I’ll start with the not-so-good news first. Anthony will be stepping down from his staff position near the end of the month to pursue his next adventure.
As a full time team member, I will miss his positive attitude, willingness to take on tough projects, fantastic photos and maybe even his groan worthy puns on the blog. Fortunately for the sanctuary, he will be sticking around in the Pacific Northwest and has already promised to return as a regular volunteer ASAP! I’ll let him write a proper goodbye to blog readers when the time comes.
Now for the good news, or at least my chance to advertise an exciting opportunity to that right candidate. As you might have already gathered, we are currently hiring for a Full-Time Caregiver position. To learn more about this job opening, check out our website! Please feel free to share the posting with anyone you know who might be qualified and interested.
Here are a few photos of some of the staff during this morning’s routine.
Sofia serving medication (birth control) to Lucky:
Chad operating a hydraulic door:
Grace serving plums to Cy:
Chad performing safety checks:
Anthony cleaning a front room:
Thank you so much, Anthony, for all of the care which you have provided to your friends who live at the Sanctuary. I know that each one of them has enjoyed your presence and interactions with them. I wish you all the very best in the next chapter in your life and career, and I hope that you can come to visit your Sanctuary friends as often as your schedule allows — they all have good memories, and you have made friends for life.
It has been an honor just to be involved with the organization, Tobin! Thank you for all your kind words, as always!
Anthony, while we’re all (including chimps, I’m sure) saddened to see you move on, it’s with gratitude that I wish you well in your next adventures. Thanks for all you’ve given of yourself and your talents and expertise during your time at the sanctuary; it’s been so valuable and such a wonderful contribution to all the species at the sanctuary, humans included. All the best in your new challenges going forward!
Thank you so much, Marya!
May your next adventure ,Anthony, be as fullfilling & rewarding as this one. Good luck in finding the passion that makes you happy. I will miss your fantastic photos& comments you have shared with us thruout the many years.
I hope the memories you take with you will enrich your spirit. The next one has some big shoes to fill. Good luck hugs.
( What does it say on your right arm?)
Thank you, Nancy. You’re too kind! I will surely keep great memories of the chimps and humans, and I hope to keep making new ones as I continue to be involved in a more peripheral role (something like “unpaid chimp friend”).
I have a few of my favorite song lyrics and quotes tattooed in various places. That one on my arm is from the song “Ragged Mile” by the John Butler Trio. I finally saw John play it live in a cave several years ago and got a new piece to remember the moment.
Thank you, Anthony, and best wishes as you move forward. I, too, will miss your puns and photography. And the special care you bring to the chimpanzees.
Thank you, Maureen. I will miss everyone too, but I look forward to staying involved in a new capacity!
So sad to hear that Anthony is leaving, but all good wishes go with him for the next adventure. The jokes, the fantastic photos etc etc……will be hugely missed. It’s already the 6th January here in Australia, so the excitement is building for our dear Burrito’s birthday party…..will it be pasta, waffles or some other of his favourite treats?? Have a lovely day, Burrito with all your friends there, and your many thousands of virtual friends online. :hugging:
G’day! All of the above, hopefully! There was one year where they just fed them different things every few hours, since he likes food so much!
Bubba had such a great birthday thanks to all the staff, volunteers and supporters. That’s how birthday parties should be! 🙂
Thanks for the warm wishes and generous praise, Carol! I will miss working here but look forward to being a member of the sanctuary’s community still!
Yes, bitter sweet news indeed , but,Anthony, your next adventure awaits you.
Thank you for sharing life at the sanctuary with your blogs and the amazing photos.It made Australia feel a bit closer to you all!
Travel safely and hold those precious memories of the sanctuary in your heart.
Of course, Susan! The blog and photos will still be as great as ever, and I’ll be excitedly following along too. 🙂
Oh, Anthony, so soon!?
We’ll never again see a title in our email and say, “Anthony’s on blog duty today”? So I can’t send more Del’s next summer?! The 9 haven’t been inducted yet…:slight_smile:
Thanks for all of the beautiful pics and blogs.
I know you’ll be back to volunteer…but which of those chimps will be missing you most next week? Honey B? Or will it be the cattle?
I’m sorry, LC! Maybe they should limit their hiring to Rhode Island natives only. Representation is important, after all.
It has been a pleasure to write posts for such an enthusiastic and informed community of followers. I’ll still be hanging out around the sanctuary and lending a hand when conditions on the mountain passes cooperate with my new work schedule. As for who will miss me, I’m not sure. I don’t even know who I will miss the most because I love all the chimps and bovines equally and could never, ever pick a favorite.
:honey_pot::bee:
Best wishes, to Anthony on his new adventure! He and all the staff are truly “Chimpanzee Champions”-giving their best to help, protect and care for the chimpanzees (and the bovines)!
Thank you, Rosalie! It’s a great team and I’ve been lucky to be a part of it.
I’m sad to hear that Anthony is leaving, we will all miss his pictures and interesting blogs. I know there comes a time when we are faced with the realization that it’s time to take the next step in our careers, hard as it is sometimes. I’m glad he will be back as a volunteer. I know he will be missed by all the staff, blog followers and particularly by the chimps and bovine. Good luck in the future, Anthony.
Thank you, Nancy! I am sad to leave as well but look forward to the next adventure. It’s much easier to leave the staff knowing that I can still be a part of the CSNW community!
Anthony, I am curious to discover what your new adventure will be. With your education and work history centered around primates and monkeys, I can’t imagine what is in the Pacific NW that pulls you onward. With your passion for photography I wonder if you’ll be an animal/nature photographer. Whatever you do, be happy doing it!
I am happy you will volunteer at CSNW ….for two reasons. One: Clearly it’s all about 16 chimpanzees and 4 bovines being able to keep you in their friendship circle. And two: maybe, just maybe, someday when you’re volunteering you could toss out a punny title to the blog writer of the day just so all of us out here can get a hit of your much missed humor.
I was going to suggest the same thing, Kathleen, as long as there is someone who doesn’t mind being relieved of the chore of writing the blog
Thanks, Kathleen! You’re always so thoughtful and kind in your questions and comments. I’ll be writing some more about this in my final post in a few weeks, but I have accepted a position as a biologist at a large wildlife rehabilitation center in the region. I’ve always been drawn to wildlife conservation and can utilize many of the skills and experiences I acquired during my decade studying, rehabilitating, and caring for nonhuman primates. The job also requires a lot of photography and storytelling and I am excited to focus more on those as well!
And yes, I will absolutely pepper the Lead Caregiver with corny blog titles throughout the day. I doubt any of the staff will want me to take volunteer shifts on their Chimp House days for that reason alone. Chad may be an exception, though, because his puns can be even cheesier than mine.
Best of luck and good wishes on your new adventure. You’ll be missed by all but glad to hear you’ll be keeping in touch through volunteering. You’ve educated us about the chimps,delighted us with breathtaking photography, made us laugh in your blog writings (Star Wars was priceless) but the care to all our animals was always appreciated. Take care, you wii be missed.
Thank you, Marcie! I’m happy that my contributions were appreciated. I will definitely miss being a staff caregiver here but I look forward to being involved in a new capacity, too. It has been an honor to serve on such an amazing crew and I am excited to see the team grow and thrive in the future!
Anthony, I wish you much success in your future! You will be missed at the Sanctuary …You have done so much for the chimps, and we will all miss your blogs! Best of luck!
Thank you, Don! It’s been a pleasure to engage with all of you on here. I appreciate everyone’s kind words and am glad that the sanctuary has such a great network to support it!