Hi, everyone! My name is Jenna and I am the newest staff member at CSNW. I am so happy to be here!
Originally from Arizona, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in 2018. While I had anticipated going into the medical field with the goal of helping humans, I never felt confident with that plan. It was not until my final semester of college where I completed an internship at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, where I had the epiphany, “why have I not considered working with animals before?”.
Immediately after graduating, I started unpaid internships so I could build my resume as I knew I wanted to pursue a graduate degree. While I completed two internships at AZA-accredited facilities, I knew I found something special when I began a wildlife medicine internship at a small sanctuary in Arizona, called Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center (SWCC). SWCC heavily focuses on wildlife rehabilitation and releases as many animals as possible. For those individuals that cannot be released, such as those formerly kept as pets illegally, SWCC provides them a home for the rest of their life, where they can live in peace. Up until to that point in my professional life, I had never seen anything like the work SWCC was doing. I was quickly hooked into the sanctuary world and I have never looked back.
While my title of staff is new, I am not a stranger to CSNW! I began interning here in 2019 when I moved to Washington for the Primate Behavior graduate program at Central Washington University. In fact, I arrived shortly after Mave, Honey B, and Willy B arrived at CSNW! I quickly fell in love with the people, the chimpanzees, and the positive atmosphere here. While the pandemic ended my in-person internship early, and I eventually went on to work at other chimpanzee sanctuaries, I always kept CSNW close to my heart. I think it is pretty evident a lot of former interns have similar experiences, as many have returned as staff.
For the past year, I have been in Florida working as a full-time chimpanzee caregiver at Center for Great Apes (CGA)! I learned so much during my time there and felt very fortunate to build such close, strong relationships with several of the chimpanzees. I would have to say that the highlight of my time working at CGA was being a caregiver to Knuckles. For those unfamiliar with his story, Knuckles was born in 1999 at a California entertainment facility and he quickly was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Based on the severity of his condition, doctors had no idea how long Knuckles would live. He arrived at CGA when he was 2 years old. He unexpectedly passed away in November 2021 at the age of 22. I am forever thankful for the opportunity to be apart of his life as I am not the same caregiver, nor person, as I was before knowing him.
I have been back in Washington since the end of April and I could not be happier. I have missed the beautiful landscapes, the wonderful humans that make up the CSNW staff, and of course, the chimpanzees.
As a disclaimer, my photography lessons with Chad and Anthony just started today, so please know these pictures will improve in the future (well, one can hope). Here are a few moments that I captured today:
Foxie:
Foxie and dolls:
Burrito:
Jamie:
Meredith:
It’s nice to meet you, Jenna, Anthony and Chad seem to have done a pretty good job with your photography lessons, the pictures are great. I have heard about knuckles, how fortunate for you to have been a caregiver for him.
I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say it’s nice to have you back CSNW.
Welcome,Jenna!
Your Foxie pics are near perfect! Looking forward to more blogs!
Welcome Jenna :blush:
Hi Jenna, It sounds like CSNW is lucky to have you!
Your pictures are great, And your sweet eulogy of Knuckles made me cry.
Welcome home.:revolving_hearts:
Welcome, Jenna!!
Great Pictures! Looking forward to more stories from you and the chimps! and that cute cow!!!?
Hi Jenna! Welcome and that was a great introductory post. Your pictures are great, those faces are so sweet!!!
Jenna,
Great photos! They all look happy to see you! If they approve, then I approve. 😉
“I am forever thankful for the opportunity to be apart of his life as I am not the same caregiver, nor person, as I was before knowing him.”
My eyes just stung when I read that. I’m so sorry you lost a really special friend and loved one. It reminds us to tell our loved ones that they are indeed loved ones.
I’m glad you’re now there for our loved ones. and I hope you find new and deep connections
Hi Jenna! Wonderful hearing about your career epiphany. It appears you tied all your experience, passion, and training into a fulfilling career. Thanks for including the link to your friend Knuckles. How fortunate you were to know him.
Every caregiver shines a personal light on the goings on at CSNW, it will be fun to see the sanctuary from your perspective. And your photos are great. Just look at the way Foxie, Burrito, Jamie, and Meredith are looking at you! Perfect!
Kathleen, I think we were typing at the same time! And you saw the same thing I did, the way they were looking at Jenna. I think they like her!
Hi Paulette! Yes! We were on the same wavelength seeing the same connection. It’s so obvious what each one is thinking. Caption bubble over Burrito “Let’s Play!”. Bubble over Jamie “May I groom your boots”. 🙂
Welcome Jenna. Always glad to see a fellow chimp lover in the house.
Welcome [back] to CSNW, Jenna. Also such a beautiful story of Knuckles.
Welcome (back) Jenna! How fascinating – I did not know that chimps could have cerebral palsy. Knuckles’ story is beautiful. Lucky you to have played a part of it.
Jenna, I am glad that you are a member of the CSNW team of caregivers. Jamie only hires the very best humans at HER sanctuary, so your qualifications have been thoroughly accreditated. I am glad that Jamie has a new human to boss, that Foxie has a new friend with whom to play “Pass the doll”, and that Burrito has a new human to wear in his games of chase and tug-o-war. Oh, and if you get the chance given all of your duties, could you please provide some side scratches to my bovine bestie, Meredith? Both of us would appreciate it. Thank you.
jenna i love you
It is good to have you back home Jenna; more mature and wiser and with a soft heart through your experiences.
And I am looking forward to your blogs; this story is very well written with all its personal flavour.
I too am sorry you lost your beloved Knuckles, and I am sure his life was better with you in it.
How lucky are we to have you return to CSNW, a sanctuary like no other.
Welcome Jenna!
Glad you are here, thanks for what you do it makes a huge differance!
Welcome! sounds like you have had a great journey thus far! It sounds like the chimps have another fantastic caregiver!!!
Welcome, Jenna! Thank you for sharing your path to us and for now fully being part of the CSNW team! But mostly, thank you for sharing your history, your expertise, open-heartedness and soulful love of the chimps. I’d second what others have said — including that Jamie is thrilled to have someone new to boss around (and I hope she doesn’t decide to throw poop at you if you don’t let her groom you enough)! May the games begin!! Welcome “home” !!
welcome, Jenna. what a great addition you are to CSNW. i look forward to meeting you sometime and having a chat.
Welcome Jenna! Thanks for the great photos, and thank you for helping the Cle Elum family ?
Welcome Jenna! Glad you are back “home” now at CSNW. I also am glad you spent some time at the Center for Great Apes, another wonderful Sanctuary I have had the pleasure of visiting. I loved meeting Knuckles, and enjoyed watching him ride around on his golf cart with his caregiver, and was glad he spent so many years there. Welcome back!
good luck Jenna. it sounds as thoubh you are exactly where you are meant to be!