Counting up the years to the present day, today is a brief look at the Cle Elum Seven’s third year of sanctuary.
Year Three was a time of both settling in and preparing for further adventures as we worked on the construction of the chimps’ two-acre outdoor enclosure that we now call Young’s Hill.
The chimps continued to spend lots of time in the greenhouse year-round as staff and volunteers prepped the hill for future excitement.
They also reaped the seeds sown by the staff’s and volunteer Denice’s labor in the sanctuary’s garden:
And we all got to see more of the chimps’ personalities come to light, sometimes in amusing ways. This is one of my favorite videos of that period that illustrates Jamie’s reign:
Jamie’s love of cowboy/girl boots continued, with her occasionally getting a boot that she would wear:
And Foxie’s love of troll dolls did not wane in the least:
Historically, it was also the year that we, along with other groups, urged supporters to put pressure on the National Institutes of Health to reverse a decision to move chimpanzees into active research from the Alamogordo Primate Facility. Looking back, this public pressure was part of a turning point for chimpanzees, and likely helped in the NIH decision to stop using chimpanzees in federally-sponsored research. Today, these same chimpanzees are now slated to go to Chimp Haven in Louisiana! At the time, however, it was uncertain what their fate would be.
At lot has changed for the better in the last few years, both for the chimpanzees at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and the outlook for other chimpanzees in captivity. Looking back can be a really good thing.
Next up for tomorrow: the year of Young’s Hill!!
I loved this – I could sit and watch these videos all day long … You’ve all done such a wonderful job – well done you!
Another enjoyable collection, thank you! The vegan cowboy boots were a crazy creative idea, love it! I have no idea how Chris thought that one up but the the last photos from that post are now 3 of my favorite images. Priceless. From the looks of Jody’s Spa Day, CSNW has always thrown THE very best parities too. It is hard for me to comprehend how you, and your supporters, continue to outdo yourselves. It is not just love that surrounds the Cle Elum Seven, there is this boundless ‘creative adoration’ that is such a joy to witness as well. Year 3 seems to have been a great year.
“creative adoration” I love that! You are such a wordsmith, Kathleen: You too express your creative adoration for the chimps. Thank you!
a great stroll down memory lane – a good year!
There is power in numbers! Thank you for all you do to make the chimps’ lives better.