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!

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!