A lifetime ago – ahem – I mean, right before the chimps arrived, we held a dedication ceremony at the chimphouse . At the event, I talked about how our donors were about to make a real difference in the lives of the Buckshire Seven (as we called them then). I remember saying something like: “Without you (our donors), I wouldn’t have met our new friend Negra last December. I stood in the hallway of the dungeon she lives in and watched as she carefully tried to weave a nest for herself out of scraps of newspaper. When she’s here next week, sitting up on that loft, lounging in the best nest she’s ever made, with as many blankets as she can carry, that will be because of you.”
I’m not sure who made this nest (which had 20 blankets and a troll), but it certainly does seem to represent the difference I was talking about! Thanks to you!
Now that is a pillowtop nest…that looks so comfortable, I could sleep in that. I love that they have the stuff to make their number bed, they can meake it as soft or as hard as they like and we all know how we love comfort when we sleep!…A troll doll huh, should we make this a game of Clue!
Oh Sarah, this makes me cry. I am so grateful that the CE7 are now with you in Cle Elum & that they can make warm, comfortable nests with “as many blankets as they can carry’! I LOVE that!! Just the thought of Negra trying to make a nest with scraps of newspaper breaks my heart! Your description gives us a picture of the conditions they came from….I’m so glad they don’t have to experience that “dungeon” anymore! Thank you!
I’m trying to imagine how it must have felt for this masterful nest builder when they first realized, “I can have another blanket if I want — and another — and another.” How amazing it must have been to repeatedly be able to take yet another blanket, just because they wanted it. To experience such abundance after such deprivation.
No wonder you’re hearing so many chimp giggles these days!
This fills me with so much joy- I am honored to have the privilege to help you guys in whatever small ways I can. i wish it was more!
Thank you so much, Sarah – we need the reminders of where Negra and the family came from and so appreciate the opportunities we’ve each had to do whatever we can. There are still more than 1000 chimpanzee’s trying to make a nest with a few shreds of newspaper in tiny, dark, isolated lab cages. We just simply must continue to do what we can to help get them released.
Has Foxie improved her nest making skills? How about Burrito?
Poor babies living in such conditions before – and what lucky babies now that they have you to watch after them and give them all those blankets and trolls! 🙂
Here is Project R & R’s page on the Great Ape Protection Act:
http://www.releasechimps.org/mission/change-laws/
If you haven’t yet contacted your congressional rep to support GAPA, you can easily do so via the Project R & R website:
http://ga1.org/campaign/gapa
trying to make a nest with scraps of newspaper, what an absolutely heartbreaking thing to witness Sarah .. reminds me of when I read about Jaybee trying to make a nest with his monkey chow biscuits, placed perfectly in a circle around him.. he’d rather have the comfort of some kind of nest than to eat them .. so heartbreaking and gutwrenching to say the least ..
Thank you again CSNW for rescuing these intelligent magnificent beings! Much love and respect to you all.
Oh Sarah, Thank you for this post. I cried reading your message. What a difference everyone has made in the lives of our 7. And I agree we need to keep working on making the other chimps lives bearable and happy.
I do wonder with the troll found in the nest if Foxie is holding out on us or if she took over the nest when someone left it!
NOW, that is a nest to be proud of………..
How wonderful that they use as many blankets as it takes to make a nest they are satisfied with. Since there was a troll involved I am sure hoping it’s my gorgeous girl Foxie that made that nest. She deserves to be a luxury condo gal!
So sweet! :o)