Posts by J.B.
Distractions
It’s so hard to get any work done around here with all of these distractions. Honestly, though, Burrito is as playful as I’ve ever seen him lately. So if I get a little behind on my other work, you know who to blame.
Read MoreRacing at Sunset
The other night, Jamie was walking around Young’s Hill with Diana (and Meredith) after all of the other chimps had gone to bed. As I went to put the Gator back into the barn, she signaled that she wanted to race. So we did. And we were lucky enough to do it with one of…
Read MoreGo, Willy B, Go!
I was listening to a podcast yesterday about negativity bias. The idea, put simply, is that negative information has a greater effect on our emotional state and perception of the world than neutral or positive information. There are good evolutionary reasons for this asymmetry. Learning how to pick the ripest, sweetest fruit is certainly helpful,…
Read MoreSmall steps
One of the ongoing and typically lengthy discussions at our weekly staff meetings involves coming up with ways to encourage Honey B, Willy B, and Mave to go outside. Would a forage in the courtyard help motivate them or lead to frustration? Does the presence of staff reassure them or do we make them nervous?…
Read MoreAn exam for Foxie
As I type this, Foxie is recovering uneventfully from anesthesia after a full workup. Diana mentioned a while back that Foxie hadn’t been feeling well, and while she did get her appetite and energy back it took longer than we would have liked and thus warranted further investigation. As many of you know, we’ve long…
Read MoreOn the Mooove
On Monday, Katelyn posted about the cows’ return to the summer pastures. Here’s a video version of the same event. If you haven’t been around cows much, think of them as 1,000-2,000 lb. dogs, with every bit as much personality. Spring has always been a wonderful time of year, but seeing it through a cow’s…
Read MoreReasons to GiveBIG
These are scary times. But the ten chimpanzees and four bovines at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest count on us each and every day to clean, prepare meals, create enrichment, and provide medical care, regardless of what is happening in the world outside. And we in turn count on you to help make that possible. If you…
Read MoreEscape Artist
Honey B shows Mave how to escape when your hands are tied behind your back.
Read MoreSenior Portrait Day
This morning, Mave was showing off some luxurious locks and a yearbook photo worthy pose. She is the coolest. Those are the only photos I managed to get this morning, so I guess today is my day to clear out some photos from the old phone. Here’s Missy chomping on some sweet potato in the…
Read MoreJody’s trip to the clinic
Chimpanzees can be melodramatic at times. When they display, become frightened, or get into spats, the hoots and screams can be deafening. It happens often enough that you become inured to the minor day to day scuffles and other assorted histrionics (looking at you, Annie and Mave). But you can tell when things become serious.…
Read MoreFirst Patrol
We haven’t had the drone out in a while so this morning I thought I’d take the opportunity to film the chimps on their post-breakfast patrol. Counterclockwise patrols are actually pretty rare for this group, but I think some early morning drama had Jamie and the gang itching to check on their neighbors.
Read MoreTaking temperatures
In recent weeks, we’ve implemented a number of precautionary measures to prevent the chimpanzees from being exposed to the coronavirus. At the same time, we’re ramping up routine health monitoring to aid in early detection should a chimpanzee become ill. Thanks to years of positive reinforcement training, body temperatures can be collected quickly and easily…
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