The upstairs corner window.

When cleaning the chimp areas, the chimps are moved into a different place, often with a meal, the doors are closed and locked and the humans are okay to enter and scrub. In a weird way, I like cleaning the chimp enclosures. I like seeing the nests and how they are made, what they do with the enrichment and how they choose to spend their time. I love finding where Foxie leaves her trolls, inside/on top of things. I also like to try to guess who's nest is who, which is sometimes easy if you've seen the chimps in one place earlier that morning (ie, Neggie is almost always under the east facing window wrapped in her blankets with just her face poking out.)

When we are cleaning the play room, on the second floor there is one window in particular that I could sit at all day just to observe everyone eating. It's a great view of the chimps chowing down, and sometimes someone happens to be sitting in the window on the other side eating breakfast. (I've only seen Missy there, and she is not used to me yet as she looked over her shoulder at me and continued eating.) I was lucky enough to get a few shots of the chimps while eating breakfast.

   This is miss Annie, waiting to get some breakfast. Where the grapefruit skin is sitting is where the chimps can sit.

The next two are Mr. B, enjoying some grapefruit. 

And of course, Negra. The oldest chimp at CSNW.

Because I am still training for Level 3, I have not gotten to interact much with the chimps one on one yet, so sitting at this window is often some of my favorite moments at the sanctuary. When I'm cleaning, the chimps can see me and know where I am, and they are often aware of where I am at all times. While they are eating, they are pretty focused on the food and I can sit at the window for a few minutes and observe how they interact with each other. 

I wish I had my phone with me while cleaning the greenhouse this day, because as we were cleaning Jamie popped up in the same window I usually observe from, and watched us clean the greenhouse. The best part about this was she had taken a scarf from the playroom and tied it around her neck, in a little knot, probably how your grandmother would tie a scarf on. I leaned over to caretaker Lisa and said "Look at Jamie, she looks so good in that scarf. Tied in a bow, like a classy, working woman would tie a scarf." 

Just because it was adorable, here is a troll doll for Foxie that someone sent to the sanctuary. 

SO CUTE RIGHT? Fox would have loved it! (We couldn't give Foxie this baby, as it was really squishy, and if they are too squishy Annie will eat them.) 

I'm continuing to read more and more about different chimps and different sanctuaries and I am never left any less motivated to open my own sanctuary to give as many chimps as I can a few final years of peace. Reading stories about chimps with PTSD, anxiety so bad they rip their own fingers and toes off when they are experiencing high stress, and the list goes on and on I assure you. Thus begins the process of writing grants, meeting with real estate agents and working my way to opening my first chimpanzee sanctuary. 

PHEW MOTIVATION. sometimes it just hits ya, am I right? 

so, if you are reading this and have a facebook, please like Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and learn about my non-human primate family. <3

all the love, 
B