• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

  • Our Family
    • The Chimpanzees
    • The Cattle
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • Visiting the Sanctuary
    • Philosophy
      • FAQs
      • Mission, Vision & Goals
      • Privacy Policy
    • The Humans
      • Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • Founder
    • Annual Reports
    • The Future of CSNW
    • CSNW In The News
  • You can help
    • Donate
      • Transfer Stock
      • Give from your IRA
      • Be a Chimpanzee Pal
      • Be a Bovine Buddy
      • Sponsor-a-Day
      • Be a Produce Patron
      • Personalized Stones
      • Bring Them Home Campaign
    • Leave A Legacy
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer
    • See Our Wish List
    • Events
  • Resources
    • About Chimpanzees
    • Enrichment Database
    • Advocacy
      • Apes in Entertainment
        • Trainers
        • Role of the AHA
        • Greeting Cards
      • Chimpanzees as Pets
      • Roadside Zoos
      • Chimpanzees in Biomedical Research
      • Conservation
        • African Apes
        • Orangutans
  • Shop
    • Merchandise Store
    • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Donate

Archives for September 2016

Missy’s 2nd Chance & Those Left Behind

September 30, 2016 by Diana

This year for Great Apes Giving Day, I decided to highlight Missy’s story. If you are new to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest or haven’t been following every single blog post, you may have missed the story of how Missy almost didn’t make it to her sanctuary home. Take a minute to read this story on our Great Apes Giving Day page here.

 

support Missy

 

There’s another story that we don’t tell very often.

The Cle Elum Seven should have been the Cle Elum Eight. There was an eighth chimpanzee living at Buckshire with Missy, Burrito, Negra, Jody, Annie, Foxie, and Jamie who died two years before the Cle Elum Seven came to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. He was a male chimpanzee and we believe his name was Ceaser.

I never met him, but I think about him, and what he represents, all of the time.

It is such an amazing time in history right now with the end of biomedical testing on chimpanzees in the United States. And it’s a frustrating time because there are hundreds of chimpanzees who are waiting for their opportunity to live out the rest of their lives in a sanctuary home where the only mission is to provide them with the best care possible.

And I know there will be chimpanzees like Ceaser who won’t have this chance because they will die before they are released from their laboratory life.

It’s a fact that not all laboratories are like Buckshire, where the Cle Elum Seven lived. Most modern laboratories holding chimpanzees have some sort of outdoor space, even if it’s a small concrete fenced in area, and most chimpanzees living in laboratories now live with other chimpanzees rather than in single cages.

I would guess that the majority of people who are directly caring for chimpanzees in laboratories really care for, and even love, the chimps. This may seem strange to those who have never met someone who works in a laboratory as a caregiver, but I have met many people who have held those positions in their past or still do now. Sometimes they didn’t really know what they were getting into, and they are awakened to the injustices of using chimpanzees in biomedical testing after they came to know the chimps in labs first-hand. Often they stay in those positions because they want to make a difference in the day-to-day lives of those under their care.

Philosophically, though, laboratories and accredited sanctuaries are worlds apart. How you view a person or an animal affects how they are cared for. For accredited sanctuaries, the one and only aim is to provide the chimpanzees with a good home full of choices and social interactions and the space to figure out who they are. For laboratories, even if they are not actively using the chimpanzees in testing, the chimps are valued and viewed in terms of their contribution (for which they did not give their consent) to humans and their research questions.

This is a fundamental difference; and it’s the reason why it pains me to think about the chimpanzees, like Ceaser, who will die in laboratories even though the research has ended.

And then I think about Missy, who almost didn’t have the last eight years of her life at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

web_Missy_bipedal_reach_for_forage_food_in_hands_mouth_green_grass_YH_kh_IMG_2745

web_Missy_tightrope_fire_hose_YH_fog_jb_IMG_5443

web_Annie_groom_Missy_close_up_eyes_closed_GH_ek_IMG_4117

Every day is about making sure that the chimpanzees in our care fully experience a life that’s all about them. It’s our moral obligation to try to give back to them at least some of what we, as a society, have taken. And we want to be able to do this for other chimpanzees coming out of laboratories.

This is why fundraising days like Great Apes Giving Day mean so much to us, and to other sanctuaries and rescue centers.

Please consider making a donation to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, learn about all of the organizations participating in this global day of giving for great apes, and watch this Tuesday (October 4th) when the competition for the prize money heats up.

In the end, the chimpanzees and other great apes that you give your donation towards are the big winners.

missy sepia

Filed Under: Fundraising, Missy, Sanctuary Tagged With: animal rights, Animal Welfare, biomedical research, chimp, chimpanzee, chimpanzee sanctuary, great apes giving day, Missy, northwest, release, Sanctuary, testing

Thank you, Susan!

September 29, 2016 by Katelyn

A day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees was also sponsored by Susan Bradshaw today! We are always moved by the compassion each of you show for the chimpanzees. For every day of sanctuary sponsored, every donation made, every item purchased that makes the chimps’ days better and the humans’ days easier to care for them, and for every one who supports the chimps by following them on the blog and social media and shares their lives with others, it all adds up to a LIFE in sanctuary. Seven lives to be specific. And we could not be more grateful to you!

Susan, thank you so much for thinking of the chimpanzees today and making a difference in their lives! We so appreciate your care and generosity! Your support provides Jody and her family with endless joy, comfort, adventure, exciting things to eat and a home full of love to call their own.

web_Jody_look_at_camera_GH_ek_IMG_5043

web_mothers_day_Jody_eat_lilacs_GH_IMG_2126

web_Jody_lie_down_blanket_platform_alfalfa_cubes_mouth_look_at_camera_GH_kh_IMG_3222

Filed Under: Jody, Sanctuary, Sponsor-a-day Tagged With: chimpanzee, chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Cle Elum Seven, Jody, Sanctuary, Sponsor-a-day

Burrito in the Spotlight

September 29, 2016 by Elizabeth

I hope these photos of the dashing Mr. B make your day a little brighter. Let us know which is your favorite!

web_burrito_sit_bite_toy_gh_ek_img_7555

web_burrito_bite_toy_gh_ek_img_7547

web_burrito_hold_toy_gh_ek_img_7548

web_burrito_hold_toy_gh_ek_img_7549

web_burrito_look_up_gh_ek_img_7554

Filed Under: Burrito, Enrichment, Sanctuary Tagged With: Burrito, chimp enrichment, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Cle Elum, Cle Elum 7, Cle Elum Seven, Sanctuary

Happy Birthday, Terre!

September 29, 2016 by Katelyn

Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Sandra Zacek in honor of her daughter, Terre, in celebration of her birthday! Terre is an amazing friend to the chimpanzees and the humans of the sanctuary and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate her today! Sandra shared this message about today:

“I would like to sponsor a day for the chimps as a birthday gift to my daughter, Terre. And thank you Terre for introducing me to the Cle Elum seven. It is my favorite post on Facebook.”

Sandra, thank you so much for sponsoring today in honor of Terre! We are truly touched that you would think of making the lives’ of the chimpanzees better as you celebrate the life of your wonderful daughter. Thank you for being part of our chimp family!

Happiest of birthdays to you, Terre! All of the primates wish you a day of love, comfort, joy and all the things you help ensure the chimpanzees’ lives are full to the brim and overflowing with!

Annie:

web_Annie_close_up_look_at_camera_GH_ek_IMG_2764

Burrito:

Burrito_portrait_studio_FR4_jb_IMG_6936

Foxie:

web_Foxie_closeup_portrait_studio_FR4_khIMG_3716

Jamie:

web_Jamie_GH_ek_IMG_5523

Jody:

web_Jody_eat_wild_plants_GH_ek_IMG_5468

Missy:

web_missy_beautiful_closeup_kd_IMG_0882

Negra:

web_Negra_eat_grass_YH_jb_IMG_0178

Filed Under: Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, Negra, Sanctuary, Sponsor-a-day

Tiny chimp, big world

September 28, 2016 by Katelyn

We tend to equate mothers with maternity. But whether or not we find ourselves in the position of mothering children, I believe we are all mothers in some form, at some point. Maybe it’s mothering our animal friends, loved ones and family, ourselves, our plants, or even a creative project we’ve put our hearts into. It’s that innate sense we have to nurture, protect and care for someone or something we hold dear, or sometimes just a compassion and empathy that comes from witnessing a fellow being just trying to get through life the same as we are.

If you’re new to the blog or the chimps’ histories you may not be aware that Annie, Missy, Negra, Jody and Foxie were all used as “breeders” during their time in biomedical research. Each of them was forced to have child after child only to have their babies stolen from them shortly after birth, destined to a future as horrid as their parents. (To our knowledge Jamie has never had any children). You can learn more about the chimps’ histories on our Eyes on Apes page.

Foxie is mother to four children. Two daughters, Angie (who thankfully resides at Save the Chimps in Florida, and Kelsey (who resides at Alamogordo Primate Facility), and a rare set of twin sons, David and Steve (who are sadly both deceased now).

Foxie is rarely without at least one of her troll or Dora dolls and appears to have a tendency to carry two at a time. Maybe when Foxie chooses to carry two dolls at a time she can’t decide between favored dolls, perhaps two are the most she can comfortably carry, or it’s another reason I can’t possibly imagine. We can never say with certainty what the chimps are thinking, but I often wonder if it’s indicative of memories of her twins.

After breakfast yesterday the chimps headed out onto Young’s Hill and Foxie and her two Doras du jour headed off to explore on their own.

web_foxie_walk_yh_two_doras_in_mouth_kd_img_7575

web_foxie_walk_yh_two_doras_in_mouth_ii_kd_img_7577

web_foxie_walk_in_shade_carry_two_doras_kd_img_7586

web_foxie_stand_two_doras_in_mouth_kd_img_7588

Walking along the perimeter with Jamie, as we got to the top of the hill I thought I spotted Foxie and the Doras high atop “Jamie’s Tower,” but she wasn’t immediately visible. Then reaching the other side of the structure, I could see her spying through the slats, enjoying her own world.

web_foxie_sit_cross_legged_jamies_tower_spy_thru_slats_kd_img_7611

web_foxie_tiny_sit_jamies_tower_spy_thru_slats_stewarts_in_background_kd_img_7604

Gazing at her Dora dolls:

web_foxie_tiny_sit_jamies_tower_look_at_doras_stewarts_in_background_kd_img_7608

I stood watching Foxie, utterly mesmerized by how tiny she appeared against the backdrop of the stunning views surrounding her sanctuary home. Then for the first time that I’ve seen, Foxie began “phantom” nesting (nesting behavior in the absence of nesting material) with her dolls on the tower. Foxie doesn’t build nests as most chimps do, but we often see her (and sometimes Burrito) engaging in this behavior in a corner of the chimp house during which she claps and clasps her hands together while moving her arms up, across, and down, almost in a figure eight. Similar to movements chimps in the wild make as they bend in and fold branches around them when they create nests, as well as chimps in captivity who use blankets and other nesting material to build their nests. We don’t know a lot about this behavior, but as far as we know it’s only been observed in captive chimps and is not commonly seen.

web_foxie_tiny_phantom_nest_with_doras_jamies_tower_i_kd_img_7612

web_foxie_tiny_phantom_nest_with_doras_jamies_tower_ii_kd_img_7613

We can’t know if any of the chimps would have been good mothers given their unnatural circumstances and the trauma they endured, but chances are had they not been deprived of the right to their natural lives, they would have been.

web_foxie_sit_jamies_tower_legs_out_hold_doras_look_camera_kd_img_7634

web_foxie_sit_jamies_tower_legs_out_hold_doras_profile_kd_img_7630

web_foxie_sit_jamies_tower_chin_on_arm_hold_doras_kd_img_7623

web_foxie_on_jamies_tower_look_at_dora_kd_img_7597

I’m not sure if Foxie was mothering her dolls or mothering herself through the comfort and joy they provide her, both, or neither. And it doesn’t matter. In whatever form it takes, Foxie is a good mother.

web_foxie_sit_outstreched_leg_arm_on_knee_jamies_tower_kd_img_7622

This tiny chimpanzee woman’s world has grown exponentially from what it was for the first 32 years of her life. But her heart and spirit can never be constrained by space.

Filed Under: Chimp histories, Chimpanzees in Biomedical Research, Dolls, Foxie, Sanctuary, Young's Hill Tagged With: chimp enrichment, chimpanzee, chimpanzee rescue, chimpanzee retirement, chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Foxie, Sanctuary, young's hill

Brave is brave

September 27, 2016 by Katelyn

Burrito’s courage might not always present as it does in many male chimpanzees, but I don’t think that makes it any less brave or valid. In fact, for a guy who spent the first 25 years of his life powerless to the whims of humans, living in fear and uncertainty with no respect for his needs or nature, and deprived of the nurturing and modeling that should have come from living with his chimp family, he shows endless courage every day.

It’s taken Burrito awhile to feel comfortable walking the perimeter of Young’s Hill with Jamie and investigating the climbing structures. With each passing year he’s taken further steps outside his comfort zone. When Burrito does decide to put himself out there on the structures, he still seems uncertain of his chimp status and moves very cautiously, hanging onto the fire hose or railings for security, sometimes fear grimacing the whole way, and often looking longingly back toward the safety and comfort of the chimp house. But he still gives it a go.

It’s not uncommon now for him to bring up the rear behind Jamie during our walks, but when she makes her routine stop to climb the Twister and check out the neighborhood, Burrito typically waits patiently below until Jamie says it’s time to move on. So on this occasion my heart swelled to see him decide to climb up the structure behind her.

Brave B:

web_burrito_hanging_onto_twister_climb_cautiously_kd_img_7190

web_burrito_climb_twister_kd_img_7185

web_burrito_climb_twister_sit_under_jamie_kd_img_7188

web_burrito_sit_twister_look_down_kd_img_7186

web_burrito_sit_twister_hang_on_look_camera_kd_img_7187

web_burrito_sit_twister_bite_toy_hang_on_kd_img_7189

Feeling safe for the moment Burrito found a moment to look up at the sky and take in his home from up there, seemingly in awe:

web_burrito_sweet_look_up_at_sky_wind_blowing_hair_kd_img_7191

Our hearts are full of gratitude to you all for giving Burrito, and each of the chimps, the space for their hearts and spirits to soar and be brave.

Filed Under: Burrito, Sanctuary, Young's Hill Tagged With: Burrito, chimpanzee, chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Jamie, Sanctuary, young's hill

Taking In The View, Together

September 26, 2016 by Keri

What could possibly be better than taking in a view like this on such a beautiful fall day?

web_missy_annie_take_in_view_carlenes_tower_zoomed_out_yh_kh_img_7530

web_missy_annie_take_in_view_carlenes_tower_yh_kh_img_7527

…sharing the view with your best friend (Annie on the left, Missy on the right).

web_missy_annie_take_in_view_carlenes_tower_zoomed_in_yh_kh_img_7525

web_missy_annie_sit_together_carlene_tower_zoom_in_yh_img_7498

web_missy_annie_sit_together_carlene_tower_zoom_in_yh_img_7505

web_missy_annie_sit_together_carlene_tower_zoom_in_yh_img_7520

web_missy_annie_sit_together_carlene_tower_zoom_in_yh_img_7516

These two chimpanzees are the best of friends. They’re constantly playing together and are often in close proximity to one another. They also build blanket nests side-by-side. It’s no wonder, they would also choose to share some quiet time together.

Filed Under: Annie, Friendship, Missy, Young's Hill Tagged With: Annie, Carlene's Tower, friends, Missy, young's hill

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 6
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Archives

Calendar of Blog Posts

September 2016
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Aug   Oct »

Categories

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Footer

PO Box 952
Cle Elum, WA 98922
[email protected]
509-699-0728
501c3 registered charity
EIN: 68-0552915

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest Nonprofit Overview and Reviews on GreatNonprofits

Menu

  • The Chimpanzees
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • You can help
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Donate

Proud Member of

Connect With Us

Search

Copyright © 2020 Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. All Rights Reserved. Site by Vegan Web Design