Someone working on a school project asked me recently about my favorite part of working with chimpanzees. There are certainly endless rewards, and I could write a novel about them all. But I think the most rewarding thing in the world is being a part of helping the Cle Elum Seven get better. They’re stronger, healthier, more robust, and more confident (by far!) than they were when they arrived here almost 5 years ago. Though everyone has changed, I think Negra’s changes really touch us all. Just looking into her eyes, and knowing her stories (like spending a full year in total isolation at the notorious and now defunct Coulston Foundation)… Well, I will just let the pictures speak to that volume of emotion.
Everyone who reads this blog and helps us spread the word is a part of helping Negra make this incredible transformation. Thank you!
Here is Negra in a lab cage:
And here she is on Young’s Hill:
What a difference a few years, a bunch of choices, good food, and people who love you can make.
