Posts by Elizabeth
Under Construction
The chimpanzees have received a couple of donated workbenches over the last year or so, and they’ve been absolute hits. Supporter Wanda Trotta recently sent us another one, and we put it in the playroom after cleaning today. Thank you, Wanda!
Read MoreMissy on the Job
I got some action shots of Missy making a post-lunch nest in the greenhouse today. I love how focused and serious she is.
Read MoreSummer Lovin’
Participants in our summer online auction were invited to donate toward an epic end-of-summer party for the chimpanzees, and they stepped up in a big way. Despite today’s not so summery weather here in Cle Elum, we threw the summer party to end all summer parties. Thanks so much to everyone who contributed toward today’s…
Read MoreProjects and Preferences
Jamie has a mind that never sleeps. We do our best to keep her occupied and enriched, but sometimes she has to take matters into her own hands. It’s not unusual to find Jamie working on a project of her own making – anything from stuffing socks into a hollow tube, to pouring liquid back…
Read MoreBeing Chimpanzees
One of our primary goals here at the sanctuary is to allow and encourage the chimpanzees to act like chimpanzees, in as many ways as possible. A big part of being a chimp is being around other chimps – something that many lab chimps are denied. As much as we caregivers love playing, grooming, and…
Read MoreGames with Friends
Foxie and caregiver Katelyn played a fun game of slap-the-window today.
Read MoreJody the Thinker
New Boot Protocol
When Jamie gets a new pair of boots, she likes to have a caregiver model them first. Here’s Debbie showing off new boots from Lisa Stuverud yesterday. (Jamie didn’t seem to mind that the boots were too small for Debbie.) Then Jamie usually demands that the caregiver modeling the boots accompany her on a walk…
Read MoreCowboy Party
What’s one way to make seven chimpanzees awfully happy? Throw a spontaneous party. Supporter Lisa Stuverud sent us a box of decorations and enrichment for a cowboy party (and of course we already had dozens of cowboy boots thanks to Jamie’s obsession), so we had everything we needed for a good time. Jamie was the…
Read MoreChoosing a Companion
Each day we put out a variety of enrichment for the chimpanzees to play with. This is usually some assortment of toys, socks, scarves, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, scrub brushes, buckets, paper, stuffed animals, and anything else we think the chimps might enjoy. There are two types of items that we absolutely must include with each day’s…
Read MoreEasy To Please
Caring for captive chimpanzees can be a challenge. They are intelligent and curious, and they get bored easily. We’ve written before on this blog about how much effort it takes to keep the boss Jamie happy and enriched. Burrito, though, is remarkably easy to please. He has few demands, and the ones he has are…
Read MoreWaiting Out the Storm
For the last couple of days, we’ve gotten a much needed break from the hot and dry conditions here in Cle Elum. It’s been overcast and cool, with some rain and thunder. While the chimpanzees don’t love to be outside when it’s raining, they do seem to love cool, gray days, so they’ve been enjoying…
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