Today is the second anniversary of when the Cle Elum Seven were given grass under their feet and sun over their heads for the first time in decades—and for some—their first time ever. Celebrate their freedom with us and share this video from their first day out to commemorate the last two years of Young’s Hill!
Here’s a trip down memory lane with pictures from their first day out:
It looks like Jamie has lost weight since that day, probably from her daily numerous laps around the hill. Has she?
Wow! It’s hard to believe it was two years ago the chimps got to go out into such a vast open area. How Young’s Hill has changed their lives! What can we expect in this upcoming year? It will be a joy to find out!
Happy Hooty Anniversary! Thank you Don & Karen Young for helping to create such Joy for the 7!
Young’s Hill must seem like a vast forest to the 7. It is amazing how small they look on their 2 acres of open space. Two years has passed by so quickly. We will never forget when they first went onto the hill. They had been waiting and watching JB and his volunteers work on what they knew was something wonderful for them. When the day came, they lined up like school kids waiting for the bus on the first day of school. The doors opened onto the hill and out they went! Just imagine if you had their histories, had been confined in research labs, then a sanctuary nighthouse, then an outdoor space, then the green house, and all of a sudden the sky opened without bars and you had ground beneath your feet, felt the wind, smelled the grasses, could climb and explore. to see them adjust to this space has been exciting and remarkable. They each have such distinct personalities that are evidenced on how they relate to the hill. Congratulations to them! They are awesome as are the caretakers who work so hard each day for them, who treat them with dignity, kindness and respect and who are repaid in kind. Look at the strides Negra has made! Remarkable. Thanks to all of you on the staff, volunters, the Board for doing such an amazing job with the chimps. It is an honor to be a part of such a well run sanctuary, one found by accident on line when the chimps had just arrived! It has been a wonderful experience for us to be a part of the CSNW family. A toast to the hill that changed the lives of the 7 in ways no one ever expected.