All the waaaaaay back in January we had the pleasure of announcing that we were looking for 2 new staff members to come on board in time for the arrival of the incoming group of chimpanzees. This past week we excitedly welcomed Samantha (Sam) and Sofía as our newest teammates! While they are the most recently hired employees at CSNW, they certainly aren’t strangers at the sanctuary. They are both former interns and Central Washington University Masters graduates that are returning to us after gaining further valuable experience in the outside world.
Sam returns to CSNW as a full-time caregiver after working for several years as a caregiver at Project Chimps, a sanctuary located in Northern Georgia. She brings with her a wealth of experience working with a large population of chimpanzees that come from biomedical research.
Sofía is back at the sanctuary as part of our caregiving and veterinary team. In addition to her past primate experience at CSNW and CWU, she has many years of experience working in the animal science and veterinary fields. Oh and she happens to love cattle, a passion that will come in handy around here!
I will let Sam and Sofía tell you more about themselves in their own future blogs, but for now, please join me in giving them a warm welcome back to the sanctuary!
Bonus! Negra looked pretty glorious picking edible plants on Young’s Hill this morning: 
Welcome Sam & Sophia!! It’s great to have you both on board as the newest members of the family. I’m sure the staff, bovines and chimps are all very pleased that you’re choosing CSNW as your new place to share your expertise, energies and enthusiasm. And so are we out here in Blog-land! It’ll be fun hearing along the way about whose antics are getting your attention and who’s testing your ability to get the chow bags through the screening fast enough.
Welcome Sam and Sofia! We look forward to seeing your updates!
getting perspectives on relative sizes is difficult…but, Nutmeg’s head is as big as Sofia !!!!!!
I noticed that too! Then again, as I recall from a post in mid-April when Dr. Erin was giving the cattle their exams, it appears that Nutmeg has some big ideas beneath that large skull of his about pursuing a career as a Veterinary Assistant (or, at the least, being of unsolicited “assistance” to the Attending Veterinarian)!
I was thinking the exact same thing Tom!
WELCOME!!!
Welcome Sam and Sofia! So thrilled these amazing, wonderful, thoughtful, thankful, gracious creatures, who I love very much, get the good care I’m sure you’ll provide…just like everyone else at CSNW. The best thing I’ve ever supported!
Welcome, Sam and Sofía! Looking forward to hearing from you in yhe blog!
(And it’s always good to see Neggie out and about)
Welcome Samantha and Sofia!
Welcome back Sam and Sofia. I think you have the best job in the world. If the Boss and Nutmeg approve what else needs to be said. Congrats on joining the team at this exciting time in CSNW’s history.
Now on to Negra. You gotta get as many phots as you can while Negra is in her “spring time on Young’s Hill prime” and I am personally enjoying every single image! Thanks Anna.
I know! That first picture of Negra is absolutely gorgeous! Zoom in… I adore that lady<3
Sofìa and Samantha, I would like to wish you many happy years working at this amazing sanctuary, and sensing from the photo’s ( Sam already with her phone in hand…), you will surprize us with the most lovely and gorgeous photo’s and video’s of our beloved chimps and cows ( and cats and dogs and elk and birds…..).
Welcome to the family and I am sure you will fit right in.
Looking forward to getting to know you better.
Welcome Sam and Sophia! I’m so jealous!!! I would love to work there