The weather is getting warmer in Cle Elum and the chimps are starting to spend more and more time out on the hill. Over the winter, the chimps spent most of their time outside running around, playing, and exploring. But with the warmer weather, they are starting to relax a bit more.
Jamie sitting on the end of a climbing structure beam:
Missy:
Missy can only sit still for so long, however. Jackie took this photo of Missy playfully grabbing Annie’s foot:
The chimps enjoyed a St. Patrick’s Day feast this morning. Volunteers Katelyn and Connie brought potatoes, brussels sprouts, and Field Roast grain meat, as well as green fruit & vegetable juice. And while the staff were disappointed to see snow on the ground this morning, the chimps were more than happy to eat it – especially with a little bit of juice poured on top.
There’s no question that Missy gets the most out of Young’s Hill. She has always been very playful and energetic, so we expected her to be in her element out on the hill. But I am still shocked to see Jody running. I think Jody might be a little surprised herself, given the face she makes when she runs!
Barbara B. has officially kicked off the Sustain the Sanctuary fund-a-need on the Biddin’ for the Seven online auction!
Her generous donation of $500 this morning will go directly towards caring for the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees.
Thanks so much, Barb!
We have some amazing art pieces made out of wood in the Biddin’ for the Seven online auction.
I have been waiting since October to share three pieces created by retired biologist and woodturner Keith Welsh. He donated them for the Out of the Box auction last fall, but we received them a bit too late to include, so I’ve been hanging on to them and admiring them ever since. I really can’t decide which one I like the most. What do you think?
Brown Mallee is an Australian burl wood. The dish is 8″ in diameter. Woodturning artist Keith Welsh’s intent is to highlight the nature of wood by taking fallen trees that would normally be burned or thrown away and turn them into art.
New Orleans Pride shows the influence of the French in the culture of Louisiana represented by a fleur-de-lis – also the symbol of the New Orleans Saints. The painted and intricately carved wooden vase is 7″ tall and 3.75″ in diameter.
I have a big appreciation for New Orleans after spending some time in the area after Hurricane Katrina. I think it’s perfect that this piece was a collaborative effort by several artists lending their personal touches to make this vase delicate and strong at the same time.
The cheery wood used to make this sturdy 8.25″ tall and 5.5″ diameter wooden vase by Keith Welsh is almost mesmerizing. The animals depicted on the vase are the perfect compliment to the natural grain of the wood.
Have I mentioned that we have some amazingly talented volunteers?! This 29″ saddle style wood barstool was hand painted by volunteer Stephanie Perciful.
Not only does Stephanie have a natural artistic gift, she has a gift of throwing some of the most squeak-inducing parties for the chimpanzees at the sanctuary. Burrito loves her for it. The fun bonus to this beautiful barstool is Stephanie included a hidden chimpanzee somewhere in the design. I can’t wait to see guests at Sippin’ for the Seven looking for the chimp! This is one of two barstools by Stephanie that will be available for bidding.
I love that artist Jana Clark entitled this 29″ child-size wooden rocking chair “Nine Lives.” Most of my most treasured possessions had multiple lives before ending up with me. Jana was able to bring this little rocking chair back to life while maintaining its storied past.
The artist Jana and her husband Bill are good friends with Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest founder Keith LaChappelle and early financial supporters of Keith’s dream to create a home for rescued chimpanzees.
Even if you’re not able to attend Sippin’ for the Seven next Saturday to see all of the amazing art pieces in person, you can register for the online auction and bid til your heart’s content from March 24-26th. Good luck!
Chimpanzees engage in close physical contact for a variety of reasons. They might be seeking reassurance, playfully tickling one another, or quietly grooming. If two chimpanzees haven’t seen each other in a while, they often embrace each other just as we would. But what I love most is seeing chimpanzees hug, kiss, or hold hands out of sheer joy or celebration. For the Cle Elum Seven, just being on Young’s Hill is still reason enough to celebrate
Jamie encounters Foxie on the hill and puts her arm around her friend:
Foxie responds by giving Jamie a “soft bite” on her back (this is a friendly behavior):
Foxie and Jamie run off with big smiles on their faces:
Later, Jamie walked by Jody, who was eating grass near the bamboo. Jamie stops and gives Jody and quick kiss:
Chimpanzee kisses are slightly different than human kisses. A chimp kiss usually involves a soft bite, often with the lips covering the teeth, and some breathy panting. When Jody moved to a different bamboo grove, she received a kiss on the arm from Foxie:
A dominant male chimpanzee usually accepts submissive greetings from subordinates like a king is greeted by a commoner. The subordinates are made (or choose?) to grovel, and the dominant male acts like he is being generous by allowing the subordinate to be in his presence. Burrito, however, is not dominant, and he lacks some rudimentary chimpanzee social skills. Rather than submit to the females or accept their submission, he usually closes his eyes and acts like he doesn’t even see them when they approach him. But sometimes Jamie won’t let him get away with that, and in this case she ran after him and grabbed his feet. While foot-grabbing is usually an invitation to play, in this case Jamie seemed to be forcing Burrito to simply acknowledge her friendly greeting.
Sometimes greetings are preceded by a lengthy introduction. Jody often greets Burrito in this manner – there is a lot of pant grunting and bobbing (bouncing up and down on all fours), and in Jody’s case even some soft pant-hooting, before the two ever make contact. In this clip, Annie waits for Foxie to approach and gives her an extended greeting:
Art Month Musings #2
Many artists and creative-types have a muse – that source of inspiration that seems to come from outside of them. I often wonder what it is that inspires Jamie, who is one of the most creative chimpanzees I know.
Yesterday Jamie made this composition:
I am not going to claim that Negra is Jamie’s inspiration, but I will submit that Negra has been the muse for several human artists (and crafters). Case in point – four of the pieces in the Biddin’ for the Seven online art auction.
Sally-Anne Ryan’s 12×12 acrylic on canvas was inspired by Negra and the newfound outdoor life that all of the chimps have been able to experience on Young’s Hill. Negra’s history is bleak. She was stolen from her family in Africa as a infant and brought to the United States to be used in biomedical research for nearly three decades, including more than a year of complete isolation. Knowing this history, the sparkle and hope in Negra’s eyes that Sally-Anne captured in this painting is full of meaning.
Everyone at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is lucky to have Sally-Anne as part of our expanding circle of friends “across the pond.” She works with many animal rescue organizations, in particular chimpanzee sanctuaries. She has donated her original paintings to past auctions and even traveled to the United States and attended the sanctuary’s 2010 Out of the Box auction in Seattle. Check out her website and blog written for people who love animals: www.GretaLovesMabel.com
The next two art pieces are photographs chosen by volunteer and supporter Jeani Goodrich (we’re not related, as far as we know – she’s the first Goodrich outside of my family that I’ve met).
Jeani has folded many a blanket, washed many a dish, and prepared many a meal for the Cle Elum Seven. In addition to volunteering in the chimp house, she has helped with several of our events.
For the Biddin’ for the Seven auction, Jeani wanted to donate the cost of printing photos on canvas and selected two Negra photos.
These are Negra’s hands and feet clasped in comfort, with Jody’s finger reaching in to groom Negra’s toe. The photo was printed on an 18″ x 24″ canvas and it can be yours! Just register for the Biddin’ for the Seven art auction and start bidding on March 24th.
Nothing really needs to be said about the above photo on canvas, except perhaps that it is simply stunning in person. Imagine being able to see that photo on your wall every day knowing that you’ve helped give Negra so much by supporting the sanctuary.
At last year’s Sippin’ for the Seven, we had some silly sock monkeys that were made to go over a bottle of wine. Since then, I’ve noticed that sock monkeys are everywhere, but I have yet to see a sock chimpanzee. Not one to be dissuaded, I took matters into my own hands. I found a suitable pair of socks and hand stitched my very first sock chimpanzee. The body of the plush chimp reminded me of Negra (she is my muse, after all), so I found a piece of cloth to serve as Negra’s often-present blanket worn over her head and shoulders.
Don’t forget that you’ll be able to see all of the art donations in person at Sippin’ for the Seven in Roslyn on March 24th, so get your tickets for this awesome event today (fill out the quick registration form or login when purchasing tickets).
I’m declaring March “Art Month!”
If you received the March E-News sent out today, then you may have taken a peak at the art that could soon be yours through Biddin’ for the Seven.
We’ll be adding more art to the online auction site as the month rolls on, including art made by Jamie Chimpanzee.
Watching Jamie create and knowing how incredibly artistic many Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest supporters are inspired me to put together this auction.
You can see the pieces added so far on the Biddin’ for the Seven online auction site. Below are two featured pieces.
Tamela is a multi-talented artist who has been following the chimpanzees since before their arrival to the sanctuary in 2008. In addition to her contributions of several original art pieces for past fundraisers, she’s donated money to help us throw many fun and food-filled parties for the chimps and has donated items that the chimps still use everyday (like the big rubber maid tub that we sometimes fill with snow).
The ring is adjustable from a size seven to a size nine. It is 99.9% pure solid silver and the band is sterling silver. Tamela formed the chimp in fine silver clay, then kiln fired it and finished with a hand polish and a hard jeweler’s wax to protect the antique-like finish. What all of this detail boils down to is this: the ring is gorgeous andunique, and you need to bid on it. Register today on the auction site. Bidding for all items begins on March 24th.
Margaret H. Parkinson has a gift. She sees a photo that she’s drawn to and she brings it to life 100-fold with vibrant colors. The photo that Margaret’s 20″ x 16″ oil painting shown above was inspired by was posted on the blog on the third day the chimpanzees had access to Young’s Hill. See the photo and read the blog post – it will give even more meaning to the painting.
Margaret and her partner Karen visited the sanctuary before the chimpanzees arrived in 2008. In addition to donating several original paintings and prints, Margaret has been a generous financial supporter, volunteer, and writer for the sanctuary’s annual book (limited edition Year Three books are in print now and will also be available in the online auction).
The image of Missy on a Mission above is good, but the painting in person is breathtaking. Come see it displayed at the Sippin’ for the Seven event in Roslyn on March 24th and you’ll see what I mean.
*Next up for Art Month musings – Negra Inspires Us All
Okay, it’s not really Sunday, but I couldn’t help myself with the title.
We’ve talked about how important grooming is within chimpanzee society before (see this blog post from 2010 and this one from last year and you might as well check out this one about conflict and reassurance).
My favorite grooming to watch between chimps is when it’s a lazy afternoon and everything is calm and quiet. One chimpanzee will approach another chimp who is lying down or just sitting and chilling and start casually grooming them. The chimps often do their lazy grooming on the top of the climbing structure in the greenhouse. Often there are multiple partners grooming separately and sometimes they’ll move to a new partner or create a group of three or more chimps all grooming each other.
Below are some pics of Foxie grooming Burrito.
Foxie separates the hair on Burrito’s back with her fingers:
Foxie using her prehensile lips to groom Burrito (see this video with some other prehensile lip action):
Foxie becoming distracted from her grooming by the troll doll in her hand:
Mornings at the chimp house are pretty predictable. Burrito likes to start out the day with a long and loud display. Jody likes to camp out by the window to the kitchen so she can watch the caregivers prepare the morning smoothie. And Negra stays in her bed, under the covers, as long as she can without missing breakfast.
Missy and Annie, on the other hand, like to begin the day by playing.
Insulated Water Bottles
Made by Hydro Flask, the double-wall insulation of these 24oz bottles keeps liquids cold for 24 hours or hot for 12 hours. Made from stainless steel with a BPA free plastic cap and featuring the sanctuary's Jody logo. Get yours today! Shop for all items in the online store.
Register now for Race for the Apes, the sanctuary's first 5K fundraiser in Ellensburg, WA. The event on Sunday, May 20th is open to everyone. Register to run, walk, sponsor, or create your own fundraising page. More details on the Race for the Apes event page.
Chimp Sanctuary NW blog
