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Comments
Amy M.says
Elizabeth — You totally made my day!!
Rhondasays
Thank you – I love the pictures.
Candy (Tyler, TX)says
Thanks, Elizabeth, I can always count on a smile when I come to this website. I was trying to decide which color Jamie looks best in, I think she looks good in any color.
Fransays
Ahhh, such lovely ballerinas that I could ever see! They are obviously enjoying themselves….it makes me happy to see it. Big kudos to you!
Annasays
LOLOL – Jamie looooves her tutus! 🙂 And so many different colors to choose from!
Theresasays
She truly is a very special girl, our Jamie! Thanks, Elizabeth. I really needed that smile after the past week.
Audreysays
Love these pictures!! 🙂 They are so heartwarming! No more plucking hair from her tummy like she did before you rescued her. She is much too busy with all of the fashions & enrichments provided for her!! Thank you all so much for saving her life…(& the others)!!!! You can see by her face that she is happy & content after a year and a half in sanctuary!
Denizsays
While I’m sure Chimp Sanctuary Northwest does wonderful work and it’s great that Jamie was rescued … I hope you will consider that her desire to “wear a tutu” is only a result of her unnatural life. I think it’s wrong for a sanctuary (or anyone) to promote this view/image of chimps as it just furthers the grotesque image promoted by the animal-use industry – an image that has brought much suffering to chimps worldwide. While Jamie may wish to do unnatural things such as wear a tutu – I urge you all to consider that promoting this imagery of chimps is no in THEIR best interest (although it may be “enjoyable” or “entertaining” for you).
You’re absolutely right to bring this issue up, and you’re right that it’s unnatural too. This is something we’ve addressed here before (See this post: https://chimpsnw.org/?p=786), but it doesn’t hurt to repeat it. Thanks for the reminder!
It’s something I feel particularly connected to since I worked undercover in the entertainment industry and saw first-hand what the chimps are subjected to. The simple fact of Jamie’s captivity is unnatural. No captive chimpanzee can adequately have their needs met, even in the best facility. But since we can’t send them back to the jungle, we do our best to meet their needs. For Jamie, that means giving her opportunities to play with toys, write with pens, and put on clothes. Natural or not, that’s what she chooses.
Being able to share Jamie’s story educates our supporters about exactly why chimps don’t belong in captivity in entertainment, research, private homes, or any other setting. And then they go out and act as advocates for captive chimpanzees everywhere! Because of this education, our supporters recently succeeded at getting a chimp segment pulled from Dancing with the Stars. We’re making progress together!
Cheers,
Sarah
deesays
when I first saw Jamie wearing articles of clothing last year, I too was a bit concerned that some people would not “get it” or fully understand her particular situation/needs/wants that she chooses to do..
not that I need to be reminded, but when I see these kinds of pictures posted on this blog, it’s sharply bittersweet and it reminds me of how the human species really *screwed* her up and over, before she safely made it to CSNW.. for me it’s not “promotion” but a truly sad reality worthy of fully understanding..
I’m guessing that there must have been plenty of times/days when tutu’s, socks, clothing, etc., were laid out in their enclosure and Jamie and Missy ignored them and chose NOT to put them on..
I’m pretty sure that if CSNW had some serious cash (like hundreds of thousands of dollars laying around) – they’d expand this sanctuary and build a jungle! furthermore, if/when they can build this more natural environment, which would definitely encourage more natural chimp behavior, I bet that Jamie would still like the option/choice of wearing a tutu, scarf, tie…and Foxie would still lovingly carry around her “babies”…
just surmising and thanks for this important reminder
Michelle Coburnsays
I appreciate reading this particular segment of comments, and seeing the broad spectrum of perspectives. However, as Sarah mentions, the “unnatural” behaviors of wearing clothes, and whatever other things they do in this unnatural setting are all a matter of choice for them. I think if we had seen the treatment Sarah has seen in making/training chimpanzees to do things that they wouldn’t otherwise do, we certainly wouldn’t want any association with that horrific and abusive process. But, the fact remains that these are behaviors they know, things they have learned to do, and are now a part of their mental capacity. I wonder if perhaps they are a form of comfort, something familiar that they can draw on to process their current world. The biggest issue for me in understanding and accepting this behavior is that it is their CHOICE…something they never had in their previous environments, and I would guess from a primatologist’s perspective, this makes all the difference for them.
Michelle Coburn
Pat Csays
I really appreciate the education that The 7’s Caregivers provide.
One of the things that I’ve learned since I began following The 7 was about Chimp language – the meaning of the faces and noises the they make. They don’t lie. I am now horrified when I see greeting cards, movies, and other images because I know that the Chimp isn’t happy. and I point that out to the people I’m with or the strangers standing nearby.
When I look at the images and videos on this blog, I see happy faces and hear happy sounds. When I look at the earliest posts like https://chimpsnw.org/?m=20080613 at least they’re not frightened Chimps in pain. Having followed The 7 since the beginning, the transformation is amazing. Obviously the Caregivers make choices about what they share with us, but they’ve posted the good, the bad (like Foxie scalping a troll…or was that good? 🙂 ) and the ugly (like the fight), so I have faith that they give us an accurate picture.
I was in the jungle once. I was amazed at how huge some jungle leaves can be. Who’s to say some Chimp somewhere didn’t don a leaf-hat to keep the sun or rain out of her eyes?
cheers!
Pat Csays
A quick note to share something I do to advocate for captive Chimps: when I see Chimp photos on greeting cards, I take them to the manger, politely explain that they may not know this, but…and I tell the story and point them here.
and then I ask them to reconsider choosing those kinds of cards when they make their future orders.
At my local drug store, the manger can’t not take the Chimp cards, they are part of a package. So she doesn’t put them out for sale, and eventually returns them with a note that they don’t sell.
Elizabeth — You totally made my day!!
Thank you – I love the pictures.
Thanks, Elizabeth, I can always count on a smile when I come to this website. I was trying to decide which color Jamie looks best in, I think she looks good in any color.
Ahhh, such lovely ballerinas that I could ever see! They are obviously enjoying themselves….it makes me happy to see it. Big kudos to you!
LOLOL – Jamie looooves her tutus! 🙂 And so many different colors to choose from!
She truly is a very special girl, our Jamie! Thanks, Elizabeth. I really needed that smile after the past week.
Love these pictures!! 🙂 They are so heartwarming! No more plucking hair from her tummy like she did before you rescued her. She is much too busy with all of the fashions & enrichments provided for her!! Thank you all so much for saving her life…(& the others)!!!! You can see by her face that she is happy & content after a year and a half in sanctuary!
While I’m sure Chimp Sanctuary Northwest does wonderful work and it’s great that Jamie was rescued … I hope you will consider that her desire to “wear a tutu” is only a result of her unnatural life. I think it’s wrong for a sanctuary (or anyone) to promote this view/image of chimps as it just furthers the grotesque image promoted by the animal-use industry – an image that has brought much suffering to chimps worldwide. While Jamie may wish to do unnatural things such as wear a tutu – I urge you all to consider that promoting this imagery of chimps is no in THEIR best interest (although it may be “enjoyable” or “entertaining” for you).
Hi Deniz,
You’re absolutely right to bring this issue up, and you’re right that it’s unnatural too. This is something we’ve addressed here before (See this post: https://chimpsnw.org/?p=786), but it doesn’t hurt to repeat it. Thanks for the reminder!
It’s something I feel particularly connected to since I worked undercover in the entertainment industry and saw first-hand what the chimps are subjected to. The simple fact of Jamie’s captivity is unnatural. No captive chimpanzee can adequately have their needs met, even in the best facility. But since we can’t send them back to the jungle, we do our best to meet their needs. For Jamie, that means giving her opportunities to play with toys, write with pens, and put on clothes. Natural or not, that’s what she chooses.
Being able to share Jamie’s story educates our supporters about exactly why chimps don’t belong in captivity in entertainment, research, private homes, or any other setting. And then they go out and act as advocates for captive chimpanzees everywhere! Because of this education, our supporters recently succeeded at getting a chimp segment pulled from Dancing with the Stars. We’re making progress together!
Cheers,
Sarah
when I first saw Jamie wearing articles of clothing last year, I too was a bit concerned that some people would not “get it” or fully understand her particular situation/needs/wants that she chooses to do..
not that I need to be reminded, but when I see these kinds of pictures posted on this blog, it’s sharply bittersweet and it reminds me of how the human species really *screwed* her up and over, before she safely made it to CSNW.. for me it’s not “promotion” but a truly sad reality worthy of fully understanding..
I’m guessing that there must have been plenty of times/days when tutu’s, socks, clothing, etc., were laid out in their enclosure and Jamie and Missy ignored them and chose NOT to put them on..
I’m pretty sure that if CSNW had some serious cash (like hundreds of thousands of dollars laying around) – they’d expand this sanctuary and build a jungle! furthermore, if/when they can build this more natural environment, which would definitely encourage more natural chimp behavior, I bet that Jamie would still like the option/choice of wearing a tutu, scarf, tie…and Foxie would still lovingly carry around her “babies”…
just surmising and thanks for this important reminder
I appreciate reading this particular segment of comments, and seeing the broad spectrum of perspectives. However, as Sarah mentions, the “unnatural” behaviors of wearing clothes, and whatever other things they do in this unnatural setting are all a matter of choice for them. I think if we had seen the treatment Sarah has seen in making/training chimpanzees to do things that they wouldn’t otherwise do, we certainly wouldn’t want any association with that horrific and abusive process. But, the fact remains that these are behaviors they know, things they have learned to do, and are now a part of their mental capacity. I wonder if perhaps they are a form of comfort, something familiar that they can draw on to process their current world. The biggest issue for me in understanding and accepting this behavior is that it is their CHOICE…something they never had in their previous environments, and I would guess from a primatologist’s perspective, this makes all the difference for them.
Michelle Coburn
I really appreciate the education that The 7’s Caregivers provide.
One of the things that I’ve learned since I began following The 7 was about Chimp language – the meaning of the faces and noises the they make. They don’t lie. I am now horrified when I see greeting cards, movies, and other images because I know that the Chimp isn’t happy. and I point that out to the people I’m with or the strangers standing nearby.
When I look at the images and videos on this blog, I see happy faces and hear happy sounds. When I look at the earliest posts like https://chimpsnw.org/?m=20080613 at least they’re not frightened Chimps in pain. Having followed The 7 since the beginning, the transformation is amazing. Obviously the Caregivers make choices about what they share with us, but they’ve posted the good, the bad (like Foxie scalping a troll…or was that good? 🙂 ) and the ugly (like the fight), so I have faith that they give us an accurate picture.
I was in the jungle once. I was amazed at how huge some jungle leaves can be. Who’s to say some Chimp somewhere didn’t don a leaf-hat to keep the sun or rain out of her eyes?
cheers!
A quick note to share something I do to advocate for captive Chimps: when I see Chimp photos on greeting cards, I take them to the manger, politely explain that they may not know this, but…and I tell the story and point them here.
and then I ask them to reconsider choosing those kinds of cards when they make their future orders.
At my local drug store, the manger can’t not take the Chimp cards, they are part of a package. So she doesn’t put them out for sale, and eventually returns them with a note that they don’t sell.
Same with movies…
every little bit counts.