"She would rather eat poop than take food from me."

July marks my two year anniversary with Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest! Wahooooo! A true testament to the age old "time flies when you are having fun." I can still remember my first shift at CSNW, driving home from Cle Elum and just crying like a small child. This is what I wanted to do, and I was so horribly happy. And now, after 2 knowledge packed years, I've made it to the 3rd level, and again am so horribly happy. 

Monday was a very good day serving the chimps. I assisted serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the longest time, I was always the most nervous to serve to Jamie, because she was who I had to impress. If I could make Jamie happy, then everyone else would be cake. WRONG. wrong wrong wrong. Jamie is as calm as can be when I'm serving. You know who can't stand me at all? Neggie. Negra Chimpanzee ain't having none of my serving, my tattoos or my sheepish demeanor when I offer her food. 

(photo by CSNW)

Neggie is the oldest chimp at CSNW, and compared to all of the other chimpanzees, physically, it is clear that prior to coming to the sanctuary she had a harder time. Neggie was the only chimp at CSNW who has born in Africa, captured as an infant and brought to the US to be a medical tester. Like the other ladies at CSNW Negra was a breeder, and used as a hepatitis vaccine tester. Many of the staff believe she still suffers from PTSD, as she often asks for grooming from the human caregivers and almost immediately threat barks in disgust like she didn't want to be touched at all.  Neg doesn't really "like" anyone in the way that Foxie plays with her dolls with her caregiver or Jamie walks around the hill with boots with her caregiver. She usually keeps to herself and takes many many naps. 

This is Annie, who is only a few months younger than Neggie, and you can see that Neg looks vastly older than Annie. Most birthdays of the chimps are honorary as the info from the medical labs can't be exact all the time, they were guessing how old the chimps were when they arrived. Neggie is 41, but many think she is older than that. 

Anyway, when I first arrived at the sanctuary I fell in love with Negra. She reminded me so much of my grandma, a woman who's been through so much and is sassy. She can and SHOULD do whatever she wants, because she's had a long and stressful life. In the past few weeks I've discovered that Neggie is not about taking it easy on the new server. Serving all the meals on monday I had the normal layout:

-served Jamie first, she was calm and took all food from me easily.

-Foxie blowing raspberries as loud as she could, so annoyed at my slow pace. 

-Burrito also blowing raspberries and banging (excitedly) on the caging. 

-Annie, hanging back and waiting for me to serve some others, ultimately taking food from me easily.

-and my sweet, ever so patient and wonderful Jody girl, who a midst all the chaos sat patiently and always gave me her lips, (which is what you want to do. serving to hand is also acceptable, but a little more tricky.)

and of course, my two least impressed ladies, Miss and Neg. 

Missy and Neggie have a different relationship. Neggie has a habit of taking Missy's chow, and because Neg is older and higher ranking than Missy, Miss hands it over to her. She could fight to keep it, be vocal and tell Neggie to buzz off but in this community its easier to fly under the radar. 

Neg is not a fan of me at all. She can sense my hesitation with her and plays into it with every meal. Neggie likes to do this thing where you offer her food, and she will put her hand out, or her lips to the caging to say "yes I want those radishes" and when you put it up to the caging she will rip it as fast and as hard as she can from you and threat bark. When this happens, whoever is nearest to her will also threaten me, as the chimps each other's backs when it comes to being mad at human caregivers. Even though I didn't do anything to Missy, she heard Neggie getting upset and was there to offer back up. Even though Neggie often steals food from her. Its like the notion of family, I can make fun of my sister all I want, but if you say anything I'm going to punch your lights out. 

Neggie's trick sounds pretty cute right? WRONG. Its scary every time, even when I know its coming. She has this look in her eye like "Sure, go ahead and offer that to me. See what happens. I dare you." She even goes so far as to completely turn away from me when I am serving. She even turned down limes and beets (some favorites) because I was serving them. During lunch on monday Neggie was no where to be seen, so we walked around the other side of the greenhouse to see if she wanted some of the food I had and she was eating poop. (which is common for Neggie to do.) I looked at Katelyn and said "This is how much she hates me. She would rather eat poop than take food from me." 

Guess you can't win em all. 

The progress on getting on Neggie's good side continues, although at a glacial pace. 

In other news, location hunting for the chimpanzee sanctuary I want to start has begun! Working on a mission statement, board of directors and a name. Pictures of all of the poster boards full of timelines and ideas coming soon. My house is a disaster area. But here we are. By the eve of my 30th birthday, I will *hopefully hopefully* have a home somewhere in the PNW for chimpanzees who have been medial testers. 

Jumping in with both feet and I couldn't possibly be more terrified and excited. 

TUNE IN NEXT MONDAY; where maybe Neggie will take food from me, instead of eating poop. (probably not though.)

-b