Elizabeth – Page 8 – Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Guy Time

By Elizabeth | August 22, 2017 |

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest tends to be female-heavy (as do most animal care professions). Of the seven chimpanzees who live here, only one is male. Of our six-person staff, only one is male. Out of our 36 current chimp house volunteers, seven are male. Out of the 10 volunteers who are trained to play and interact…

What’s in a Kiss?

By Elizabeth | August 17, 2017 |

You may have seen the video we posted the other day of Foxie giving kisses to some of the other chimpanzees to reassure them after a brief conflict broke out during her birthday party. If you’re a chimp, a kiss can say a few different things: “Everything’s okay. Please calm down.” Or “I’m feeling a…

Thinking Outside the Box

By Elizabeth | August 3, 2017 |

Burrito is known around here as the guy who will eat anything, but even he has days when he’s just not in the mood for something. Today during lunch he saw new potential in a piece of eggplant.

The Guardian

By Elizabeth | July 26, 2017 |

Jody has become more and more invested in her chimpanzee family over the years. When the chimps first arrived at the sanctuary nine years ago, Jody kept to herself much of the time. I’m sure she appreciated living with other chimps, but she didn’t seem to feel the need to socialize with them much. Over…

Happy 4th of July!

By Elizabeth | July 4, 2017 |

The chimpanzees know that any good party is really about the food. In celebration of today’s holiday, we had a lunch party in the greenhouse and the chimps feasted on Field Roast (a really delicious vegetarian “meat” made from grains and veggies), corn, watermelon, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, and sparkling apple cider. Jamie: Burrito: Foxie: Missy:…

Different Strokes

By Elizabeth | July 2, 2017 |

The chimpanzees eat mostly fresh fruits and veggies at the sanctuary. For the most part, they like what we like, but they do have a higher tolerance for certain flavors.

Trying It Out

By Elizabeth | June 29, 2017 |

We set up a new water station for the chimpanzees today. Jamie took one for the team and did some quality control.

A Whole New View

By Elizabeth | June 25, 2017 |

The chimpanzees didn’t have much of a view in the lab. My, how that’s changed.

Looking Out

By Elizabeth | June 22, 2017 |

When we open the door to Young’s Hill each morning, Jody is usually the first outside. She sits for a moment at the end of the raceway looking out on the 2-acre enclosure. Maybe she’s checking that all is well, or maybe she’s making plans for the day.

Friends

By Elizabeth | June 18, 2017 |

The majority of our chimp house volunteers have no direct interaction with the chimpanzees. The caregivers you see on our blog playing with the chimps or serving them meals are either staff or specially trained, long-term volunteers. Volunteers are typically with us for at least a year before they are eligible for this training. The…