In celebration of Negra’s 39th birthday and the 4th anniversary of the chimps’ arrival at the sanctuary, we take a look back on the journey that brought Negra to us.
Thank you for all that you do to help us provide a home for Negra and her family.
(This video is narrated so you will need to turn your volume up)
Connie says
Have your tissue on hand before watching this touching video… Happy Birthday Neggie!!!!!
Cassey says
Thanks for the warning and agree, tears for sure with a happy ending.
Monica says
I can’t even begin to express my gratitude to everyone at CSNW for giving the Cle Elum Seven a new home, a new outlook on life and the freedom to get “out of the box”. From every part of my being I thank you all and wish you a Happy Fourth Anniversary. Happy Birthday to my beautiful Negra. She has been such an inspiration to me in my fight with cancer. I carried her photo with me to every chemo appointment and It gave me the strength to keep fighting.
Thank you ALL. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Libby says
God Bless and keep fighting in this life.
“The Car Goes where the eyes go.” — Garth Stein from The Art of Racing in the Rain
And thank you Negra and the Cle Elum 7 for all of your inspiration and the many things you are teaching us.
Denice says
Dearest Negra….. I am inspired everyday by your ability to move forward with dignity and purpose. I can only hope those dark days in the lab are a distant memory, that you awake each day with the thought of peanuts for breakfast and Young’s Hill with it’s fresh spring grass, of night bags filled with more peanuts and dried fruit and to end the day with all the blankets you can nest with.
Happy Birthday Negra
Donna says
I needed tissues…Negra, who has suffered so …
I am so happy she has such a beautiful home now.
I wish all human beings could watch this video ….
LOVE YOU NEGRA! Happy Birthday! You deserve FREEDOM!
Judy says
Heartbreaking…just horrible what happens to these poor chimps.
Negra looks so much different than when she arrived there at the sanctuary. So happy and healthy!
I sure wish you could rescue more!
Happy Birthday Negra! Best wishes for many more happy days!
Wanda Trotta says
Love certainly can accomplish some vey wonderful happenings and how Negra, Jamie, Jody, Annie, Foxie, Missy and Burrito deserve their escape from the torture chambers they came from!
Happy Happy Birthday to Negra and Happy Anniversary to the Cle Elum Seven!! There are many who love you and now it is up to all who do, to speak up for your brothers and sisters who still languish in labs across this country.
Wanda Trotta says
Love certainly can accomplish some very wonderful happenings and how Negra, Jamie, Jody, Annie, Foxie, Missy and Burrito deserve their escape from the torture chambers they came from!
Happy Happy Birthday to Negra and Happy Anniversary to the Cle Elum Seven!! There are many who love you and now it is up to all who do, to speak up for your brothers and sisters who still languish in labs across this country.
Sara Lissabet, Fairfax says
This is a creature that went from pale skin, sparse hair and dull eyes to toned muscles, a healthy body of hair, and glowing eyes. It’s as though she journeyed through hell and suddenly came out on the other side to the rest of her life in fresh air, sunlight, and the care of loving and compassionate humans.
I hope that someday, all of the documentation of the chimps and the changes they’ve been through will prove to everyone how we have been a rather barbaric species up to now. To put another living thing through this kind of treatment with no regard to their suffering – we have so much to learn.
Happy Birthday Negra. I have watched you and your companions grow these last four years, from the day you arrived. I have seen remarkable and beautiful changes and I have rejoiced at your playfulness and the light in your eyes. I look forward to watching you discover your cabin.
Thank you, staff at CSNW, for all you’ve done and continue to do for these remarkable creatures.
Chris says
My sentiments exactly Sara and all the above friends of the chimps. I couldn’t have said it better and pretty much can’t anyway as I’m sitting here sobbing. What a heart-wrenching, but also compassionate story…for all of them!! Happy Birthday beautiful Neggie…I so wished you could of been rescued years earlier and even more that you would of not have had to of been rescued at all and could of lived your life in the forest with your chimp family…..
We thank-you, Caregivers, every day for these past 4 yrs. of freedom for these 7, beautiful, souls….Happy 4th Anniversary and love to you all…human and chimps!! 🙂
Chris & Dave
S. Earlene Baty says
Happy Birthday Negra, you are my inspiration….I love that you are surrounded by family and friends who will ensure you will be happy for the rest of your life. I love your smile…We will all work very hard to make sure all the other Chimpanzees will be given the respect and happiness they deserve and become part of a loving home like the one you have….
Margaret. And Karen says
Happy birthday dearest Negra. You are indeed our Queen and we love you and respect you and learn from your strength and sweetness and beauty. We are constantly sorry for all you have been through at the hands of humans. It is a travesty that you were subjected to this treatment and that other great apes, such as you, continue to endure such pain. Now those days are behind you and your experience of humans will always be good ones now. There are hundreds of humans who will contribute to your well being and fight for the lives and well being of all great apes in captivity, be that in labs, entertainment, households or other commercial purposes. You deserve the very best.
Lesley says
Congratulations to you all. What an amazing team effort.
Cindy says
It’s hard to believe it’s already been 4 years of everyday magic and major miracles that have gotten us to this amazing day!
Happy Birthday Queen Neggie – Happy Anniversary to all!
May all the years to come be filled with trolls and Doras, sox and tutus, comfy nests just right for lazy yoga, food squeaks and night bag claps, sunshine, grass and snow cones; but most of all, great big playfaces, laughing primates, magic, miracles, friendship, happiness, health and love.
karen leslie says
I will take care of all ot them when I can!
Jennifer says
There are no words to express the feeling of seeing Negra and all the other chimps enjoy their freedom. I can’t even comprehend the life she had during 35 years of isolation as a research subject. It saddens me so deeply it is hard to think about.
Happy Birthday to Negra! And thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone at CSNW. You are wonderful and amazing.
Vivien says
Words cannot begin to describe my emotions on watching this video. Thank God there are people out there who really care for these animals – thank you all at the sanctuary for giving these gorgeous, wonderful creatures hope for the future! Happy Birthday and it’s a pleasure to be involved (even from a distance!). Sending lots of love and congratulations and heartfelt thanks for your amazing dedication!
Rita Stevenson says
Sweet Negra. My heart totally gois out to her, and all the chimps at CSNW. Im so glad she is safe now, and living well. No wonder all the other chimps respect Negra. 35yrs of life in labs is unimaginable. Thank God for CSNW and the humane staff who committ thier lives to giving, to the Cle Elum Seven..I will send more Nuts.com and blamkets. Comsidering , its a fave of all the chimps. Anything to keep Negra,Jody,Burrito,JamieAnnie,Missy and Foxie , happy and comfortable.
This was a very well edited and produced video, and most touching,
Naomi says
I am so proud of Negra, for never giving up and for being brave even when it gets scary. We’re so lucky to be able to learn from her what strength really means.
Linda Goodwin says
Beautiful Neggie, you are so dearly loved. Happy Birthday!
Devin McCormick says
This was so beautiful to watch knowing of the happy ending of Negras past and beginning of her new life 4 years ago. It really feels good to know there are people that give so much with the only concern that these munchkins are safe and excited to wake up every morning with whats to come. After seeing all that the staff at CSNW have done I decided about a year ago that a similar dream was my calling. I’m only 34 and lost my father a couple years ago but have saved the little he left me and work long days and save my money and qualified for a home loan recently and am in the process of finding a small ranch house with many acres so I can start my own animal sanctuary for abused rescue farm and domesticated animals. I unfortunately am doing this by myself and am not able to pull off what CSNW has but if I can provide even a fraction of the joy all of you give to Negra, Annie, Foxie, Jody, Burrito, Missy and Jamie I will be grateful. I would just like to thank all of you at CSNW for the inspiration and excitement you have given me. I had to discontinue my monthly donating a while back to save all I could for my dream but I plan on rejoining as a monthly donor soon just because I can’t get enough of the happiness you all put on these chimps faces. Keep up the great work and know that your inspiring others and bringing joy far and wide. I’m in Northern California and just wish I were closer.
Jeani Goodrich says
Negra, Happy, Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a day fit for the queen you are.
And Happy Anniversary to CSNW! What a wonderful 4 years! It seems like many years beyond the 4 in a lot of respects and yet a blink of an eye in other respects, the way the CE7 have bounced back, the repeated joys they share with us, the stamina you caregivers have just to name a few of the blinks. Everyone there at CSNW, both humans and chimps, have given so much joy to people all over the world and taught us so much. Thank you are just two small words but know they come from a grateful heart.