It seems like just yesterday that we watched J.B. pull a white Ford Transit van into the driveway carrying the precious cargo that is Mave, Willy B and Honey B. While it seems like no time has passed, it has in fact been 3(!!!) years today since that momentous occasion and A LOT has changed around here since that day. Take a trip down memory lane with me and watch the video we made in 2019 about their journey.
Here’s just a few things that have changed since that day:
You may have noticed we weren’t wearing masks in the video because the pandemic wasn’t on our radar yet. Ahhh good times…
When they arrived at the sanctuary, the 3 newcomers moved right into the new Front Rooms and Mezzanine space. Since then, we have added a lot of new living space for them. This space continues to expand to this day as staff and volunteers string wire after wire for the upcoming new outdoor space called “The Bray.”
On a personal note, I was pregnant with a little baby Luna at the time of their arrival. Luna, now over 2 and a half years old, has fully transformed into a rambunctious toddler but still remains a curiosity to Honey B.
There are now only 10 chimpanzees left awaiting their move from Wildlife Waystation. Read the latest news about the remaining Chimpanzees in Need from the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance.
There were a lot of things that definitely didn’t go as “planned” (like our first introduction attempts) but the absolute best thing to happen since the arrival of Willy B, Honey B and Mave is their integration with the Lucky 6 group. Nothing brings more joy to us than to watch these friendships blossom.
A big cheers to many more years of sanctuary friendships!
Mave play bites Dora’s foot:
Cheers to many more munching moments like this one..
Willy B eats his lettuce from today’s anniversary party:
And cheers to countless more moments of intense eye contact with the incomparable Honey B:
Happy arrival anniversary to these 3 remarkable beings!