Today we wrap up our “Love for…” series with the one and only Foxie!
Foxie was born on August 8, 1976 at the Southwest Foundation for Scientific Research in San Antonio, Texas. Her records indicate her mother was Winny and her father was Brian. Foxie is one of 11 babies Winny gave birth to before passing away at Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico.
During her time in the research lab, Foxie was used in hepatitis vaccine research and as a breeder. Foxie gave birth to four kids during her time as a breeder. She had a set of twin boys, David and Steve; records indicate David died at Alamogordo Primate Facility due to unknown causes and no date given. Steve passed away in 2015 at Alamogordo as well. Foxie also gave birth to two daughters: Angie (the 1st) and Kelsey. Angie currently lives at Save the Chimps in Florida and Kelsey made her way to sanctuary at Chimp Haven in Louisiana but unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago.
Foxie, and the rest of the Cle Elum Seven, were rescued from a windowless basement at the Buckshire Corporation in Pennsylvania in 2008.
When Foxie first arrived, she didn’t want to interact with any of the enrichment items including blankets, pushing them all aside. Then one day, a bright pink-haired Troll caught her eye.
Since then, Foxie is almost never seen without one of her precious dolls, which now include Strawberry Shortcake, Dora the Explorer, and a variety of Disney princess dolls. Foxie loves her dolls as if they were her children, though she seems aware they are not actual living things. It’s not uncommon to find her carrying a doll (or two) in her mouth during a patrol around Young’s Hill…
carrying a doll on her back like a mother chimp would with their young…
taking naps or just relaxing with her dolls…
and playing with her dolls!
Though it may seem endearing to most watching Foxie interact with her dolls as children, it’s also a brutal reminder of her past as a test subject. Would she have raised her actual kids (David, Steve, Angie, and Kelsey) the same way she does with her dolls? We will never know that answer because she was denied the chance to raise her own children. I would wildly guess though that she would have treated them the same and be a fun mother to them.
Foxie is affectionately called “Tiny” by her caregivers. She is the smallest one in her group, but don’t let her size fool you. Foxie embodies the adage “tiny but mighty.” Her tiny stature shouldn’t be taken as weakness and she’ll show you how serious she can be. Here is a series of her double kicking the door separating Foxie and her group and Willy B and his group.
Foxie can be suspicious of new caregivers. She seems to know the concept of which human can do what. She has been known to “tattle” on new caregivers who are training. Before I was hired, I was a volunteer and decided train to be a Level III volunteer caregiver. As I brought breakfast out for the first time to the Greenhouse, the chimps lined up waiting for their food service to begin. As I began giving smoothies out, Foxie ran inside the building screaming. “Weird,” I thought. Then a few minutes later, Foxie came back out to the Greenhouse, with Katelyn in tow! I figured Foxie had ran inside to tattle on me because I was serving them food for the first time. Up until then she had only seen me in the context of cleaning enclosures. This had happened a few times when caregivers are training to serve meals since. Foxie will go to the food service, and if it’s someone who hasn’t served before, she will go find Katelyn to let her know there is a “stranger danger” situation happening! Since then though, Foxie has accepted me and even allows me to babysit her dolls from time to time.
Foxie is a good friend to everyone in her group, though that is not reciprocated all the time. More so, Foxie had a special relationship with Jody.
Jody was, from some caregivers’ point of view, Foxie’s protector. Though it has been a rough period adjusting to the loss of Jody, Foxie still has a good friendship with Burrito and Negra.
Foxie deserves all the friends in the world! Whether is be chimpanzee, human, or inanimate object! Thankfully, Foxie has 20 humans who call her friend through the Chimpanzee Pal program. If you wish to be someone who can symbolically call Foxie a pal, be sure to sign up to be her Chimpanzee Pal!
