It was just three weeks ago that we separated Jody from the group in order to stitch an injury to her eyelid. If you didn’t know it had happened, you probably wouldn’t notice that her left eye looks a little different. I suspect in another three weeks even we won’t be able to tell which eye it was.
(Incidentally, when I saw the photo above, I immediately thought of this photo of Jody’s daughter Andrea who lives at Save the Chimps in Florida. Like mother, like daughter!)
Dr. Erin did a great job of the procedure, no doubt. Plus chimpanzees have this uncanny ability to heal very quickly (thank goodness!).
I keep thinking back to the days after the procedure and how each step was an affirmation of why Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest exists and the role of the humans at the sanctuary.
When the injury happened, Jody was clearly irritated that her eyelid was kind of just hanging there (sorry for that graphic image), though she was not irritated enough that she ignored the rest of her lunch. On the contrary, she went right back to eating when the fighting had stopped.
The humans figured out pretty quickly that we needed to fix her eyelid because it serves such an important function of protecting the eye. After a little while, Jody seemed to agree with us, and she did not protest when we invited her to be separated from the other chimpanzees with the doors closing behind her.
I really believe that she knew she needed our help.
It took her the whole next day after the procedure to completely recover from the anesthesia, and she allowed me to sit with her (on the other side of the caging) and offer her sips of water in between her naps.
The day after that, however, she wanted to be back with the other chimpanzees.
We reunited them the next day, but then separated Jody again when Dr. Erin decided she needed some time away from Dr. Missy and any other overly zealous grooming partners.
Though it wasn’t an issue to separate Jody, she was definitely not as content to spend time by herself this time around. She was constantly watching what the group was doing, vocalizing along with them, and hopeful that she would be back with them each time we operated the doors. After a couple more days of healing, there was another reunion, and this time it lasted.
Here’s what I love about Jody’s reaction to all that happened: She accepted our help and let us pamper her a little, but the second she felt even halfway better, she wanted to be with her people. The humans are not her people. She has a family of chimpanzees – they are her people. She’s not related to any of them, but they are her family.
She wanted to be back with them even after sustaining a pretty intense injury during a fight with these same people.
And that explains the role of the humans at the sanctuary. We are protectors and sometimes fixers, up to a point. We make sure that the chimpanzees have food, medical care, and an interesting and comfortable environment.
But the truth is that they need each more than they need us. They have their own lives to lead.
That is one of the reasons why we are working hard on the Bring Them Home Expansion Campaign in order to bring more chimpanzees to the sanctuary. We don’t know how long these seven chimpanzees will be here, but we know that as long as they are alive, they will need a family of other chimpanzees.
For Giving Day for Apes this year, we are highlighting the expansion campaign. We hope you will join in the donating on September 25th to help expand the family at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and be a part of providing them with what the really need.
CeeCee says
I always think of Jody as “the beautiful one” and that picture of her daughter is amazing!
Is it me? Or can I see a resemblance, She looks just like a younger
version of Jody.
Maureen says
How amazing, and what a successful job you’re doing, to allow these seven wondrous creatures to have this additional freedom. You all spend all your time caring for them, so they know to look to you if they need help, but they can trust that you won’t force your agenda on them because they also know who’s actually their family and who are the helpers. I imagine this might take some strength of character for you all, but what a wonderful additional gift of real sanctuary you give them! So glad I stumbled upon all of you!
Lois Gordon says
I always wondered if any of the chimps children survived. Nice to hear Jody’s daughter is alive and well. Sad that Jody does not know… I guess no chance she can come and be reunited with her mom but I imagine Jody wouldn’t know her as her daughter and might reject her? I wonder if any other of their many children survived. I am sure Andrea is happy at her sanctuary with her new family.
Lois
Diana says
Hi Lois,
It’s unlikely that Jody would know her daughter, but you really never know – maybe there would be some sort of recognition on some level. Jody also has two sons at Save the Chimps (Bart and Clay) and a son named Levi at Chimp Haven. Negra and Foxie also have kids at Save the Chimps and Chimp Haven, though none of them are kids anymore – they are all in their 20s and 30s!
Jojo says
Could Jody’s daughter live there or would it not be a good idea? She’s cute as a button just like her mom?
Diana says
Andrea has been at Save the Chimps for quite a while and has a family group there, so there would be no good reason to move either one of them simply to “reunite” them. They might not even know one another. Thanks for your question, Jojo. She is cute as a button! That lower lip 🙂
Kathleen says
Oh Diana, such a clear explanation on what sanctuary is, especially with the link to Jody’s daughter. (A striking resemblance, especially the eye brows) Family can be measured in many ways. I see all of you as one big Family, humans and chimps alike. Like parents the humans care for the chimps as if they were family, and you love them enough to know they need each other. And the chimps need you but they have grown to discover they need each other more. How very lucky they are to have you.
Looking forward to Giving Day For Apes! Such a worthy fundraising event each year but this year most of all — Good luck with CSNW expansion. All chimps deserve to know what Family means.
Diana says
Thank you, Kathleen! You’re part of that family too – like a distant but doting Aunt, perhaps??
Tobin says
You’re absolutely right, Diana: chimpanzees need the companionship of their own species more than they
need our human interaction. Indeed, were it not for the interference of human animals in the lives of
great apes, perhaps the great apes would not be threatened with extinction.
And how I wish that Jody — and all of the mothers who reside at the sanctuary — could have never been separated from their children.
Diana says
So true! Human interference has caused so many problems!