If we look straight and deep into a chimpanzee’s eyes, an intelligent self-assured personality looks back at us. If they are animals, what must we be?”
-Frans de Waal
Today is World Chimpanzee Day!
Several organizations within the sanctuary, zoo, education, and conservation worlds came together to create a day to honor our closest living relatives and to use the day to spread awareness of issues they face both in the wild and captivity.
July 14th was chosen as the honorary day because it was on this day in 1960, Jane Goodall first stepped foot in Tanzania to study chimpanzees. Though she had received backlash at first, her discoveries forced researchers to look at chimpanzees differently, and not just as another animal. From then, we have begun to truly see just how close of a living relative we are.
There are many things you can do to be an advocate for chimpanzees. You can donate to your favorite conservation organization, share your favorite sanctuary on social media, talk about your favorite chimpanzee to family, discuss what is a good social media post is and what is bad to friends, and the list goes on! To find out more about World Chimpanzee Day and how you can help, please check out World Chimpanzee Day!
We are truly honored as caregivers to know the 16 chimpanzees who call Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest home!
Thank you all to our followers and supporters for always supporting, advocating, and honoring these magnificent individuals!
