Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary
The mornings are becoming foggier.
The grass is growing with a golden hue.
And the days are becoming shorter and nights becoming darker.
As the ravens begin to claim their roost in the barn on the gloomy days, the signs of Fall is here with one of the biggest celebrations at CSNW on the horizon…
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And a quick photo of Terry for good measure for this blog!
It’s Meredith’s 10th birthday! And what better way to celebrate with some of her favorite foods! For her birthday, Dr. Erin collected a feast of willow, apple and pear branches, grape vines, wild rose hips, and watercress, topped off with some homemade apple-pear sauce! Happy birthday, Meredith!
I wanted to do something a little different for today’s blog. I am sorry for such a dark yet important topic. I promise there will be some nice photos sprinkled throughout to give you a serotonin boost. I should also note that this blog isn’t representative of any staff member here, just statistics I pulled from various government and academic sources.
As some of you may know, September is recognized at Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s a month dedicated to raise awareness, promote hope, and normalize seeking help. The reason I want to post about such an important topic is to provide as much insight and resources as I can to all my fellow caregivers out there at other sanctuaries, zoos, clinics, and other facilities that house animals. But this is also for you, the reader, as well if hard times have bestowed upon you.
Mental health is not talked about in the open enough, I feel, and it should. Depression and suicide is high per capita in the animal welfare career field, particularly among veterinarians and veterinarian technicians, which can be anywhere from 2 to 5 times higher than other professions. Though no thorough study has been conducted to date, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest the rate over of those in animal caregiving/rescue is five times higher that other professions as well. That suggestion should be taken with a grain of salt though as those labeled “animal caregiving/rescue” included the professions of veterinary care, shelter workers, lab scientists, firefighters, law enforcement, zoo keepers, etc. Let this be my call there should be a proper study done on this topic focusing on the animal welfare profession.
Even though no official study has been done on the suicide rate of animal welfare workers, we do know things like compassion fatigue, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and moral injury contribute to burnout amongst caregivers, which then leads to mental health deterioration.
If there is one thing I do know without having to rely on government and academic statistics, is that burnout runs rampant amongst the caregiving community. Burnout in the sanctuary world is like an uncontained wildfire, it spreads at an accelerated rate and leaves ghostly shells of things that were once vibrant. Many of the the facilities in the sanctuary world have been putting forth the effort to try to combat this fire, but it’s still a little too early to see how efforts will play out.
I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but it took me a very long time to admit and acknowledge my burnout. For some, burnout could be caused by things that just keep piling up without trying to acknowledge and work with them. For others it could be a single event that sparks that match. I know for myself, it was when we lost Jody.
For me, Jody’s passing, and subsequently Nutmeg’s passing, were the things that triggered the PTSD that led to my burnout. And yes, as combat Marine veteran, I can and will say PTSD is not exclusive to combat. Really it can be any event that takes you down that rabbit hole and nobody is immune to it. In my time, I have learned there is no cure to PTSD or burnout, but there are ways to cope with it and make sure it doesn’t consume you.
I guess this next part is for any animal caregiver out there whom may read this:
To my fellow caregivers out there, far and wide, I will not claim to be a trained professional in the subject but merely letting you know what helped me to get the burnout monkey off my back. These are the guides I follow:
Be the caregiver you want to be
Remember when you were hired you were taught how to perform the tasks to be a caregiver, but you weren’t taught what kind of caregiver you want to be. You took on this job for a reason. If you get bogged down with everything that isn’t the reason you came onboard, then remember why you came onboard. Though we each have our own way of doing things and our own focuses, circle back to why you wanted to work with the species you work with. For me, even though I have other duties outside of the caregiving, it’s the caregiving aspect that has the most direct impact in their day-to-day lives. Knowing that they’ll have a clean space, as much space as they can have, full bellies, and stimulated minds at the end of the day is what makes me happy.
Talk to each other
You are not alone. There’s a chance your fellow caregivers, whether the ones you work with or ones at another facilitiy. Reach out to each other. Talk to each other. I can’t guarantee results, but you can reach out to me if you aren’t comfortable with someone you work directly with. I’ll at least try to point you in the right direction.
If you are feeling down or are going through a crisis, then please reach out to any of the resources available. Dial the number 988 if you need someone to talk to right away. There are trained professionals that can help you. Or you can go to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to find the resource that is right for you. And just remember, you matter!
And now a series of Burrito playing with Caregiver Ellen!
The past couple of days you have learned about the meeting between Terry and George during the process of integrating George in to a social group. You’ve probably seen the videos of Terry grooming George and playing with him. Well, today is just a general Terry Appreciation Post. (*whispers* ok, secretly it’s because I’ve had these photos for a couple days and was just waiting for my turn on the blog to share them plus it’s another staff meeting day and time is limited. But that shouldn’t take away from the fact Terry is just an incredible being.)
For those new to our sanctuary, Terry arrived at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in the summer of 2021. Before his arrival in the Pacific Northwest, Terry was living at the Wildlife Waystation in Southern California, a facility that housed rescued exotic animals before closing. He was sent to the Waystation in his adolescence from the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP).
From what we can piece together through records and former caregiver stories, Terry did live with Willy B, Honey B, and Dora in the early years at the Waystation. From what we can tell, another group was being put together so Terry and Dora joined Cy, Rayne, Lucky, and Gordo, whom came different groupings themselves. We are uncertain of the circumstances surrounding the decision, but regardless of why, these six would remain with each other to this day.
When the Lucky Six arrived, I had no idea what to expect from Terry. Here was this big, intimidating male who I knew nothing about. I was, in all honesty, terrified of him and Gordo in particular because they were the two I knew the least about from what we were hearing about the group at the time. Luckily, Terry almost immediately showed his true self once he was unloaded from the truck and given his new home.
Terry may look like a big, terrifying male, but underneath all that fluff of hair is the kindest, softest hearts you could ever meet. Hopefully you can see why Terry is such a great person to be one of the first who got to meet George. It is Terry’s kind heart and his lust for fun that makes him a character to instantly fall in love with. If you would like to help support Terry’s care, please consider adopting him in our Chimpanzee Pal program!
It is no secret that our humble little sanctuary has garnered a sudden influx of followers on our blog and social media in the past few months as we welcomed George. We are thrilled so many people are enthused that George has found his way into our care. Since there are so many great new followers who regularly check up on George and the rest of the chimpanzees and cattle, I would like to informally introduce ourselves to the new crowd.
First off, a little background history. Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest was founded in 2003 by founder Keith LaChapelle after he read an article about the plight of chimpanzees used in biomedical research and his desire to help create a space for those who deserved a home free from fear and intrusive testing. This of course expanded beyond only chimpanzees from the labs and to all captive chimpanzees, those used in entertainment, as roadside attractions, and former pets.
In 2008, CSNW welcomed Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy, and Negra, known as the Cle Elum Seven, to their new Pacific Northwest home from a laboratory/breeding facility in Pennsylvania called Buckshire. Over a decade later, in 2019, Honey B, Mave, and Willy B arrived from Wildlife Waystation, a facility in Southern California that was closed after losing their permit to keep wildlife. Two years later, as part of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance’s Chimpanzees In Need campaign to rehome the remaining 39 chimpanzees at Wildlife Waystation, CSNW rescued Cy, Dora, Gordo, Lucky, Rayne, and Terry, known as The Lucky Six. Early this year, we welcomed George, who was confiscated from West Coast Game Park Safari, a roadside zoo in Oregon. We also rescued Betsy, Honey, Meredith, and Nutmeg, four cattle used in the dairy industry and stars of a Fox Network reality show called “Utopia,” in 2018.
Every resident here, whether chimpanzee or bovine, is allowed to live their life they want given their predicament. That predicament, particularly in the chimpanzees’ case, is a harsh fact: they will never know what unadulterated freedom is. Due to their upbringing and individual past histories, they will never know what life would have been like to live in the jungles and savannas of their native African Continent. They will never know the experience of being brought up by their natural families where they would have learned the skills needed to navigate and survive life. It is this predicament that makes truly re-releasing chimps back into the wild a pretty futile attempt.
This is why we, and other accredited sanctuaries housing chimpanzees, provide as much choice as possible. Whether it’s staying inside on what we would consider a perfect day, or running around in less than optimal weather conditions like rain or snow, that choice is theirs. Though from time to time you may see individuals wear human clothing, we do not force them to. We simply provide them with an option, sometimes clothing and toys, and they are free to use or disregard as they see fit. Just a few examples (of many) include Jamie, Foxie, and George.
We aren’t certain of the origins of Jamie’s love for footwear, specifically cowboy boots, but we do allow her to indulge in this near obsession to her heart’s content by providing her several pairs for her to choose from to carry around with her and have caregivers wear during a parameter walk around Young’s Hill, one of the two 2-acre outdoor enclosures here.
When Foxie arrived at the sanctuary from the lab, she wanted nothing to do with any enrichment item, or even blankets to nest with. It wasn’t until one day a month or so after her arrival, a colorful crazy-haired Troll doll caught her eye and it’s been a love affair since. Though she has expanded and updated her dolls from Trolls to the likes of Dora the Explorer, Strawberry Shortcake, and more recently Moana and Maribel from Encanto, she treats every single one of them like one of her children she was denied to raise in the lab, even though she is aware they are inanimate objects. Though she can be sweet and nurturing with them, they are also prone to have appendages pulled off or scalped from time to time.
We recently found out George loves to engage the right hemisphere of his brain by letting his artistic creativity flow. One day we provided him with crayons with some paper and he sat there scribbling on the paper, mixing oranges with blues and greens with purples. More recently he seems to have been taking a liking to use non-toxic finger paints to express himself.
When asked why we don’t sell or auction off some of the art the chimpanzees make, the answer is complicated. Though there is nothing wrong with sanctuaries doing this to help fund the needs of the chimpanzees’, we tend to take it as an opportunistic approach. Essentially, we are conflicted on it becoming a scenario where we are influencing their choice to partake in these activities instead of allowing them to truly make it on their own. If there is an opportunity for such, say if they pass their work to us willing or leave it in the enclosure we are cleaning, then maybe. More often than not though they tend to destroy their art before it gets to that point.
To kind of sum up all of this, our philosophy is these are individuals with their own unique personalities. We allow them to express themselves and provide them choices they were denied for the majority of their lives. As caregivers, our job is to not only to provide the best possible care we can, but also advocate for them and the many others like them who have not made their way to sanctuary yet. The ultimate goal is to create a future where we are not needed any more. A future where their use as test subjects, actors, pets, or any other form of exploitation no longer exists. It’s not the greatest philosophy in terms of job security, but it is necessary. We are here for them. Not the other way around. It’s while you’ll probably read terms like “serve” instead of “feed,” “people” instead of animal” or “beast,” and others to showcase them as truly sentient beings and not any kind of lesser creature.
If you would like to help support our mission in providing top quality, there are many ways to do so. You can make a one time monetary donation, or sign up to become a Chimpanzee Pal, Bovine Buddy, or Produce Patron. As you may have seen, you can also sponsor a day of the sanctuary where a blog will be written in dedication whom or whatever you choose. Another way to help is to peruse through our different wish lists to see what the sanctuary is in need of. Beside the wish lists, another more direct way to participate in the residents’ care is to volunteer if you are local. Please be sure to read the prerequisites and requirements before filling out a volunteer application. You can also attend one of our galas or fundraising events. The are some great items that are up for auction at these events, especially HOOT!, which is hosted both in-person in Seattle and online. We are a small sanctuary and all of our operations are funded through donations.
We sincerely hope you enjoy keeping up with the chimpanzees and cattle through the blog and fall in love with them they way we all have by getting to know their own unique selves.
Over the course of the years, you may have seen some of the videos posted by other caregivers of them greeting the chimpanzees in the morning. Most of those videos include head nodding, breathy panting, kisses, grooming, etc. Nice slow and calm morning greeting one could expect. But not all caregivers are greeted in the morning the same way. My mornings usually consist of some kind of cardio activity.
Note: The video has been sped up as to not allow the video to stay in it’s nearly 20 minute length it was. I was going to add some music to accompany the video, but I think it’s better with the pitter patters and chimpmunk (see what I did there) voices. And if you’re looking at the time stamps of the footage, the time stamps are different by an hour. This is because there are two security camera systems. From time to time they have to be calibrated so the times can sync up. It was when find this footage I realize I had forgotten to calibrate them after Daylight Savings Time. (They’re sync’d now.)
Staff are taking part in a very important training today. So please enjoy this video of some of the chimpanzees playing tug-o-war and keep away from the past week as staff training is underway.
