I was going to just post three photos of three amazing chimpanzees today (see photos below) with short captions, but I have been thinking about this CNN article all day. When I was looking at the photos, I thought even more about it.
The article, titled, “Chimps still stuck in research labs despite promise of retirement” is about the pronouncement the NIH made in June 2013 that they were going to retire all but 50 of the chimpanzees they owned to sanctuary. So far? Six have been retired and, according to the article, 24 have died.
It’s that last fact that really gets to me. Twenty four chimpanzees, who (unbeknownst to them) were potentially granted freedom from biomedical testing, died before they could experience a sanctuary life.
As things are right now, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest could not take in retired NIH chimpanzees – Chimp Haven, a wonderful sanctuary in Louisiana, is the only sanctuary that has a contract with the government to retire NIH owned chimpanzees and therefore also the only sanctuary that receives federal funding.
But we know there are also over 400 chimpanzees who are privately “funded” by biomedical research institutions. They too deserve to know a life in a TRUE sanctuary, and they too are dying before they have that opportunity.
The NIH announcement a year and a half ago seemed to signal the beginning of the end of the use of chimpanzees in biomedical testing in the United States, but this means nothing to those individual chimpanzees who will spend the next however many days, months, or years waiting, only to die in a laboratory – never knowing there was an alternative life waiting for them.
I’m not going to pretend that I have the immediate solution to this problem. I know that many people are working on it, and it’s going to require a lot of trust, cooperation, and, especially, money. But, when I look into the eyes of the chimpanzees at CSNW who have known six and half years of a quality sanctuary life, it hurts to think of the chimpanzees out there waiting for the same chance.
We must maintain hope, however. And CSNW must work towards a future that includes retiring more chimpanzees at our sanctuary, whether from biomedical research or the pet and entertainment industries.
Their only hope lies with all of us.
Foxie
Jamie
Negra
This photo of Negra was in our last e-news communication about Share the Chimp Love)
This news is heartbreaking!
Thank you for all you guys do at CSN to help make a different outcome for the 7 and hopefully more!
My heart is broken for all of the chimpanzees still imprisoned in biomedical research facilities, & I am especially sad about the most recent deaths of these chimps. Thank you so much for all that you do to provide a wonderful, free life for the Cle Elum 7!! Hoping we can all work together to raise funds to allow you to take in & provide for more chimps in need!!
Heartbreaking news, but please take comfort in the wonderful work that you are doing for the chimps. We must continue to speak for the chimps and others that have no voice.
this is where we need a few billionaires to support building new sanctuary to provide homes for the ones still waiting, ,
I don’t have the answers,
How could we all take this on so WE ALL CAN HELP those lingering and waiting,
This is a beautiful post. It hurts to think of what can be done, and I believe it is worth fighting for…. but thank you for honoring the individuals who are lucky enough to have a light shown on their story. Their stories matter. They count.
Please let us know how we can partner with you to help…….I can’t even think about these poor souls suffering so horribly.
Right on Diana! I received an appeal letter from NEAVS in October 2014 that I keep posted in my office as a reminder of “what hurts the most”. Here is a portion of this letter:
“To date, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — the federal “owner” of these chimpanzees — has failed to provide an answer or to offer the public its plan for making good on its announcement to retire nearly all of its chimpanzees and thereby finally fulfill the mandate and vision of the CHIMP Act.
Of the 284 former NIH-owned chimpanzees released to federal sanctuary since the passage of the CHIMP Act, only 195 are still alive — a glaring reminder that for those still suffering in the debilitating conditions of labs, their time and chance for sanctuary is running out.
With few exceptions, laboratories are barren, even hostile environment that deprive chimpanzees of trees, sky, fresh air, grass, family, and friends. Those who remain in laboratories continue to live lives fraught with anxiety, pain, and fear……
Chimpanzees, like all captive animals, cannot be released to the wild. They are strangers to that world. The money spent to house them in labs must be redirected to provide them with quality, environmentally rich sanctuary. Such responsible budgeting will save tax dollars and provide priceless improvements in the lives of the chimpanzees. Funds for their lifetime care were allocated under the CHIMP Act and Congress recently passed legislation adding to those funds. A caring public has shown its support through nearly two decades of donations to chimpanzees. Chimpanzees deserve restitution — lifetime care in sanctuary — for the decades of harm humans have caused them. Restitution is affordable and the responsibility of a compassionate society.
It’s been almost two years since the IOM’s report, and yet the NIH — a $30 billion federal agency — has not offered a plan to release all its chimpanzees to sanctuary. Nor have they followed through on their mandate to fund 90% of the sanctuary construction. NEAVS finds their lack of action unacceptable and unconscionable. We must demand a full and transparent implementation plan from the NIH, including how it will fund new and expanded sanctuary housing. Please take a minute to contact NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins, at [email protected]. Ask him to make public an effective plan to build needed sanctuary space and a timeline for when ALL NIH chcimpanzees will be finally safe in sanctuary.”
The letter is signed, Theodora Capaldo, EdD (I so admire her!)
We all have a voice and only by speaking up together can we save those chimpanzees still imprisoned so they too can live their promised lives.
Thank you, everyone, for your kind words and for your concern about all chimpanzees left in biomedical research.
Kathleen’s post with the NEAVS letter is perfect. What we can do specifically about the chimpanzees the NIH has promised to retire is to “contact NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins at [email protected]. Ask him to make public an effective plan to build needed sanctuary space and a timeline for when ALL NIH chimpanzees will be finally safe in sanctuary.”
It’s important that they know the public remains concerned about these chimpanzees and are looking to him for a timeline for their retirement.
Theodora Capaldo’s letter was so compassionate and on message you can see what I saved it.
I encourage those who are interested to stay active and educate others on this issue. Supporting animal welfare organizations and chimpanzee sanctuaries, responding to “take action” requests, and keeping yourself educated helps chimpanzees. For those connected and active on social media it’s great to post (you could copy and paste the letter above from NEAVS) on Facebook, tweet, contact your local and national newspapers asking them to cover the story. If inspired, start a Crowd Sourcing page for signatures like Wanda Trotta suggested. Grassroots efforts can move mountains. Together we are strong. : )
Hummmm…….. this is worth considering: Make change with an online petition : change.org
A petition is a time-tested way to make change. At its simplest, it’s a clear request to a decision maker, signed by many supporters. With Change.org’s powerful online petition tool, you have power to connect with more people — and make more change — than ever before. Visit to learn more:
http://www.change.org/guides/how-an-online-petition-works
Dear Diana,
So will you please let us know when “something” is started to free the rest of these people from captivity? Do you think there will be an e-mail to sign in the near future?
In the meantime we can e-mail Francis Collins.
Thanks
Wanda
Wanda – you bet. Really the most effective action right now is to contact Dr. Collins and continue to let him know that citizens are concerned that no plan for retiring chimpanzees has been made public AND that we do not accept laboratories as acceptable places to “retire” chimpanzees.
Another handy page from NEAVS includes a way to contact all of the private laboratories that have chimpanzees. See here: http://www.releasechimps.org/resources/publication/retire-privately-owned-chimpanzees-now