Caregivers are the heart and soul of every animal sanctuary. To recognize their vital contribution to the well being of thousands of rescued animals around the world, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance has teamed up with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries to create a day in their honor. Today, we are proud to celebrate the first annual Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day!
Here at CSNW, it’s impossible to overstate the love, dedication, and commitment that our caregivers demonstrate every day. Every moment of playfulness we share on this blog, every picture of contentment you see, is the product of thousands of hours of hard work by CSNW’s caregiver crew.
The staff and volunteer caregivers clean for five hours a day, seven days a week. It is a never-ending job.
They prepare the chimps’ many meals, forages, and food puzzles each day.
They invest countless hours in training so that they can help serve those meals safely.
They wash and fold 70 or more blankets a day so the chimps can build fresh, clean nests.
They plant gardens and tend to them throughout the summer so that they chimps will have the freshest produce possible.
They throw parties for the chimps to keep life exciting and interesting.
They spend countless hours building trust and developing friendships.
They tend to wounds and ensure that medications are administered daily.
They engage in hundreds of hours of positive reinforcement training so that the chimps learn to cooperate with physical exams.
They walk for miles around Young’s Hill in the blazing sun and the pouring rain to keep Jamie and her friends company.
They work weekends and holidays because the chimps never take a day off from needing our care. And when Jamie insists on staying out all night and walking in the moonlight, they are there too – even when they might rather be home in bed.
Caring for chimpanzees is hard work. It’s physically demanding and, at times, emotionally draining. But it can also be unbelievably rewarding. We are lucky to be surrounded and supported by people who find fulfillment in working hard for the benefit of others; people who measure success by the amount of good they can do for the animals who so desperately need our help.
To Elizabeth, Katelyn, and Anna, who dedicate their lives to the Cle Elum Seven, to the dozens of selfless volunteers and interns who give up their free time to serve these deserving chimpanzees, and to sanctuary caregivers around the world: Thank you for all you do and Happy Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day!
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Thank you all for this amazing contrition that enriches not only the lives of the chimps but so many of their fans as well!
Bravo to all of you!!
U R my heros!!!!! I send you love and blessings daily and am sooooo appreciative of all you do! BRAVO!! Well done!! U R the beautiful people! Hugs and love to you all!
Thank you to caregivers in Sanctuaries all over the world. Where would the animals be without you? To everyone at CSNW I send a huge hug and heartfelt admiration. Your devotion, compassion, creativity, skill and fun loving spirits do not go unnoticed. You give us all, four legged and two legged, much hope! Here’s to you!
Thank you to you all on this Caretaker’s Day and every day. The chimps are so lucky to have you! We honor your skills and undying committment to the Cle Elum Seven! Kudos to you guys!
A great post and one that all of us fans needed to remind us of what goes on at the Sanctuary beside adorable pictures and wonderful videos. You are a unique group of people and deserve more than just one day a year to be shown love and appreciation. I’ll think about those 70 clean blankets a day as I lug bedding down two flights of stairs once in a while because my beloved 15 year old Yorkie had an accident during his sleep. Thank you for all you do for the seven chimps under your care. Not being able to go home at days end and tend to your own personal needs because a naughty chimp decides she doesn’t want to come in must be a little hard I hope it happens as infrequently as my dogs incontinent accidents.
Thank you to all of you for all that you do to take of our friends.
By the time I was halfway through the photos I was already in tears. Thank you guys so very much for taking care of your beloved friends. I don’t have the words to express the wonderfulness you provide to them with all of your hard work and dedication. All the training, cleaning, laundry and trust building shows with the happiness of the chimps in your care. They are living full and content lives finally. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Have you guys thought about selling some of the blankets that the Chimpanzee use once they get old and need to be replaced? I think people would love to have something that they have used and have been snuggled up in.
Blessings to all of the caregivers for the amazing work that you do???
Thank you for all you do to make their lives (and yours I am sure) so much richer