Much gratitude to Diana Walti for sponsoring a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees in honor of Cy and National Reading Month!
“This is in honor of Cy’s birthday. It is important to celebrate a fellow reader!”
Thank you so much for keeping the celebration of this beloved chimpanzee fella going, Diana! Your gift makes a difference in Cy’s and his friends’ and neighbors’ lives.
As you may know, Cy’s 33rd (library-themed) birthday was this past Sunday, March 12th, and we’re so thankful for all the people who have come together to contribute toward the celebration of this special guy. And given Cy’s love of his books and magazines, how apropos is it that March also happens to be National Reading Month! This wonderful celebration of the magic, joy, inspiration and community found in reading is kicked off by the National Education Association’s Read Across America. (But do they know about Cy and Jamie?!).
I was just saying to a friend of mine that it never ceases to blow my mind that the 16 amazing chimpanzee people who call the sanctuary their home spent decades of their lives virtually unknown by the world outside their immediate care providers, be that in biomedical research or other care facilities, prior to coming to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. The gift of getting to see each of them loved and celebrated for their unique personalities and interests by so many people the world over makes our hearts sing.
Cy:
Cy and Rayne in the background:
Have they ever had any of the talking books…? the cow moooo’s……….the horse whennees….the goat whyyeees…..??
That’s a great idea!
A talking book with Cow moos and such like? For Cy? Err…for further reference, please refer the blog post of 1.12.2022…I remain anxious for the day when our resident bookworm (or, should I say, “book-ape”?) steps out into the Bray and catches sight of his bovine neighbors (!)
Thank you, Diana!
I know rationally that Cy and the other reader chimps can’t read as we do. But they certainly read in their own way, get enjoyment from it and are driven to do it. Cy especially is a true book fiend. And it makes my heart sing when I see it. How I’d love to get in their brains when they read. Is it no different than when a young toddler looks at books? Do they understand any of the language the staff use and can identify objects? Do staff prattle on when with them? Or it simply a gratifying enjoyment of images that they both recognize and don’t recognize? Is it the colors? This is something we’ll never know and I both respect and am frustrated by that. Are any studies being done to explore this? I’m not a scientist or primatologist so I can’t imagine what an experiment would look like. I’ll just have to enjoy my singing heart and cherish my love for Cy and Jamie and the other readers and the non-readers. I only wish I was in a position to add to the library. Sadly Covid cost me my job. Love to all.
P.S. I have written a childten’s book, on animal eyes, to be published this Spring. I’ll certainly be sending a copy!
As you are a reader, you should grab one of the books for popular audiences by the primatologist Frans de Waal, who I believe still runs a center at or near Emory University that does a lot of work on primate cognition, particularly studying the behavior of chimpanzees and capuchins (a New World monkey). One is the Primate Mind.
Chimpanzees who work and live with regular human contact surely know what many words mean, probably some having larger vocabulary than others, just like people or dogs do.
Their vision is very much like ours, seeing color just as we do (unlike dogs and cats).
Yes. That book is on mynto re6sd list, along with others about animal intelligence. Beyind fascinating. I often feel that I missed my calling.
Cy has such an intelligent, sweet face; I love to look at him. Happy birthday, buddy!
Great pictures of Cy!
Simply put, it’s just perfectly perfect that March is National Reading Month! No wonder Cy is an avid reader. Thank you, Diana, for your sponsorship!
Oh Katelyn, as a beautiful wordsmith and a long time friend and caregiver to the chimpanzees, may I suggest you send a message to Read Across America sharing Jamie and Cy’s passion and curiosity for reading. Their stories are a perfect fit! As the website states, Read Across America invites their community to…
“Read, talk, and share to build a community where students all feel seen, heard, and validated and show them that people and their stories have the power to change lives.”
Jamie and Cy (and all the residents!) have powerful life changing stories. As you say, knowing the chimps makes hearts sing. Students will easily relate to and have empathy for their stories. As you pointed out, the chimps went unseen and unknown for most of their lives, many of our youth share similar feelings. I could see teachers and classrooms joining together to follow Jamie and Cy and the gang.
I like that idea, Kathleen!
Excellent idea, Kathleen! I just finished “The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary, and am especially emotional about these amazing beings having been so unseen and unrecognized for so long. Cy is a particularly gorgeous chimp man, and his intent with his reading material is a sight to behold. Yes, let’s spread his story far and wide!
Great idea, Kathleen! The thought crossed my mind scanning the website and reading those same words. Jamie and Cy would be great reading ambassadors, wouldn’t they? 🙂
I concur with all the wonderful comments above! I’m so happy that Jamie and Cy have lots of reading materials and folks out here in blogland who send them new options. I’m so grateful for the sanctuary, this amazingly supportive blogland-group of supporters, and all that goes into making the chimps’ lives so enjoyable and meaningful for them. Thanks to all for the hard work, investment of time, energy and funds, and for loving these chimp-people so much!
Thank you, Diana for honoring Cy again, the big guy deserves it.
I recently sent a little paperback book for Jamie called “Jamie’s Book of Boots”. Do you know if it has been received?
Hi Simon,
Thank you for thinking of Jamie! I believe the humans were recently perusing this upon it’s arrival. 🙂 We will have an in-kind receipt to you shortly!