so intensely enamored with these strange little dolls that she carries one everywhere. Today she laid down to rest in the playroom and spent several minutes gazing at her doll before closing her eyes.
Read MoreMissy Uncaged
This was Missy in her transport cage on her way to the sanctuary in 2008. This cage isn’t much different than the cages she had lived in for the previous 30 years. We didn’t yet know Missy well on that day in 2008, but we would soon come to learn that she wants nothing more…
Read MoreExtra Helpings
After we serve a meal to the chimpanzees, there’s usually a few pieces of food on the ground that have dropped on the human side of the caging. The meal server typically leaves the food where it is, and the chimps will go find tools to use to pull it closer, or they’ll grab the…
Read MoreNegra Falling Asleep
Sometimes a nap under a soft blanket in front of a sunny window is all you need.
Read MoreLearning Curves
In some ways, Burrito has had to learn to be a chimpanzee. Lab chimps don’t get many chances to act like chimps – they often don’t have access to other chimps to groom or play with, they don’t get to forage for their food, and they don’t have room to move like chimps should move.…
Read MoreThe People of the Sanctuary
It’s been over seven years since the chimpanzees’ previous lives as research subjects came to an end, and they moved into their new home at the sanctuary. We’ve seen so many changes in them in that time; not only physically, but in their personalities, their interests, their likes and dislikes. I’m going to do my…
Read MoreThe Queen
There’s a reason why we call Negra the Queen. Although she’s not in charge, she has a quiet dignity that earns the respect of the other chimpanzees.
Read MoreBurrito’s Calling
There’s something kind of magical about watching someone engage in whatever they’re passionate about. Burrito’s one true passion is food. When Burrito is eating, he is in the zone, he is blissed out, he is one with the world.
Read MoreThe Forgotten Photos
We take so many photos of the chimpanzees that some inevitably slip through the cracks and never get shared on the blog. Here are some recent portraits I found on the hard drive; let us know which is your favorite! Jamie: Negra: Jody: Foxie: Burrito: Missy: Annie:
Read MoreThe Magic of a Good Meal
Food is a neverending source of joy for the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees. It never loses its ability to excite and satisfy. Annie: Burrito:
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