Today is a big day for me—it is my last day as a staff caregiver at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. I am excited to say that I will be beginning a new position with an animal advocacy group where I can utilize all my skills I’ve learned while developing and working on the Eyes on Apes program and fighting for chimpanzees everywhere. It is not a goodbye for me, though—I will be working from home, which means I will remain very much apart of the lives of the Cle Elum Seven and their human friends, too! Sorry guys, you can’t get rid of me just yet 😉
Though I am not saying goodbye, I have been reflecting a lot lately on my time here at CSNW and the relationships I’ve built with the chimpanzees over the last seven years! I started as a volunteer just a couple months after the chimpanzees arrived and they stole my heart. At the time, I was a graduate student working with signing chimpanzees in Ellensburg (a similar background to many of the CSNW staff) but I still didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. Since chimpanzee caregiving jobs are few and far between, odds were that I would end up doing something completely unrelated. But as I spent more time at CSNW, seeing the chimpanzees change and grow in sanctuary, my career path became solidified. Words can truly never express how amazing it is to witness the incredible transformation and second chance that sanctuary can provide for chimpanzees.
Negra is a perfect example. She was stolen from her mother and captured from Africa as an infant, and then forced into research to be used in invasive vaccination testing for human diseases. She was also used a breeder, and had her three babies taken from her within days of birth. As if that wasn’t already bad enough, Negra was kept in complete isolation for nearly two years.
Negra has no grounds to trust humans. How could she? After everything that they had done to her—no one is surprised that she isn’t quick to trust someone. Negra’s changes in sanctuary have been very gradual, but we have seen a lot of growth. Negra from day one was (understandably) untrusting and preferred solitude. It became clear after a little while that Negra exhibited symptoms of someone with PTSD and depression. But as the years went by, we saw Negra playing—first with her chimpanzee friends, and then with humans! And she slowly became more trusting as well.
I learned very early on that Negra does not like to be touched. It is likely that she had several negative experiences in the lab, literally being poked and prodded, and so even a gentle knuckle rub would make her scream and run away. After some time, though, she would occasionally ask for a knuckle rub by offering her back to her caregivers. I remember the first time I gave Negra a knuckle rub I was almost in tears, just thinking about how long it took her to realize that she was safe here—and I would not hurt her.
Honestly, I’m not sure that she’s completely convinced of that fact. Just due to the sheer horror of her past, she has not fully moved on from those nightmares. Every once-in-a-while, something will startle Negra and the PTSD symptoms come through. As we started working on positive reinforcement training a little over a month ago, Negra was not thrilled with the sound of the clicker. Something about that sound associated with a bad memory for her, and she did not react very well at first. However, we were able to muffle the clicker sound by placing it in our pockets, and that seemed to work just fine. (And now she is fine without the muffle!) The next step was getting her comfortable with the target—the PVC tubes we use also were uncomfortable for her at first. After a few sessions though, she became more used to it, and realized that getting grapes and chow are totally worth touching that stupid stick. 😉
Ultimately, the positive reinforcement training is something that will be really incredible for Negra. We will be able to work up to a point where we can perform stress-free medical checks. And, if we ever needed to anesthetize her for any reason, we will be able to do so without any trauma, because she will have learned that presenting her shoulder for a poke results in a positive experience.
Since trust doesn’t come easy for her, and since she prefers routine over new things, I was worried that as her primary trainer, I would not be Negra’s biggest fan. However, I completely miscalculated how things would go. Instead of causing a strain on our relationship, training has made our friendship so much stronger. She has impressed me so much with her progress in our sessions, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. What I thought would take months, she has accomplished in just a few weeks. Negra not only confidently touches the target wherever I place it, but she also has started opening her mouth (a useful behavior for dental checks) and she is even presenting her shoulder.
Since this video was taken, she has become more reliable with the behaviors and is very comfortable with me touching her shoulder (even with a stick!)
Now that I’ve exhausted everyone with such a wordy post, here are a bunch of some of my favorite photos of Negra:
Tonight, we will be celebrating the last seven years of sanctuary at our annual HOOT! gala event in Seattle. We will be sharing stories of the gradual changes and new experiences that sanctuary has given Queen Negra and her chimpanzee family (or should I say the royal subjects under her reign?)
There really is no better send-off for me headed into my new adventure than joining everyone tonight in this celebration of sanctuary. I look forward to seeing you all there!
Good luck in your new career. I agree Negra is a very special person. You helped her become all she is today.
Thank you, Barbara!
What a lovely post! I love them all, but must admit Negra does tug at my heart strings … I hope the ‘Hoot’ is a huge success tonight. Good luck with the next leg of your journey.
HOOT! Was a huge success, indeed! Thanks for your support, Dalyce!
I loved your post! Thank you for sharing this about Negra, it’s amazing how far she has come
with love and consistency. What a privilege to be a part of it
Thank you, Julie!
I loved this post. Best wishes as you step into your future. Several favorites of mine among the pics you chose. hoots!
Thanks, Pat! It was lovely to see you at HOOT!
I enjoyed reading every word. The eyes are the window to the soul and what a beautiful soul Negra is. The best of luck with your new job. Looking forward to tonight. See you there!
Thank you Jen 🙂
I wish you all the best in the future! Love the pictures of Negra. She is a beautiful lady!
Thanks Jackie!
Truly a lovely post. Negra has my heart, as do the others. Good luck in your new position.
Thanks Barb!
This is a beautiful post and tribute to both Negra and your time at the sanctuary. Best of luck in your future position.
Thank you Aimee!
Debbie, we wish you all the best in your new opportunity and are so happy to hear that you will still be involved in the sanctuary. After all of the time you have spent with Negra and the love and admiration you have for her, we are sure that wild horses will not be able to keep you away from visits. Thanks so much for your loyalty to CSNW, for your dedication to the chimps, and for all of your hard work. We are happy you have such a unique opportunity and wish you all the best on this next adventure in your life. Have fun at the Hoot gala, a great send off for you.
Karen and Don, thank you for the kind words! Brought tears to my eyes 🙂 It is true, I will definitely still be a part of the Cle Elum Seven’s lives.
I enjoyed the video of Negra participating in the positive reinforcement medical checks training. She looks very engaged and interested (in snacks).
Thank you, Debbie, for the seven years of loving care you have given to the chimpanzees. I wish you much success in your new advocacy work.
Thank you! Negra is definitely interested in the snacks – it’s great motivation for her! Hopefully one day we will be able to perform many various health checks because of her willingness to participate. Yay, Neggie!
What can I say… first I send you my very best and warmest wishes for your success in your future endeavors. I love your “activist” passions to help chimpanzees. Your are my inspiration. But this post on my Neggie has left me speechless. I think to win the trust of such a beautiful creature like Negra must be a life changing experience — it is so lovely that she trusts you (and that darn clicker!) You are so lucky to have acquired the friendships of some of the greatest people can think of…….. Washoe’s family and the Cle Elum Seven. You have many gifts to offer and I know the animal kingdom will be forever enriched by your passion and your new path to be their voice. Speak loudly for them all and know I too am listening. I have no doubt that you will change the world for the better. Stay in touch and know I support you because you support them! Pant Hoots for your success!!!
Kathleen, I can’t express enough how much your comment means to me! Thank you for your support and I truly appreciate everything you have done to support the Cle Elum Seven, Eyes on Apes, and chimpanzees everywhere (and of course other animals as well!) Thank you, thank you, thank you. <3
I will miss seeing you on Saturdays Debbie. Good luck with your new position. You will do great 🙂
Oh, did I not mention? I’ll be battling all you weekenders for shift spots 😉 Okay, okay, we can just work together still. 🙂