The Cle Elum Seven Chimpanzees spent decades in biomedical research laboratories and holding facilities in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.
The minimum space requirements for housing chimpanzees under the Animal Welfare Act remain shockingly, well, minimal. It’s still legal to keep a chimpanzee in a 5’x5’x7′ cage. These days, however, most laboratories that are still housing chimpanzees allow them to live in social groups and give them some sort of outside access. The National Institutes of Health recommends (though doesn’t require) enclosures that provide at least 250 square feet of space per chimpanzee. As a point of reference, for our group of seven, that’s a total of 1,750 square feet. Think about the size of your apartment or house as a comparison. Now think of yourself having only that amount of space for the rest of your life. Still, 250 square feet is way beyond the twenty-five square-foot cages that the Cle Elum Seven spent much of their lives.
The changes in how labs house chimpanzees came about in part due to pressure from a public that had gained insight into the deep intelligence and social lives of these beings that are so closely related to us.
Beyond just amount of space, providing an enriching, stimulating, interesting environment for chimpanzees is about giving them lots and lots of choices. Even if they only use some of their space a fraction of the time or only pick up a certain object one out of every five times it’s available, simply living in an environment that provides a large amount of variety is a huge part of giving intelligent primates at least some of what they need.
After spending decades in small spaces without access to the outside, I wonder if the Cle Elum Seven could have imagined a place like CSNW with 85,000 square feet of space.
Once they were at the sanctuary, their bodies and their minds knew what to do.
They followed their instincts, put their muscles to work, and got down to the business of exploring.
They reached into their imaginations and indulged in private games and adventures.
They broadened their palate and relished opportunities to search for and gather food.
No one had to teach them to be chimpanzees.
(Just a note about these photos – they were all taken today! The photos include Foxie, Jamie, Annie, and Missy.)
Hope S says
85,000 square feet? Wow! Is that almost 2 acres?
Diana says
Yes! Their outdoor habitat alone is almost 2 acres.
Linda says
I think that Karen and Don’s gift of Young’s Hill probably outdoes any gift the sanctuary has received, maybe even above monetary gifts. These photos say it all.
Kathleen says
The statistics are staggering. How have all these chimpanzees who have been held captive in laboratories survived such harsh and inhumane conditions for so long? Could we human primates survive the same circumstances if we were forced to endure such unethical conditions? I think not.
The staggering reality, and it is a beautiful reality, is just as you stated, no one had to teach them to be chimpanzees. If given the opportunity and the freedom, we could all be exactly who we were intended to be.
Thank you for giving these seven wild and precious chimpanzees the life they deserve. The life they earned!
Diana says
Chimpanzees are so incredibly resilient. I do think humans share this trait. I think of prisoner’s of war who spend years living in deprivation yet maintain their will to survive. I don’t think I personally have that kind of inner drive to endure, but some humans clearly have it.
“If given the opportunity and the freedom, we could all be exactly who we were intended to be.” You have a way of putting things perfectly, Kathleen!.
Karen says
It is a discomforting thought to realise how us humans have treated animals in the past. And we’re not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. The long-term future of the hundreds of chimpanzees used in research and still waiting for somewhere to go in anyone’s guess. That is a huge failing on our part, and I am not sure why the research companies are not being held accountable.
Linda says
They’re probably: 1) Grandfathered in, so that those already there aren’t counted as “illegal” or 2) looking for somewhere to send them, because if they were to euthanize them, we’d be up in arms, too.
It reminds me of a story I heard of one lonely guy…….they were sent to an island in Africa because they’d been used in HIV research. All died off but one, and his reactions when they come to visit to bring him food and water and company break your heart. But it was a few years ago, and I don’t know what happened to him—if they found him a friend or not.
Kathleen says
Hi Linda, the chimpanzee you are thinking of is Ponso. Ponso came from Liberia and was used in viral research, part of the VILAB II project of the New York Blood Center. And yes, Ponso is still alone on his island. His story is a long one and you can follow him on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/SOS-PONSO-1622199644723894/
Diana says
Ponso’s story is so sad! He was recently in the news again because tourists have found out where he is living and have become uninvited guests, putting both Ponso and themselves in danger.
Linda says
Thanks, Kathleen. Am not on FB, but will try to get a look at the page before the “sign on/create account” block comes up. I feel for him every time I see him reaching out for a hug….
Linda says
I was able to view a few of the videos, and I’m even more sad……sometimes, all he wants is for Germain to play a set of “got your toes”….the way he holds his back leg up so that Germain can grab it….I thought they were trying to bring another chimp, a female, to him for company. What happened?
Diana says
I think this article does a pretty good job of explaining the issues that those trying to help Ponso face: https://gulfnews.com/world/africa/helping-ponso-sole-survivor-of-chimpanzee-island-in-ivory-coast-1.2095056
Linda says
Oh, you had beautiful skies yesterday, Diana! (We’re in the middle of a heat wave here, and I seek out air conditioning wherever!)
What a day for Ms. Foxie to put on her adventure pants and find new perils for Lemon Chiffon to be rescued from! Looks like she was headed for some railroad tracks, lol!
I saw the other day that they’re getting a new playground at Project Chimps, and with the exception of the rolling treat barrel, they all looked amazingly like Young’s Hill enrichment platforms, spaces, the mound, etc. Well done, CSNW, on being ahead of the curve!
Hope you have a nice rest on Sunday, Diana! Thanks for the new pics!
Diana says
The skies have been incredible! Such a deep blue. Foxie looks particularly good with that sky as a backdrop. Foxie spent a good part of her day “endangering” and then rescuing her blonde doll friend. I also saw her in the green house tossing her doll into a pile of straw and they retrieving her. 🙂
Thanks, Linda!
Judy says
I wonder if any of them ever saw expansion construction in their previous confinement habitat/s.. which might then have meant that they experienced expansion of housing which resulted in new “people” arriving… If so… since expansion at CSNW has, so far, meant that they have had more space for adventuring… I mull over if the thoughts behind all their eyes could be considering whether this means new people or more space…. in any case the peace in their souls is so clear and glorious … Have a great Sunday all!
Diana says
This is what I’ve been wondering too – do they think it’s all for them or do they wonder if new chimpanzees are coming?!
Linda says
I’ve been wondering if Jamie’s obsession with that particular architectural design magazine has anything to do with the construction…….maybe she’s seeing parallels between whats’ going on outside the window and the contents of the magazine…we’ll see if she loses interest in the magazine once all the construction’s done.
Judy says
I’ve been wondering the same thing… or if the construction has spurred a new interest in her very active mind… maybe she will be designing any future additions… They are so intellegent..
Tobin says
Humans: Smart enough to get to the Moon and back, stupid and cruel enough to make life on this planet a nightmare for other animals.
At least Jamie, Foxie, et al, can climb up the platforms on
their property and look out at the Cascade Mountains…
Susan says
Karen: Millions of American farm animals live in close confinement these days. No need to think of it as something that happened mostly in the bad old days.
Janet Geisel says
I’m appalled that humans can be so cruel. If research is needed at least treat them humanly. The part that gets me I don’t see much medical research helping these sick people. They humiliated these beautiful creatures for what? We still have all these illnesses that these poor chimps had to endured, had to put them down in order to take them out of their cages seeing then handling them like their a piece of crap. I cry seeing pictures of how their handled. Like to see the research es treated like that.
But in the 10 years seeing all the chimps doing their things when they feel like it finally puts a geniune smile on my face. I hope the three chimd coming soon will eventually realise so this is what Paradise is. I can’t wait to see them and see in the beginning what their thinking especially the yummy food.
This wood never had happened with Diana, JB, the caregivers, the volunteers. They are the real hero’s.
You are great And compansanite wonderful human beings.i hope my longbcomments made it.