We really can’t thank you enough for following the lives of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees and helping to fill their new lives with love and happiness.
The last two years have been remarkable.
This video is for you:
Posts Tagged ‘Buckshire Seven’
happy anniversary and thank you
Sunday, June 13th, 2010Jamie then and now
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010Sanctuary supporter Tamela just sent me an email with the photos below – Jamie the day she arrived at the sanctuary, and the photo of Jamie that Jackie took yesterday.
These photos side by side brought tears to my eyes – tears of joy for the last two years that we’ve known Jamie at the sanctuary and tears of sadness for the first 30 years of Jamie’s life spent living with an animal trainer then in biomedical research.
I have a feeling that we will all be experiencing this mixed joy and sadness this whole week leading up to June 13, 2010 – the 2nd anniversary of the chimpanzees’ arrival.
Thank you all for helping to make Jamie’s second chance at life possible.
Jody’s giant nest
Saturday, February 27th, 2010One of our volunteers brought a giant roll of paper for the chimps (thanks David!), and with it, Jody created one of the greatest nests of all time.
CSNW featured in Seattle Metropolitan Magazine
Friday, November 20th, 2009Really great article: http://www.seattlemet.com/issues/archives/articles/chimpanzee-sanctuary-northwest-1209/
It’s hot off the presses (or at least recently uploaded to the world wide web) and the print version should be all over the Seattle area soon. Please share on your Facebook and Twitter pages and send to all of your contacts (you can do that by clicking “Email” or “Share This” at the top of the article when you go to the link). It not only tells the story of CSNW, but also the broader plight of chimpanzees in captivity.
I only wish Jamie knew how famous she is.
For the love of cowboy boots
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009Quick Jamie story of the day: I had picked up the front rooms to prepare for cleaning and brought the enrichment over to the washing tub. Jamie saw me from the playroom and started gesturing emphatically. I knew just what she was trying to tell me – I had one of her cowboy boots among the enrichment items and she wanted it back.
I did a brief cleaning job and offered to throw the boot up to her in the space above the big human doors to the playroom. Instead, she looked at me and ran outside. I came around and threw the boot on the roof. She climbed up and got the boot down and carried it with her most of the day. I’ve never seen Jamie ask for something specific that wasn’t food – she REALLY likes her new birthday cowboy boots. Thanks, Stephanie P.!
New view
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009The chimpanzees got to check out the new window today. The window replaced an extra door that went from the playroom to the outdoor area. J.B. still had some work to do on the outdoor area side, so we went out to say hello to the chimps through the window. In the meantime, the Poppoff crew was still hard at work in the mud (but no rain today) getting things ready for the foundation that will be part of the greenhouse structure going over the outdoor area. Workin workin again!
Jamie, of course, was the first to inspect the window
Jody was also very curious
It’s difficult to see, but Jamie and J.B. are “touching” hands through the glass in the photo below
For context – here is a zoomed-out view. The new window is to the left, the chimp door that we use from the playroom to the outdoor area is to the right. The two windows on top are just above the catwalk in the playroom.
Foxie likes the new window too
Many of the chimps watched J.B. working all day. Below is Jamie making sure J.B. is doing a good job (or maybe seeing how things come apart!)
Evening Mag piece on the web
Monday, September 28th, 2009Watch King 5′s Evening magazine segment on CSNW here.
Exciting Foxie stories
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009On Saturday, the night of the Cle Elum Seven’s one year anniversary, Jackie and I were hanging out with the chimps after dinner and we witnessed two amazing things. I do not have photographic evidence of these events, but I was so glad that Jackie was there to also see them.
First, long after the other chimpanzees had finished eating, Jamie was still hanging onto a bit of cantaloupe. Jamie seemed content to delay finishing her fruit as she carefully inspected Jackie’s boot. After several minutes, Foxie came over. There were probably a dozen troll dolls that were part of the party enrichment, and Foxie had three of them with her, one that still had on a wedding dress. Foxie put this troll doll in Jamie’s free hand, while looking away. Foxie continued to hold onto the troll doll until Jamie’s fingers closed around the doll. Then Foxie pulled her hand away and very slowly and carefully took the cantaloupe that was sitting by Jamie. If you’re a regular blog reader, you know that Jamie is pretty possessive of her food, and she is the highest ranking chimpanzee. This means that other chimps, as a rule, generally do not take food from Jamie. But this really appeared to be a trade. Apparently troll dolls served as a version of currency between these two!
The second equally amazing thing that occurred also involved Foxie. Jackie and I were handing out blankets in the front rooms, and Foxie took one through the fencing. This in itself is a bit unusual, but not unheard of – sometimes she’ll playfully take blankets or clothes, and then drop them. Every once in a while she’ll play a quick game of tug of war. But Foxie took this blanket (a very big fleece one) and eventually climbed up to the bed in Room Four and began to nest!! The blanket was long and hanging off of the bed, and Jamie immediately came into the room and began to pull on the end hanging down. Foxie’s played for a bit, at one point trying to still nest by wrapping the blanket around her, while Jamie continued to pull on the blanket. After a while Foxie dropped the blanket and Jamie left. Then Foxie got up and walked into Room 2, passing several blankets along the way, and picked up a pink one. She carried the pink blanket back to the far room, went back to the bed, laid the blanket down, and laid down on top of it.
It was a beautiful sight to see, and so special that it happened one year to the day after she arrived at the sanctuary. I’m so excited for what year two will bring!!
Negra’s new life
Friday, June 12th, 2009Tomorrow we are celebrating Negra’s honorary birthday and the Cle Elum Seven’s anniversary of their arrival to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.
Negra is about 36 years old. She was captured in Africa as an infant and brought to the U.S. to be used in biomedical research. She had four babies during her decades in research. She had over sixty liver biopsies while being used as a test subject for hepatitis vaccines. She has spent the vast majority of her life in small cages in various laboratories. She lived without access to the outside. Without windows. Without the chance to feel the sun on her face.
I think this photo, taken a couple of weeks ago, illustrates what sanctuary means to Negra:
You can support Negra today and wish her a happy birthday by giving a donation on her fundraising page. CSNW couldn’t exist without the support of so many. You provide the chimpanzees with a new life.
Link to King 5 video
Thursday, June 11th, 2009You can watch the King 5 video online and pass it along to your friends!
