I have never seen so much commotion in the Chimp House. All day, every day, the facility feels busier than it ever has before. In so many ways, the sanctuary feels full.
There are now chimps occupying every space again. Volunteers rushed back and forth all day to get the daily tasks done, and the interns feel more present in the Chimp House as their training progresses and they learn to work more confidently and independently. The full team of staff was on site today, coordinating duties and organizing the management of the chimps. The refrigerator is stocked with produce (especially thanks to a recent donation of gift cards) and the foyer is full of new enrichment items and devices. It seems like every square inch of every whiteboard is covered in scribbled notes about healing wounds and treatment plans, and the kitchen counters are covered in a cornucopia of soft foods as we try to get Burrito to take his cocktail of medications. Most importantly, for the first time in a few days, the building is full of good humor and positive hope as we set our sights on recovering and rebuilding.
The events of this past Friday were challenging, to say the least. We all feel sympathy for Burrito and have to deal with the sobering awareness that our own chimpanzee friends used such unrelenting physical violence against him. It’s easy to think that such a horrifying incident would derail us. We are professionals, though, and were prepared for this unlikely outcome even though we tried to give the chimpanzees the best opportunities to develop a tolerance for one another and forge new relationships. As anyone in the field of primate care can attest, introducing unfamiliar individuals is always risky and rarely goes smoothly, even when the result is a resounding success. Of all the chimpanzees, Burrito certainly doesn’t have the best social skills, so we knew that he might have some difficulty coping with the uncertainty and chaos of social integrations. The chimpanzees had a string of victories punctuated by a couple of heartbreaking incidents, and we are already drawing insight from those experiences so that we can continue to give the chimpanzees informed and specialized care in the future. Although we are diverting our efforts away from integrating the two current groups with one another, we know that we will eventually have to do some restructuring if we plan to take in more chimpanzees in the coming years. Recuperating and reflecting after the recent setback are both important, but we continue to move forward towards our ultimate goals.
Today, when I unlocked the Chimp House, the chimpanzees greeted me with a chorus of anticipatory pant hoots. Burrito was sitting up and appeared bright and alert as Annie groomed him through the mesh window that still separates him from the other chimps. Honey B was excitedly grooming with Mave and Willy B, and you’d have no idea that she was recently injured if she didn’t make a habit of enthusiastically showing everyone her missing toe. The six original females (who are still the Girl Gang, I suppose) were back to their usual pre-breakfast drama in the Playroom. The day went smoothly, with Burrito’s appetite and humor improving (see photos below) and all of the chimps falling back into some semblance of a routine. Yesterday felt better than the day before, and today felt noticeably better than yesterday. Tomorrow will be even better.
Through it all, I cannot emphasize enough how supportive our community has been. We continue to receive messages of encouragement and compassion from all of Burrito’s fans and are blown away by how invested you all are in his well-being. Our network of followers and donors is strong and vast but our on-site support has been just as dedicated, caring, and helpful. We’ve had volunteers completing unusual tasks, such as grocery shopping and preparing special meals for Burrito, so that our staff can focus on administering medications and managing the complex social groupings. Our regular Monday interns brought in care packages for the staff (mostly snacks) and today’s crew showed up with coffee and hot chocolate for everyone. On campus, students are staying late after J.B.’s primate welfare lectures to ask about the chimps and demonstrate their support. Today, former caregiver Elizabeth stopped by to hang out with Burrito even though her next shift as a volunteer isn’t until the weekend. These are just some examples, but the acts of appreciation and encouragement have truly been numerous and remarkable.
Last week was difficult, for sure, but it’s easy for us caregivers to keep showing up and working hard to build a better life for chimpanzees when all of you do the same. It is because of you that we can fill this space with supplies, fill it with more chimpanzees, fill it with committed and valuable personnel, and fill it with hope for the future. Once again, thank you all.
Linda C says
Wow, a WHOLE banana, and some sunlight and attention! Hell be more spoiled than usual soon!
Why the soft food? Is that standard, after surgery? Or was there injury to his mouth, too?
Gordon says
Can’t say for sure, but probably easier to conceal meds in soft food.
Linda C says
Oh, duh! You’re right, like they do every morning….thanks!
Anthony says
That’s correct. Softer foods are better for mixing in medications. We also suspected that his face would be very sore for a couple of days after the fight and subsequent procedure.
Harley Robb says
Oh, Burrito! Thank you all for taking such good care of him and the other chimps. You are all such kind people who love these chimpanzees, and as a fellow lover of primates I will continue to support your sanctuary ?
Harley Robb says
Oh, Burrito! Thank you all for taking such good care of him and the other chimps. You are all such kind people who love these chimpanzees, and as a fellow lover of primates I will continue to support your sanctuary ?
Harley Robb says
Oops! I accidentally used a question mark. I mean I’ll continue to support your sanctuary without question! Lol
Carla René says
No, when you try and insert an emoji from your phone it interprets it as a question mark because it doesn’t read the .html correctly. So you did nothing wrong. 🙂
Anthony says
Nice catch, Carla!
Mary says
So nice each day is getting better for everyone. You guys are the best!
Jo Lathrop says
Anthony, I LOVE that you put “And tomorrow will be better” in bold!!!!!!!!! Yes, it will!! Because all the experiences we go through make us wiser and are the most potent teachers in our lives. So how can it not be better, because we are more able to handle what comes to us! Yay!! You all do an AMAZING job and I won’t let you forget it! Love and hugs to you all…
Anthony says
I got the idea from a story that Chad, one of our incredible volunteers, shared with us after one of our earlier setbacks. He’s a good egg.
Nancy says
I look forward to being updated daily on what is new with the beloved chimps. I’m am so impressed with your staff and volunteers and how passionate they are to make the best life for each wonderful chimp.
Kathleen says
“Everybody needs a safe place.” ? Mary Oliver, Dog Songs
You have created a safe place for the Cle Elum Seven + Three. You give them “a better life”, as you stated, every single day. Everyone can see this is true. We are all moved by your generous, caring hearts so why wouldn’t people want to reach out and help you to help the chimps. As they say, we are better together. : )
Please give Burrito a banana rub-a-roo from me.
Carla René says
As I see these photos of D and James Bond and his missing double-oh-sevens, I cry. I know each individual’s experience at coming to know and love these chimp-peoples will be and are vastly different, so the fact is, there was *some* impetus that brought each one of us to love them. I had never heard a chimpanzee laugh out loud before, until I saw Burrito laughing on YouTube. Then I looked up the blog, and that’s when I found my furrrrever boyfriend.
I came to fall helplessly and hopelessly in love with Mr. Burrito-toes just a year or so later when I donated my first painting of him to the sanctuary for their summer online auction–just at the time when they were beginning to raise funds for this first group of chimp-peoples. Since I’ve struggled with Lupus for many years, and I knew Burrito had been used as a test subject for other conditions, trying to get through that painting every single day was a struggle. The gravity of what he went through still makes me cry, because as I’ve shared about it many times both on here and on my own art blog, no, he wasn’t used for Lupus testing, but I’m sure there *were* chimps that had been used for that purpose, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty for what they must have gone through on my behalf. So it was a daily battle to sit down to paint and try to see the paper through the tears. Each brush stroke I made was steeped in the gravity of the emotion I was feeling; the emotion of knowing the abuse, neglect, and sheer horror that the Cle Elum Ten went through, and those other chimps without names or faces that were going through very similar experiences, some in my place; the countless babies that never even got to know their mother’s touch; those precious souls that died in captivity, never having felt the warmth of the Sun as it washed over their upturned faces; the chimps who grew up in cages, never having learned the existence of something called “hope”–something so critical to our very survival. My coloured pencils channeled every single one of these emotions and continue to do so any time I sit down to paint one of this group. And if you’ve never had a disease that doctors just don’t know how to cure, well, that’s a *lot* of guilt to carry around.
I eventually finished the painting, and his owner *still* follows my blog and writes every now and again to discuss this group and the goofy subject that greets her each morning before her feet hit the floor, and each night before she closes her eyes. Just knowing how much that painting means to her makes the countless hours and emotions I felt SO very worth it.
Mr. Burrito-toes will always be the love of my life. So when I think of him being in more pain, I feel it, too. I think for those of us in love with him, it’s his child-like qualities and sheer love of life that keep us in love with him. It’s that joyous spirit that could have so easily have been crushed for good. But Mr. Burrito-toes is a fighter. And when he is involved in a very srs event like this that could have threatened his life, it’s hard to picture him as anything other than that child-like, joy-filled, innocent, naive, goofy butter bean who loves food more than the love of a good woman.
I painted Queen Negra and donated her painting in August, and the one woman I know that loves The Queen the most won her, making me assured in the knowledge that The Queen is residing with the best possible person.
So I call Mr. Burrito-toes my “gateway chimp”. I fell in love with him first, but it was my love for him that introduced me to the others, and it was as easy as breathing for me to fall in love with them, too.
Like I said, our experiences will be different, but I think the process is the same. That’s why it’s so easy for us to be here to do what we can, when we can.
Just try and keep us away. <3 <3 <3
Cheers.
Elaine Reininger says
Carla: I was deeply moved by your touching post today, about the guilt you felt because you had a medical condition that may have caused pain to medical lab chimps. And I was amazed that your paintings went to two people who truly appreciated them. My computer was at Staples for several days during the time that whatever happened to Mr. B and I was told to delete hundreds of my emails. Problem was I did something wrong and hundreds of my e-mails were delteted so I have no idea what happened, but it sounds like it was pretty serious. Today I read that Honey B lost a toe. How can I see your paintings? How many have you done of the Chimps?
Carla René says
Hello, Elaine,
Thanks for your kind words. They made me cry.
Burrito suffered a very srs injury to his scrotum that required castration. It was in that fight with Honey that she lost that toe that she was very proud of (loved that part!).
My art page on FB is: facebook.com/glittercatstudios . I have my Coloured Pencil and digital art there, but you can also find links to my other social media accounts there, too. Please stop by and say hi while liking the page, and thanks so much for asking!
Cheers.
Kathleen says
Carla René, thank you for your post today. It is a perspective I have never thought of, a perspective of someone who may have benefited from experiments on chimps or any of the other animals used in labs (mice, birds, rabbits, and dogs of all kinds).
My journey with mind & heart into chimpanzees began when I fell in love with Nim after reading the 2008 book by Elizabeth Hess (who I have the had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with) “Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human.” From Nim, I fell in love with Booee, then I read “Next of Kin” by Roger Fouts. That was it, I dove down the Chimpanzee “rabbit hole’ and never came back. While Googling about Washoe and her family I somehow fortunately stumbled upon Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW (I believe it was from Fauna Foundation Sanctuary?). It was Missy and Negra who initially stole my heart and both of their stories made me cry. But it was the blog that captivated me and fed my desire to learn everything I could about chimpanzees and their behavior.
I must confess, I am the over-the-moon, happy-thrilled, proud owner of the “Negra With Lilac’s Carla René Original”. Everyday, every single day it brings me great delight, not just because it is a lifelike beautiful representation of dear Neggie, but because I can honestly feel the love Carla René has for Neggie. She illustrated her love right into the image, you can feel it. We three ladies are now forever connected in this lovely image. It’s wonderful.
Carla René says
Hi, Kathleen,
Thanks for your kind words, as usual. They, too, made me cry.
I had heard about Project NIM but forced myself to NOT watch it for the longest time (I have Asperger’s and so any emotional connection I feel toward animals of any and all kinds hits me for a long time, affecting me incredibly deeply, so I have to be careful with what I allow myself to become involved), until I finally sat myself down and watched it a few years ago. Thankfully, I can remember very little of it, except that I did a lot of crying and refuse to watch it again.
I am still SO happy you are loving the painting! Yes, I wanted to protect your privacy until you decided to step up and share; I thought that should be your call and not mine.
I will be the featured artist for the GRACE Gorilla Sanctuary for their 2020 15-year-anniversary celebration so as soon as they get their new director settled I’ll begin painting *several* of their gorillas to be used as part of their celebration. But somewhere in there, I’ll be starting another one of these guys, only this year I’m hoping to have enough time and energy to donate for both of their auctions. So glad you’re a follower on my blog.
Cheers, lady.
Anthony says
Thanks for sharing those thoughts, Carla. I too often think about the ways in which my life has been cushioned by the unwilling sacrifice of thousands of nonhuman lives. It’s even sadder to know that, in the case of testing therapies on chimpanzees and other nonhuman primates, the results are rarely applicable to actual human patients.
In my opinion, the most important thing is to make informed decisions now that prevent further exploitation and abuse, and to remain optimistic towards and supportive of new approaches that don’t require animals or their body parts.
Also, your art is a valuable contribution to the sanctuary community and we appreciate how adamantly you care for the chimps. 🙂
Carla René says
Hi, Anthony,
As a scientist, that’s the part that *always* bothered me to no end: That all this raw data being gathered at the sheer emotional and physical expense of the chimp just didn’t produce results with enough justifiable efficacy to pay that incredible cost. I have this problem with animal testing for the general consumer as well, for most of the same reasons, although we’re obviously dealing with disparate fields of testing.
I agree that with new technologies always being developed, models exist with sim capabilities that produce results better than hand-on-hand chimpanzee testing. The problem is that antiquarian budgets don’t move as quickly as the technologies.
Thank-you for the compliment. It’s so nice to be acknowledged for one’s contribution. I’m so very thankful to be a part of this wonderful blog community. I think this is the first real time I’ve felt like I’ve gotten to know some of the others who post regularly. With some of them sharing their experiences of how they came to be a part of this wonderful group it’s been some of the most interesting reading I’ve done from the comments in quite awhile. Somehow, reading about how they came to love these particular chimps has made them more human to me, which is an irony that just makes me chuckle.
Cheers.
Sandie Allaway says
You’re unrelenting commitment and determination to create a safe, happy, and loving environment for all these chimps really does take my breath away. Seriously! You make us feel such a part of their well being and your struggles and successes as well as theirs. It’s heartbreaking when any one of them is injured because we want to always feel the bright side even though that’s not reality. Sending virtual hugs to Burrito for his continued healing. And thank all of you for your open and honest and involved posts.
Francoise Vulpe says
Carla René, now you’re making me cry… Such beautiful writing! And while our stories are different, I have had many of the same thoughts you have. I had many infections as a child that could have cost me my life without penicillin (and did lose much of my hearing) and I have MS and epilepsy, both for which I have to take medication every day for life. Every day, I think who was used to test these drugs that allow me to function without seizures and manage a disease that has no cure and can turn crippling at any time. So far I am fortunate in that regard.
I don’t feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for the sacrifices made unwillingly and without consent in my name. I owe the chimpanzees and all lab animals my life. How do we balance that account? Because we never can, can we? And then I think, would I not take the drugs at risk of my life or ability to function? That’s when my brain explodes with a most serious quandary that has no answer, or does it? And I don’t like the answer? Am I to weak to accept what the answer should be?
All of this is to say that your words touched me deeply and I am sure they would touch Burrito too, were our species able to communicate that way. In the meantime, we repay our debt as best we can when we can.
And like you, I love them all. My heart however belongs to Negra, and now Mave, both keepers of a soul and attitude to life much like mine.
Many wishes for good health, Francoise
Carla René says
Hi, Francoise,
I can’t tell you how srry I was to learn about your battle with MS and epilepsy. Have you considered getting a Sphynx cat? On Facebook there’s a cat from Sarasota, FL named “Nurse Raisin”. She’s a Sphynx cat that belongs to a woman who’s a vet tech in a local office there. She also suffers from epilepsy, having seizures sometimes as often as 1 per hour. It was so bad that she needed neurosurgery for it. Shortly after adopting Raisin, she noticed that every time she was coming out of a seizure, Raisin was right there near her face, comforting her. She soon learned that Raisin could sense the seizures as they began, giving Ruth enough time to notify her hubs and prepare. I’ll be painting a picture of Raisin soon so that Ruth can raise monies with it. If nothing else, you can get a good laugh each day from Raisin. She’s even been featured on Jackson Galaxy’s show “My Cat from Hell”, so give her a look.
I think you reside in Canada, but I know that recently within the last few months, the US has released a brand new drug for certain types of MS that you may want to ask your doctor about. It’s an injection that’s only required twice/year. Chances are they released it there to you guys before we got it. 🙂
I like your being so forthright and in essence articulating what I’ve been parsing inside my head for as many years as I’ve struggled with illness of all kinds. The territory we’re entering is an age-old debate, and I’m just in too much pain tonight to muster the energy to go there.
All I know is that you or I beating ourselves up over choosing to live isn’t helping our conditions. So how about this: I’ll stop feeling guilty if you will.
Deal? 🙂 <3
Sadly, I tend to isolate when I'm not feeling well, and during the initial integration I was away, so I really haven't gotten to know Mave like the rest of the bloggers have gotten to know Mave. But from the way everyone speaks of her it sounds as if she's someone I should get to know right away.
I am so very happy and grateful that something I said resonated with you. That's my goal anytime I sit to write, and your words of comfort made me cry.
Wishing you the very best health and strength, physically and mentally. Stay strong, you have a community that loves you, comprised of primates of all kinds.
Cheers.
Elaine Reininger says
Anthony: Thanks for a wonderful post ONCE AGAIN. It is good to hear that things have gotten calmer. The picture of Burrito laying on a blanket asleep in the sun with Diana massaging his shoulders was very touching. I am glad you all got support from volunteers and caretakers. Your 10 chimps have become an important relationship on a daily basis with all of us who read these posts.
Regina says
I have been reading faithfully and following along, but this is my first message I am posting after the recent events. CSNW is an amazing organization with amazing staff and you are all doing everything humanly possible to keep the chimps safe, engaged, and happy. They are sooo much better off at your sanctuary than anywhere else in the world. I have been volunteering at a dog shelter for 20+ years, and we have mostly (75%) dog-aggressive dogs who need to be kept separate from each other. Unfortunately just like CSNW, we have had a few incidents where dogs accidentally gain access to another dog and injure each other. We always feel terrible about that when it happens, but we do the best we can, install further protocols, gates, etc and know that we have and will continue to do everything we can to improve our dogs situations. I’ve been following your blog updates for a few years now, and totally appreciate how difficult caring for chimpanzees can be, and appreciate your honesty in sharing the challenges with us, your faithful supporters. It just makes us realize how challenging your mission is, and we will continue to support you through it all. Keeping your staff and the chimps in my thoughts during these challenging times. Stay strong!
Wanda Trotta says
Exactly what happened to Burrito during scuffles?
Anthony says
Good morning, Wanda. I think J.B. described the situation best in his Saturday post titled “Update” and his Sunday post titled “Thank You.” I recommend that you check those out.
Early Friday morning, there was an intense fight that probably started between Honey B and Burrito, who had been living together with Negra, Mave and Willy B in the Playroom for several days as part of our efforts to integrate all ten chimpanzees. J.B. and Diana were alerted via our security cameras and arrived in time to defuse the fight by separating Honey. She had lost a toe and had some wounding to her backside, but Burrito had been beaten by the others in a counterattack and received the worst of it. Our veterinary team came in immediately to assess the wounds and we unanimously agreed that Burrito required surgical treatment, including castration. Burrito is now recovering well in his own room, but he can also interact with his original group through the mesh doors. Honey B is healing quickly and seems unfazed, so she has been reunited with her group. We have no plans to attempt any more integrations with these chimps as we are now focused on recovery and stability at this time.
Linda Gere says
Thank you so much for your very informative blog. I tried to read it to my husband outloud but it was so emotional. Thank you all for your caring and compassionate care for our Cle Elum 7 family and their extended family. You are all so Amazing!
Carole says
My heart goes out to you all over this incident, I can’t imagine how scary it was for the folks on the scene first. I’m so glad Burrito and Honey B are healing and spirits from all are improving. thank you all for the work that you do.
Kathleen Klueh says
Thank you all for your care and concern for the chimps. It’s definitely going to take time for a happy family of chimps but you will succeed. Keep positive and know that your efforts will pay off??????