New Mirror

Not long after the chimps arrived, supporter Tamela found an acrylic mirror that we hung on the playroom wall. It has gotten pretty scratched up in the last 2.5 years, so J.B. just recently replaced it with a new one. And not unlike her reaction when it was first hung in January of 2009, Jamie…

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Happy Birthday Fran Boland!

Jamie looking through a Halloween gift bag

Theresa Strunk sponsored today in honor of Fran Boland’s Birthday. Hope you have a Happy Birthday, Fran! Below is a photo of Jamie peeking into a gift bag on her birthday last year, one of our biggest parties to date.

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Chimps’ Choice!

It’s been a while since we had a Chimps’ Choice item, and we have an awesome idea! We love to challenge the chimps with puzzles. Not to cause stress, of course, but to keep them stimulated and enriched. Jamie loves nothing more than a project but she’s so smart that it is difficult to come…

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More enhanced enrichment puzzles

Thanks to volunteer Cari Parker, we have more enhanced enrichment puzzles. Cari’s friend Stephanie sponsored today in honor of Cari’s Birthday, so Cari sent us a box of enrichment for the occasion. Included in the box of goodies were some PVC pipe puzzles. There is a photo with an explanation in the video below. Keeping…

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How to initiate play

Given the fact that Foxie is probably the most playful chimp I’ve ever known, normally one would not need the following instructions. But I suppose they could be good to keep around, just in case. 🙂

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Jody and enrichment

Jody is a very casual kind of lady, which is probably why she gets less blog attention. She doesn’t play with toys too often, rather she usually inspects things for a moment and moves on. The other day she had an enrichment-loving afternoon, I suppose, and I caught her spending quality time and even playing…

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A relaxing day for Negra

Today was sunny and beautiful, so the greenhouse was a prime spot for everyone, especially Negra. You may have heard us talk about Negra’s spot in the outdoor area, which is the southern most end of the deck. The sun beats in the greenhouse in that spot so it’s almost always a warm and inviting…

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Problem solvers

Being the master problem solver she is, one would probably guess that Jamie is super skilled at raisin boards. And they would be right. Raisin boards are wooden blocks with holes drilled in them that we stuff with dried fruit (because of their size raisins usually work best, but I used dried apricot pieces and…

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Caregivers as enrichment

Let’s face it- no matter how much we do to spice up captivity with enrichment and projects, it can still get pretty boring sometimes. We try to do what ever we can to keep the chimps entertained, including simple things like drinks from the hose. The chimps have access to water 24 hours a day,…

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In memory of Delores Daugherty

Today’s sponsor-a-day is in memory of Kate Daugherty’s mother, Delores Daugherty. Kate is a chimp house volunteer. This is what she shared: “I would like to sponsor this day of sanctuary for the Cle Elum Seven in memory of my mom, Delores Daugherty. Today would have been her 79th birthday. She passed away when I…

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More grooming

Missy isn’t the only one taking care of her friends. Today was a super nice and sunny day (despite the foot of snow!) so the chimps hung out in the greenhouse for most of the day, and Annie spent some time quality time grooming her best friend, Missy.

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