Today I went waayy back into the blog archives and found this post from Diana about visiting Foxie while she still lived at Buckshire:
“Foxie is a small chimpanzee with a dark, inquisitive face and a somewhat mischievous charm. She was born into captivity in 1976, fated to be used by humans for their purposes. Her caregiver at Buckshire has described her as shy, but everyone from CSNW who has visited her has found her initial shyness to be short-lived.
For the first hour or so during my visit, Foxie remained mostly out-of-view in a corner of a cage farthest from the door. But I could tell she was paying attention to everything and was curiously assessing the situation. I think she felt safer remaining near Negra, who also occupied the farthest of the four small cages. Foxie warmed up to me once I began to give out peanuts. She put her hand behind her to catch the peanuts that I dropped into the food chute of the cage, and she was very pleased that I made a point to return frequently to ensure she got her share.
When I had given out all of the peanuts, Foxie ventured into the next cage, climbed up as high as possible (which is only about six feet), pressed her belly to the caging and looked down. I had a rolled-up newspaper in my hand and I reached up with this and tickled her belly. She was thrilled. She came down to the floor, bobbed her head (a chimpanzee gesture communicating play) and put her belly up to the caging again. For the rest of my visit, she was very active and wanting to play, and I indulged her as much as possible. By the end of the visit, Foxie was sitting in the first cage near her friend Burrito. I am looking forward to seeing Foxie and Burrito romping in the playroom at the sanctuary and I expect she will take advantage of every inch of her much expanded world.”
Foxie’s personality was apparent, even in cramped and extremely stressful living conditions, which is a true testament to her resiliency. Here is where Diana found Foxie almost 10 years ago:
In sanctuary, Foxie’s world has truly expanded, just as Diana knew it would:
Jill C says
Whoa, that’s a really heavy read. Many thoughts swirling around. Thank you Diana and JB for all you have done and continue to do for the precious 7!
xo
Donna Oleksiuk says
It just breaks my heart to see how they used to live. No words to express my pain. Thank you a million times over for providing them with a new, loving home. So grateful they will have some happy years! <3 <3 <3
Althea says
Happy,Happy Birthday dear sweet Mr. B!! Your celebration looked absolutely wonderful and your excitement was so contagious! A wonderful party for wonderful you????????
Sandie Allaway says
That is pretty hard to process. Makes me want to cry. Looking at that face, actually all their faces, just brings me so much joy. The love and care they get, and who they get to be, is more than I know how to express. Thank you for loving them so and sharing all of them with us. xoxoxoxo
lisa says
so, as so often happens, i now tears-of-sadness seeing where “the seven” came from. they are quickly replaced with tears-of-joy, of course. all that you do at CSNW for these wonderful people is truly, truly amazing. i do see them as people.
reflecting to last week where a neighbor of mine, in response to seeing a little girl playing said, “oh, to be so young again.” i said, “no. no-no-no. i do not want to go backwards at all. even providing me years and years more of life.” why not? this world that we are now living in is way too crazy for me. obviously, these school-shootings are tearing me up from the inside out and knowing how cruel-to-animals people can be is beyond my comprehension.
this technology world that we live in. not for me. nice to stay in touch with people, but way too much for me.
i’ll stick with the simple pleasures that the chimpanzees enjoy at CSNW. take the wisdom with the age. take the aches and pains with the age. grow old gracefully and leave this world when the good Lord calls me home . . . as it should be for i am way too sensitive of a person to live in a world that is so-so sad and cruel with no end in sight.
for clarification: i feel beyond blessed with the love of family and friends and to have a blessed life. again, it is about my entire world around me that seems just so-so sad.
so hope comes alive when i see what’s going on at CSNW and other sanctuaries around the world that help primates and all animals.
thanks for everything.
lisa
Chris says
No matter how many times i see that first photo, it breaks my heart all over again. And you can see J.B’s heart breaking just from the look on his face as he looks into the faces of the beautiful Seven there in those stone, cold cages. I’m sure that just strengthen his resolve to get them out of of there.
And no matter how many times I see the other photos of all them running and playing in the green grass, or just resting in the greenhouse, it warms my heart…all over again.
As Donna said…thank-you a million times over for providing them with a safe, spacious, loving home at the Sanctuary!
That last photo of Foxie is truly the picture of glowing, happy health and well being…
Frances says
I liked them all…#4, I got a real chuckle out of that one, and #7, Foxie really showed how happy she was with receiving new Troll dolls…I enjoy seeing the Chimps in action. Thank you for sharing!!!
Arlene and Michael says
Oh Foxie I love you. How sweet and silly hanging upside and doing the handstands. She must be very happy. I too am glad that her back is ok? Great outside photos Diana. Looks like she Foxie had a great day!
Kathleen says
Tobin your reply touched me deeply. Thank you for Gandhi’s list of Seven Deadly Sins in the Modern World. Your mention of personhood and dignity really got to me, well said!
Arlene and Michael says
This is one of my favorite videos ever. What a wonderful birthday for Burrito. He deserves all the fanfare. He is a happy guy. How amazing it must be for JB to interact with him like that, and touch Burrito hand to hand. Burrito certainly looks like he is having a ball. Love him so much. Thank you for making him so content on his special day!! May this be your best year yet Burrito. Love you and all of your friends at CSNW?
Francoise Vulpe says
I’m still smiling. Burrito obviously had a fab day! thanks to all of you. The anticipation for the coconut was something else! It truly looked like he could not physically contain his excitement. And that smile and laughter. Oh my.
Happy birthday Mr. B. I hope we have you around for a long time to come. You deserve every watermelon piece (incredible), walnut (wish I could), boxes of lettuce leaves, smoothies everywhere you look, and lots of people right there with you everyday making sure you are happy and healthy. Wow!
PatC says
Hard to believe that was 10-ish years ago. Long may Foxie “bloom” and thank heavens for Sanctuary. xo