It was another hot sunny day at the Chimps Inc. sanctuary. All the chimps were enjoying the nice weather. Six of the chimps had access to the Big Habitat and the Playhouse. While some enjoyed the sunshine others wanted to escape the heat and stay indoors. I was in the chimp kitchen washing some dishes and cleaning up. Kimie was sitting in the playhouse watching me intensely as I scrubbed with the soapy sponge. I started to put things away when I noticed that Kimie was struggling with a pink Hello Kitty backpack. After trying for a few minutes, she finally got the backpack on. Although she only wore it for a short while after that, the sight of Kimie wearing her Hello Kitty backpack was enough to make me smile.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Maggie and Her Crocodile By Kate Gillis (intern)
Maggie often sleeps inside the chimp house during the day when it gets hot but the other day there was another member joining in her nap. Maggie had a small plush animal crocodile lying on her chest. As she slept she clutched the crocodile with her arm as if it were a baby. She slept with the stuffed animal for a couple hours then deciding dinner was more important she came out for dinner leaving the sad and lonely crocodile for another nap.
Patti Finds Her Hidden Talent!
It is never a quet day at Chimps Inc. The air usually filled with the sounds of pant hoots and calls from the chimps. However, not the other day - the other day it was music in the air!
The chimps had broken one of their enrichment items and inside were all sorts of surprises, one was a harmonica. Patti took a particular interest in it and somehow knew that if you blew into it, it would make noise. When it didn’t play she became confused and brought it to one of the caregivers. The caregiver wiped off the harmonica and it played. Patti then took it back and began playing. For the rest of the day the staff and chimps enjoyed patty and her harmonica.
Photos From a Nice Grooming Session Interrupted: Who Could It Be? By Rebecca Shea (intern)
A peaceful grooming session consisting of Topo, Thiele, Maggie, and Patti was well under way in the tunnels by the Chimp House. All members were quietly and contentedly grooming one another, making small sounds to show their appreciation. Jackson decided that this grooming group was a bit too quiet for his taste, and decided to bring his own brand of fun to the party. However this brand of fun usually involves something being thrown or wild swinging from rope to rope, with other chimps as his target. After peering into the tunnel and seeing the adult chimps nicely grooming, he left briefly, promptly returning with a soccer ball. True to Jackson’s style, be began to hoot and sway, the ball in one hand, aiming directly for the group. After throwing it at them, the group turned to look but Jackson didn’t hold their attention for long, the grooming being far too important. Jackson returns, soccer ball back in tow, and throws it once again at the group. This time the group was much less amused, and Maggie and Patty began a full pursuit of Jackson.
Kimie and Her Feline Friend by Kristin Harvill-Stoughton (caregiver)
It was a quiet Sunday, the perfect day for Kimie to spend a little quality time with her old friend Monkey, one the house cats at Chimps Inc. Monkey was brought into the chimp house through a feed door in the kitchen, and loved every second spend with her beloved chimp companion. Kimie played with Monkey, gently patting and petting her, all the while with a big grin on her face. When it was time for Monkey to go, Kimie did not want to bring her back to the feed door, but reluctantly did in return for a small treat. Monkey was not ready to leave and quickly leapt back into the playhouse away from the feed door. Another 20 minutes went by before the two decided they had their fun for the day. Everyone asks us if Monkey is "photoshopped" into pictures with Kimie, but I can now denounce these rumors and tell you, yes, Kimie really loves her feline friend!
Jackson Being Jackson by Rebecca (intern)
One of my favorite chimps, Jackson, decided to show off in front of me with a series of acrobatics in his enclosure yesterday afternoon. It was fun to watch and amazing to see the athleticism and sense of fun that he possesses. The acrobatics consisted of swinging from one rope to the next, and many turns spinning rapidly in a tight circle on the fire hose rope. Jackson seemed to feel so happy and uninhibited. He also seemed to enjoy having an audience, which fueled his sense of fun. It made me realize how happy the chimps are here, and how well cared for they are, with every need addressed and filled.
The Simple Things in Life by Lauren Chase (intern)
Like Don Ho's Tiny Bubbles, these shimmering orbs can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. They can make you feel happy and fine, which youngsters, Emma and Jackson, experienced when interns Greg, Rachel, Kate and Lauren blew bubbles with the two lively chimps.
Emma and Jackson prepared themselves for the thrill of having bubbles projected into their wide-open mouths with tongues hanging to the ground while each intern held the bubble wand to their lips. The chimps climbed the enclosure's bars, arms streteched above their heads and bellies against the frame. Without further hesitation, the interns blew into the wands and sent many bubbles into the mouths of the chimps. Some bubbles were taken by the wind; some were terminated by the metal bars, but the lucky few that made it through were quickly eaten by the excited chimps.
Although the sun was heating up the whole area, the chimps did not want to end this fun. If it was not for lunch, they would have played bubbles with the interns all day long!
A Glimpse at the Chimps by Rachel Golub (intern)
Hey everyone! My name is Rachel Golub, and I am one of the new interns here at Chimps Inc. I am originally from New York and recently graduated from the University of Rhode Island, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Technology. I flew all the way from Boston to work with the eight chimpanzees that are housed here at the sanctuary.
During my first few weeks in Oregon, I took my time getting to know the chimps. Patti is the matriarch of the group, watching everything from her front enclosure. I love watching her paint pictures with her tongue. Topo is one of the three males, and although he can be a bit scary at times, he can also be very sweet and playful.
Jackson and Emma are the youngest of the chimpanzees. Jackson spends his days playing and wrestling with Emma, and sometimes likes to bask in the sun while nuzzling with some blankets. Emma, on the other hand, loves to imitate our cleaning by doing some cleaning of her own. When given a small bucket and a scrub brush, Emma will get to work and start scrubbing.
Herbie is another loveable character. He loves casually flipping through magazines and sticking his tongue out at me as I walk by. Herbie also loves to play with many enrichment toys such as hats and shoes. I have yet to form a bond with the other three chimps, Kimie, Thiele and Maggie. I am sure that over the next six weeks of my stay, I will have formed lots of friendships not only with the chimpanzees, but also with the wonderful staff and volunteers that take care of them each and every day.
Fashionista Patti by Kristin Harvill-Stoughton
As it was a normal day at the sanctuary, running from place to place to get the routine duties completed, I caught myself stopping in my tracks next to the front enclosure at Chimps Inc. As any parent or person who has witnessed a child napping upright in a chair or snoozing on the family dog's bed, they cannot help but giggle ever so silently as to not awake the sleeping comedian. I noticed Patti today sleeping on her side, with a glove partially on her hand. It appeared as though she had struggled so hard to get her long chimp fingers into a tight made-for-humans glove, that she exhausted herself into a deep sleep. It was also enlightening to see her on Monday, perfectly slipping on a large foam finger pointer on her hand. Patti is quite the fashionista when it comes to hand accessories!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Chimps Inc. Wish List
Chimps Inc. Wish list
Enrichment
Magazines
Picture books
Crayons or markers
Sidewalk chalk
Drawing paper/coloring books
Non-toxic paint
Paint brushes
Playdough
Bubbles
T-shirts (The bigger, the better)
Socks
Gloves
Shoes or boots
Hats
Wigs
Masks
Jewelry (non-metallic)
Stuffed animals
Mirrors (Unbreakable)
Makeup (New or used)
Nail polish
Sunglasses (plastic)
Old musical instruments
Carpet samples
Book bags or purses
Plastic toys
Balls
Little Tykes items (The bigger, the better)
Burlap sacks
Scented oils, perfume, cooking extracts
Plastic food
Buckets
Funnels or water toys
Plastic bottles
Paper towel rolls
Old wrapping paper/ tissue paper
Food Items
Fruits and Vegetables
Unsweetened cereal
Nuts
Raisins or other dried fruit
Seeds
Applesauce
Yogurt
Peanut butter
Sugar-free jelly or jam
Jell-O packets
Coconut
Tea bags
Honey
Sugar-free hot chocolate
Unflavored oatmeal
Sanctuary needs
Blankets (new or used)
Brown paper lunch bags
Paper cups
Plastic utensils
Reusable plastic containers
Old tools (in good condition please)
PVC and components
Duct tape
Cable ties
Heavy duty chain
Rope
Fire hose
Cargo nets
Garden hose
Flower or vegetable seeds
Blog Update
Apologies are in order for the delay of posts onto the Chimps Inc. blog! We have had a few technical difficulties in logging in to our previous blog account, and thus created a new one! This site will be updated weekly with wonderful stories of our beloved chimpanzees, written by interns, caregivers, volunteers, and others who have had the opportunity to visit the sanctuary and would like to share their story. All stories may be submitted to chimpsincblog@gmail.com. Thank you for your patience, Chimps Inc. is slowly but surely becoming a member of many websites to spread the word for our wonderful 8 chimpanzees who cannot!
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