Soapbox; but also chimp laughs with Buritto:

Priorities, amirite? I'm filled with a lot of different and conflicting emotions this week as priorites are shifting in my life all on their own, without my consent! LIKE WTF, self? 

This week I was lucky enough to spend Sunday and Monday at the chimp house, as opposed to the regular just Monday chimp day. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but to someone like me who would sell just about anything to wake up and spend everyday working in the chimp house, it's pretty fricken cool. Even if it's just doing laundry and washing produce, just being in the chimp house is my absolute favorite time of the week.Its a time to shut off the self-serving part of my brain and operate for the chimps. 

*If you are here just for the CSNW chimp adventure, I would advise you to scroll down.*  

People find out that I volunteer with chimpanzees and almost immediately want to discuss animal welfare, zoos vs sanctuaries, bushmeat law, animals as pets, etc. All of which I love to discuss as I have an opinion on almost all of those topics. (Specifically bushmeat, as I spent 3 years of my undergrad deeply involved in research with the bushmeat trade surrounding Tanzania. Seriously, ask me anything.)  The problem is, there is not just one answer to solve all of the problems facing animals today. I can only speak as to what I think solutions are, and my priorities are different than yours. Which is not a good or bad thing, it's just a fact. I'm coming to this place in my life where things I used to think were the worst, are becoming a valid idea or attempt. Ideas are changing, opinions are becoming a little more grey and less black and white. 

The example for which this is relevant: The Woodland Park Zoo Elephants. A year(ish) ago WPZ announced that the elephant exhibit was being phased out, as "adding more elephants for greater genetic diversity for the group was not possible in the foreseeable future." Elephants are social beings, much like primates and Bamboo and Chai needed more than just each other to be truly happy and enriched. (I mean, could you imagine only seeing 1 other human for the rest of your life? Living in a world of elephants, you and one other human? I would need more people to talk to for sure.) 

Props to WPZ, they understood a fundamental aspect that not many of us get, that elephants need friends and family to be happy, and WPZ had their hearts in the right place. We then hear that the options for Bamboo and Chai are sanctuary or a different zoo, and most of us are on the sanctuary side. Letting those two live out their lives in a large enclosure where they can do what they choose seems like the obvious choice right?  After time to think and weigh the options, WPZ decides to send them to the Oklahoma City Zoo and you can almost hear a collective groan from the sanctuary side of the vote. I myself said, "Well now I'm boycotting the zoo for sure." 

Of course, there are two sides to everything. Something I try to remind myself of whenever I am really opinionated or passionate about something. Stepping back and looking at things from both sides, and being able to weigh the facts. I confess, I'm not an expert at this yet. (but who the fuck is.) And in this weird moment I have a complete turn around of opinion. The deciding factors come out from the WPZ's decision and I learn that the Oklahoma City zoo has a family that Bamboo and Chai would fit right into. (http://www.zoo.org/elephantnews) And I'm standing here with my metaphorical pants down like "well maybe this is good news?"

So now, I'm in this weird place of being excited for Bamboo and Chai to have a bigger family to interact with, but with some residual feelings of anger that they are going to another zoo. I like zoos. AND I hate zoos. Putting any living creature in a glass box and shoving your face up against it, banging on it is annoying and sad. If you were that gorilla you would probably be pretty annoyed that people are in your face all day being loud and eating delicious looking food that you aren't allowed to have! I mean come on! GIVE ME SOME OF THAT FUCKING COTTON CANDY TINY HUMAN. 

" Zoos aren't a good place. "

But the inverse of that is that zoos are one of the best educational learning spaces for young kids to obtain knowledge about animals they would only see in books. If there were no animals at the zoo, who would go just to hear people talk about them? Adults maybe, sure. But we want the brain when it is thirsty for new knowledge. When we can teach them about the lion and what is happening to his habitat. (I'm thinking we need some sort of 3d designed zoo, anyone know anyone who could do that? lets chat.) 

AND THEN there are sanctuaries. Amazing places where visitors are rarely seen and animals come first. Still not as good as the wild, but better than a tiny enclosure with kids in your face all day. But why give your money to a sanctuary when you could pay to see a gorilla 1" from your face?!!? (counter argument. not my thoughts. ugh, please give your money to sanctuaries though.) 

BUT THE WILD ISN'T SAFE EITHER. Bushmeat trade, habitat destruction, deforestation, overpopulation of humans taking animal space, you name it and the humans are taking more and more from the animal habitats. Now a zoo is sounding pretty good isn't it? Daily food, some cool toys, safe from predators (sort of) and a family around you?

(lets just not get me started on animal testing. it's disgusting, any way you look at it. that's all i'm going to say about that.)

So now my brain is saying WELL WHAT THE HELL DO WE THINK IS BEST BECCA. You can't work in the animal field without opinions about these things! (sentiments I've heard)  Honestly, I can see the good in all of them; which is vastly different if you would have asked me this a few years ago. I would have probably said something like "ZOOS ARE DEATH" or "IF YOU LIKE THE ZOO THEN GO LIVE IN IT AND SEE HOW MUCH FUN IT IS."  Someone had good intentions with the idea of a zoo. People who own primates as pets (sometimes) think it's whats best for them. The grey area is where I'm at these days. If zoos were bigger, gave animals more space to run and live, and people weren't eating in front of them or banging on their house and if the educational value was pumped way up, I'd probably work at one. (sounds like a sanctuary huh?)

If bushmeat laws were more efficiently enforced and national parks were taken care of, the wild would be a better (safer) place. 

If having a wild animal as a pet was accurately reported instead of making "cute youtube videos" making everyone want a chimp or slow loris in their home, then we could better educate the world.

If sanctuaries were given more funds to create larger spaces, we could get more animals out of testing labs and into retirement. 

But which do we solve first? How do you prioritize? Do more problems arise in other areas by solving one problem?

PRIORITIES AMIRITE?

*steps off soapbox* Phew. Okay. Chimping: 

Being at the sanctuary two days in a row throws everyone for a loop I think. The chimps seem to look at me like " wait, didn't we just see you yesterday?" In being there more times, the chimps get more used to you and slowly become okay with you being around. Jody for example, offered me 2 greetings on Monday morning! Normally Jody gives me a butt bounce (exactly how it sounds) from a ways away. Monday she offered me her butt and her back for a little knuckle rub greeting. I verbally said good morning the first time, as her butt was two squares in the caging away from Jamie's fingers and I didn't not want to start the day off by upsetting Jamie with a greeting that was not directed towards her. A few minutes later Jamie was in another area and Jody offered me her back, so we did a little knuckle rub goodmorning! I said thank you to Miss Jo and we went our separate ways. 

*I always say "thank you" or "that was very nice" to whoever I'm interacting with when we are done because it's just good manners. It's their house, and none of them have to interact with me if they don't want to, and I always want them to know I appreciate it." 

Monday was also wonderful because I got to play with Burrito for nearly 20 minutes which was wonderful. Here is a little snippet of what that looks like:

B is a big sweetheart and loves to play chase, tug-o-war and really likes when humans mimic his behavior. (some chimps HATE that, but B chimp laughs along as you do what he does.) In the video you can hear me making "raspberries" which is a typical Burrito sound, and also some chimp laughing near the end when we are playing "follow the finger" (a name I literally just made up for when he puts his finger through the caging and I have to hit it with my hand.) B started to initiate play with me when I noticed the toothbrush behind him, so I said "B hand me that toothbrush!" and he picked it up and brought it over to the caging so we could play some tug-o-war and do some brushing. B likes to put it in his mouth or under his arm so when I lift up and down on the brush, it lifts his arms/legs/etc. We just chimp laugh forever. It's wonderful. 

Out of frame Jamie is sitting in the window with a boot, and every few minutes I just give her a head nod and say "I'll stop if you want James" and she just gives me a little nod and continues sitting, as if to say "fine but keep it down." Once we get loud or out of control, Jamie usually lets us know we are done. 

Foxie is also warming up to me more and more each time I'm there, almost immediately offering me a troll doll. Monday almost got me in big trouble with the big boss Jamie. I was interacting with Jamie, looking at our boots, and all of the sudden Foxie is above me getting ready to throw her doll down to me (hazardous as I did almost get pegged with a Dora) and Jamie was NOT okay with me attempting to interact with Miss Fox. I caught the doll and immediately Jamie let out a threat bark, telling me playing with Fox was not okay. So I held on to the doll to wait for a better time to play with Fox, after Jamie was in another area or went for a walk. Foxie starts blowing raspberries and waving her fingers through the caging, letting me know she would like her doll back. I step into the chimp area and say "Fox are you ready?" attemping to throw the Dora back to her, and Jamie comes flying up to the caging with a hand full of (thankfully) alfalfa to throw on me. "Sorry James!" I say quickly and hold onto the doll for a later attempt at return. Hazards of the job, I'm telling you. 

Here is Jamie giving me a little pedicure: 

 Monday was Rainforest day, so I brought some big green paper in and made a canopy (kinda)

 Lettuce Tree! 

All in all,  a very successful two days in a row with the chimps. I adore spending time with those 7 beautiful creatures. 

My partner in crime, for 9 years. <3 (We had to take a selfie after his first shift!)

March 22nd brought the anniversary of being with my main squeeze for 9 years. aka most of my little sister's life. Since I was 14 I knew I wanted to marry this man, and I am so excited to get to do that this summer! I can't express in words just how much this man has done for me the past 9 years, but I am in awe of how lucky I am to have him in my life. Truly the only constant in my world, there are many times I thought "gosh I wouldn't have made it through x without Lars in my life." Sure, he's pretty messy. And never puts his socks in the washer, but hey. After all the times he's taken care of me, in and out of the hospital, mentally and physically, I would pick up his socks for the rest of my life. 

Lars did his first volunteer chimp shift that day, initiating him into the CSNW family. One day he'll be serving meals and playing chase with B. I am so excited for him to get to know the chimps and fall in love with them the way I have. What else would we do on our anniversary besides work at the chimp house? NOTHING. 

my fingers hurt. 

kbye,

b

Playing with the elusive Missy:

Monday was a very good example of the age old sentiment "when it rains, it pours." I was able to get good interaction time in with Missy, Foxie, Burrito and Jamie. Jamie was surprisingly relaxed about me running around playing with other chimps, and no poop was thrown! Huzzah!

The enrichment theme of the day was "all forage day" meaning instead of serving the chimps their meals, we cut the food into smaller pieces, spread it out in a certain area, and then let them forage for what they can get. Similar, or as much as we can get, to foraging in equatorial Africa. Each chimp has their own way of foraging, different foods in a specific order, and its always fun to watch who goes for what.

In this video you can see Missy getting some cucumbers I put on the ledge of one of the doors.

Missy was feeling especially interested in the human caregivers yesterday, which is a little out of the ordinary. Missy is what you would call a "chimps chimp" meaning she would rather interact and play with her chimpanzee companions and not so much her human companions. When she is feeling interested in you, its always a treat! After lunch forage there were some plastic straws in the front rooms for the chimps to use to get food from in front of the doors. Missy handed me one, I assumed she wanted to reach the food next to me so I just told her she could reach it with the straw. She then handed me another straw, much to my shock, to play tug of war! Only a few seconds of tugging before Jamie came in, assuming we were after food, so Missy got out of there real quick. A few hours later Missy and I played a few rounds of chase, which is also the most tiring with Missy because she is the fastest chimp on the planet! By the time you get to where she is, she's already gone! Missy is slow to warm up to the humans at CSNW but we are making a relationship, slowly but surely! 

(photo by CSNW)

Missy is often distinguished by her white patch on her face. 

In this video: Jamie on tool use

Jamie and I only took one stroll around the hill yesterday. We did a good amount of hair brushing and I even attempted to make some art with her, but that didn't last long. I grabbed a piece of paper for each of us and a crayon for each of us and sat on the other side of the caging with the hopes that we would both draw on our papers. Not even a minute in, and Jamie ate the crayon. The running joke was I could come back tomorrow and pick up my drawing smeared on the wall. Jamie is on her own schedule, and was more interested in eating that crayon than drawing with it. 

This video has a little more Jamie with tool use and Missy looking through the shopping bag, but its mostly for the sound. There is no better sound than chimps chomping on their food. <3 <3 Just sitting and listening is sometimes my favorite part of the day. 

Below is Jody (left) and Annie (right) getting the cucumbers off of the door ledge. 

Foxie and I also got a good 15 minutes of baby beating in. If you've ever checked out the CSNW blog, Foxie beating her babies is nothing new. She likes to create some beautiful soundtracks of the day with her babies and beating them against the caging, the walls, other enrichment, etc. Yesterday Fox gave me her babies and we played chase/musical babies on the walls and sinks and other things Foxie can't normally beat her babies on. She head nodded and danced along as we chimp laughed and continued baby beating and running around the playroom and front rooms. Foxie is getting more comfortable with me holding on to her babies for longer amounts of time. Sometimes she'll pass me a baby and immediately ask for it back, and sometimes she lets me run around and dance with her. 

Just another wonderful Monday with the 7 most amazing chimps in Washington! :) 

-b

Quiet Lunch.

In all honesty, I don't have much to report from this Monday's chimp shift! I picked up produce to deliver to the chimps so I didn't get to the sanctuary until 12:45. And was, of course, greeted by Jamie who was ready for a walk around the hill. 

After our walk Jamie did some grooming of me and the boot. She likes to check out the hair on my legs, probably wondering where it all is (compared to her lovely black leg hair.) Jamie is lip smacking in the video, chimp grooming noises, mimicking eating bugs out of a friends hair. 

Jamie is very independent, as I've said before. If she wants to groom me all I usually say is, "you have to get a tool" and she'll take off and come back a few minutes later with a big plastic straw or a stick or comb and is ready to go. Sometimes I help her by getting a stick from outside, like in the video. I grabbed a small piece of bamboo, gave some of it to Jody who was very interested, and gave the rest to Jamie to shape down to the appropriate length to reach my leg/knee and she was ready! 

Shockingly, Mondays lunch was the quietest meal I've had in a long time. Normally when I walk out to serve lunch, I food grunt to let the chimps know its time to eat and they respond with grunts and usually come to where I am to see what we are having. Monday, everyone was already in the green house, and my food grunts were met with blank stares. Foxie, Missy and Annie didn't even come over to the caging to have lunch, until they saw the tomatoes. Burrito even denied the asparagus! (which doesn't inherently sound weird, but if you know Burrito's love for food, you would stare in shock.) All I could say was "Really B? You don't want food?" Negra didn't eat anything. Not one bite of any of the food pictured below. She took her chow bags at the end of the meal, but didn't eat anything else! 

As worried as I was about Neggie not eating a bite of anything, it's her choice, and that's the beautiful thing about sanctuary. The chimps can choose what they would like to eat. Neg wasn't a fan of anything on the menu so she chose not to have any. Foxie only ate the tomatoes and a few carrots. Missy didn't want asparagus. They all chose what they wanted to eat and passed on things not as delicious. (Fear not, Neggie ate everything at dinner including a carrot and almond milk soup/puree and loved it! Which is also abnormal as she usually passes on smoothies and/or drinkables at breakfast.)

Some meals are high arousal. Whether its because of the food or a prior fight/squabble, some meals are just full of pokes from B or threat barks from Neg. And some meals are quiet and uneventful. Dinner was VERY high arousal with the soup, everyone was excited to have some, which made it slightly more difficult to serve. The hardest part about serving meals is there is one of you and 7 chimps. Someone is always waiting and annoyed to be waiting. For the most part the chimps are forgiving; they understand that you are only 1 person and you don't have 7 arms. When there is a high prized item on the menu, patience isn't always a priority.

Lunch for the chimps: Tomatoes, Fennel, Asparagus and carrots. Overall, underwhelming. 

Jamie was a fan of the red socks and her black boots. 

Post hill grooming.

Burrito (top) and Jody (bottom) twin resting. 

Another wonderful monday with my dearest non-human primate friends! <3

Also on Monday: a good round of chase with Burrito and a few moments of tug of war with the shy Missy. Don't worry, Jamie threw sand at me to let me know that we were done playing. Someone has to keep us in line right? RIGHT. 

I'll be back in a week! 

b

Ellie brings the Drama:

okay look, I really tried to blog when I got home yesterday but let me tell you, I was too pooped. I was in bed trying with all my might to keep my eyes open at 8:15, and I lost that battle. When sleep is calling, I cannot ignore it. 

An old friend came back to the sanctuary on Monday, Ellie the Elk; who I haven't seen in a number of months. Ellie hangs around the sanctuary usually breaking into the compost bin outside for some snacks, or trying to start a fight with the dogs or just upsetting the chimps with her presence. I captured this little video when Jamie and I were trying to take a walk around the hill and Ellie wanted to join us. 

The video is pretty self explanatory, but I did have to cut it off about a minute short because blogger says it was too big. What you don't see in this video is all of the chimps (except Neggie because she doesn't have time for that) giving Ellie a little bit of "what's up" Meaning: all of the chimps want Ellie to know who's house it is. By standing up on two legs, hair standing up and making threat calls, it's the chimps' way of intimidating any unwelcome guests. (Maybe not always unwelcome, sometimes it's just a notice to tell you your behavior is unwelcome.) The chimps know Ellie and have seen her many times, but as you can see in this video, she is a little close to the chimps enclosure which causes them to remind her where she is. After Burrito does a little display dance the chimps break off to go about their day and Jamie and I continue our walk. Ellie follows me around the hill, and on the 2nd time around we reach the bottom of the hill Ellie is there waiting while Annie and Missy keep a close eye. Another wonderful example of how the chimps work together to ward off any unwanted guests. Even if Jamie and Jody were having an off day 2 minutes prior, the second Ellie tries to stick her face anywhere near the chimps they all have the same goal: to show everyone who's in charge. 

(here's a quick shot of Jamie turning around to assist a pilo Jody)

(My "way to go Ellie" face.)

In a not so shocking Monday, Jamie and I did 6 trips around the hill and combined with her walks with other caregivers she did around 11 trips. It's perfect weather for Jamie to do lots of walks on the hill. Not too hot and not too cold, so she takes full advantage of whoever is there to take some strolls with her. I love walking with Jamie towards the end of the day  because she's getting tired from all of her previous walks and will take breaks in between (letting me get a few bites of lunch before she's ready for another go.) But I really love end of the day trips because Jamie will come inside and let me brush her hair for a few minutes. Jamie loves hair; as I've wrote about before and because the chimps are not allowed to groom our face or head, I sometimes just sit with her and brush my hair so she can watch. Brushing my hair, braiding my hair and eventually grooming her for a little while is such a simple and therapeutic interaction between us. How do I know she's okay with me brushing her hair? Typically it looks like this: 

We stroll around the hill.

We come inside. 

I get a brush or comb from the chimp enrichment.

I show Jamie the brush and say " I can brush your hair if you want?" 

She comes over to the caging and either sits with her back to me or she pushes her shoulder/hip up against the caging. Presenting me with which area she would like brushed. 

I comb through her hair while making chimp grooming noises, and she moves accordingly. (when she's had enough grooming in one area she will switch sides.) 

When she's done and/or ready to go outside again she will get up or move away from the brushing. (aka, you KNOW when you are done.) 

Sometimes, truthfully I think she lets me brush her hair because I enjoy it so much. Speculation, obviously as i'm not in Jamie's head. But don't we all go to the hair salon to let someone else do our hair because it's fun? Because we don't want to do it? Because our hair dresser is now our friend and someone we trust to make us look good? Thoughts for another day. 

Jamie is one of the most persistent primates I know, humans included. Which is the main reason I ate my lunch in small doses over 3 hours yesterday. When she wants you to do something, you'll know clear as day. It does make it a little difficult to have interaction time with the other chimps at times. For example: Burrito is a big fan of chase. And tug-of-war. And all games. And laughing. And happiness. So when Burrito starts play stomping at you, its almost impossible to say no. We checked the area for boss lady Jamie and then began a little game of chase. I love playing tug-of-war with Burrito because he will put the scarf or straw under his arms or around this neck to when you pull on it with him, he gets a mini massage. Its quite literally the most adorable thing to see him shaking around, laughing while you play with him. So, I took a quick break from chase to go inside to grab a scarf to tug on with him. Burrito grabs the other end and tugs on it literally 2 times before Jamie comes right behind him, nudges him a little and gives a little grunt, takes the end of the scarf and pulls it from my hands taking all of it into the enclosure, telling me playing with Burrito was absolutely over and it was time for another young's hill trip. Right to the point. No beating around the bush. You are done with him and lets get all your attention back on me okay. Yes mam. There are days when Jamie doesn't mind you playing with Burrito or passing a troll doll with Fox, but it is always polite to ask permission if she's in the vicinity. #mannersmatter

Here's a pretty normal chimp lunch: fresh yummy veggies. Yams, peppers and celery. Jamie prefers red peppers, Neggie won't eat the peppers unless the yams are gone but Jamie wont eat the yams until after the peppers. The things you learn. 

Until next time fellow primates! 

-B