Caring for former research chimps can be a balancing act at times. We don’t want to rush them into anything they’re not ready for, and considering what they’ve been through, it’s no surprise that some would have a hard time adjusting to certain aspects of life in sanctuary. For example, some former lab chimps fail to make nests like their wild counterparts and even go as far as clearing blankets and other bedding out of the way so that they can lay down on the hard concrete floor. Others refuse to set foot on grass, clinging instead to metal caging and bars wherever possible. The lab environment they came from was harsh but it was familiar. For the Cle Elum Seven, it was all they knew for as much as 35 years.
Negra is a good example of this kind of institutionalization. For decades she had no choice but to follow the same routine: Sleep, eat, repeat. What else is there to do when you live indoors in a cage all by yourself? Here at CSNW, Negra still finds comfort in that routine, only now she sleeps on a mountain of soft blankets and eats a huge variety of fresh foods as well as her beloved night bags. Still, if she had her way, nearly every day would be the same: eat, sleep, repeat.
But life in sanctuary offers so much more and it would be a shame if Negra didn’t get to take advantage of it. The trick is to find a way to nudge chimps like Negra toward healthier and more interesting choices without causing them undue stress. Sunlight and exercise are good for Negra, even though she might think otherwise. So each day, we try to get her to expand her horizons and push the boundaries of her comfort zone, even if it’s just by a little bit. Today, for example, we put some of her favorite foods out on the hill as a forage. And guess who was first out the door? More specifically, guess who elbowed her way to the front of the line so she could be first out the door?
Negra has come so far since her rescue in 2008. All she needed was freedom of choice, a lot of patience, and a little nudge now and again.
