Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Katelyn

Happy Birthday, Erin!

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This day of sanctuary has two sponsors! The first is from Tim and Shelley Connelly in honor of their daughter, Erin Connelly. They shared this message about today:

“In celebration of her birthday and in honor of our daughter Erin, who is pursuing a Masters degree in Primatology at CWU and is a volunteer at the sanctuary. Following her dream!”

Tim and Shelley, thank you so much for supporting Erin in such a compassionate way and choosing to make a difference in the chimps’ lives in her honor! We are so fortunate to have many amazing student interns and volunteers helping care for the chimps who come to us through Central Washington University and are happy to be able to share the chimps’ lives with them.

Erin, thank you for all your hard work for the chimpanzees! From all of us here at CSNW we wish you the happiest birthday!!

Foxie:

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Happy Birthday, Karen!

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This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Ruth Mazner in honor of her daughter-in-law, Karen Emmerman Mazner, on her birthday! Karen and her family are such good friends to the chimpanzees and we are thrilled to share in her celebration! Ruth shared this lovely message about Karen:

“Karen is a strong advocate for animal rights. She devotes her life to teaching others that all living beings need to be treated with respect and love.”

Ruth, thank you so much for thinking of the chimpanzees as you honor Karen today with such a beautiful gift! We are so grateful to have the honor not only of knowing and caring for these seven amazing chimpanzees, but to be surrounded by all of the inspiring and compassionate humans they bring into all of our lives.

Karen, thank you so very much to you and your family for being part of our chimp family and for seeing them for the amazing beings they are. Our hearts are full of gratitude for all that you do to provide the chimps with lives in which their hearts and souls are ever expanding. All of us here at CSNW wish you the happiest of birthdays yet!!

Burrito:

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Happy Birthday, Marsha!

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This day of sanctuary was sponsored by Bruce Wagman in honor of Marsha Perelman on her birthday! Bruce and Marsha are both amazing friends to not only the chimpanzees, but to animals everywhere, and we’re thrilled to celebrate Marsha’s special day here today! Bruce shared this wonderful message about today:

“About ten or more years ago, through the most random of coincidences involving asbestos, I was introduced to Marsha.  Over the course of time since then, she has been a client, a teacher, a student, a partner, and most important of all, a dear friend.  And she has been an invaluable supporter of the Cle Elum Seven and other chimpanzees, in more ways than anyone can count, but in essence, by giving them her heart (while keeping big chunks of it for her dogs).  All sorts of animals are so lucky Marsha’s heart was born.  As an example of Marsha’s heart in play:  When I told Marsha about the lives of the CSNW chimps before they got to their Cle Elum bliss, her immediate response was, “I just want to go there and meet them and tell them I’m sorry.”  No need, Marsha.  Your actions have made that clear.  Happy Birthday to a true companion along the road to make up for what has been done to the world’s superior species.”

Many thanks to you, Bruce, for sponsoring such a special day in honor of Marsha! We are so full of gratitude to have humans such as yourselves sharing your incredible hearts in the world and for all you both do to make the lives of not only these seven very special chimpanzees better in every way possible, but for the countless other amazing beings whose lives you’ve made a difference in.

Happiest of birthdays to you, Marsha, we hope your day is full of all the love, joy and comfort you provide to so many others! Thank you so much for being part of our chimp family. And hoots of happiness to you from these seven beautiful chimp people:

Annie:

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Burrito:

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Foxie:

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Jamie:

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Negra:

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Snake alarm!

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Chimpanzees are very territorial and they are quick to respond if an “intruder” is spotted in their territory. If the intruder is someone who elicits fear or concern in the chimps they will respond by a vocalization known as “alarm calling.” This morning while the humans were cleaning the chimp house we suddenly heard loud alarm calls coming from Young’s Hill. When I ran out to see what all the hubbabaloo was about I could tell the chimpanzees had discovered a snake basking in the warmth of “Negra’s Cabin” and were banding together (well, with the exception of Burrito and Negra who watched from the safety of the greenhouse) to handle the situation.

After the crisis was averted everyone gathered in the doorway to Young’s Hill, their heads sticking out to survey the hill. But fierce Foxie bravely marched out all on her own, stood bipedally a safe distance from the cabin and gave things a final look to make sure the coast was clear for her family. Foxie may be little, but she is fierce.

Happy Birthday, Bruce!

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Our second sponsor for this double day of sanctuary comes from the chimps’ long time friend, supporter and volunteer caregiver, Deb Wagman, in honor of her equally amazing husband, Bruce, for his birthday!

“Bruce is an animal lawyer; for him it is not a job but a calling. He works tirelessly protecting, saving, defending and making life better for almost every type of animal I can think of. Not only was he instrumental in starting CSNW, but continues to work for the seven as a board member and legal advisor.  For the last 2 years he has been negotiating getting hundreds of chimpanzees out of private labs and into a new sanctuary in Georgia. There is nothing more special I can give him for his birthday than a day of sanctuary for his 7 favorite chimps. Happy Birthday, my love!”

Bruce, thank you so much for all that you have done for this sanctuary, as well as the work you are doing for chimpanzees across the country! We hope you have the happiest of birthdays!

Bruce’s friend Burrito:
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Happy Birthday, LauRenn!

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Today we are so fortunate to have two sponsors gifting the chimpanzees with a day of sanctuary! To start the day off, Joe Lilly sponsored today in celebration of his niece, LauRenn Reed, on her birthday!

Joe shared this message about today: “LauRenn is a devoted admirer of the sanctuary. She has a big heart full of love for animals and I know that she gets a lot of joy from learning about your chimps.”

 

Happy birthday LauRenn and thanks so much for all your love and support of the Cle Elum 7!

LauRenn’s pal Negra:
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Annie:
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Negra in the portrait studio:
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Annie running bipedally through the wet grass:
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Intangible expansions

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I’d like to say that I no longer think of the decades the chimpanzees spent living as biomedical research subjects in open slat cages the size of a bathroom stall, the last couple of years which were in a windowless basement. But I do. I’d like to forget the images of my friends’ familiar eyes peering out from between the bars that their familiar hands clung to. But I can’t. I wish I couldn’t picture them having spent their days – their years – with no enrichment, nothing to nest with, no room to rip and run and climb, unable to engage in natural chimpanzee behaviors and family relationships, or just be free to be themselves, however that looked. But these thoughts, and most importantly the chimps’ histories, are inversely proportional to the growth and expansion they demonstrate with each passing day, season, and year.

We are fast approaching the anniversary of the chimpanzees’ arrival to their sanctuary home eight years ago, on June 13th. Eight years! And yet every single time I see them foraging on the hill, climbing new structures and taking in unobstructed views, pushing their own comfort levels with such courage, grace and dignity, it takes my breath away. No matter how many times I see all these moments in each of their lives, it never for one second feels less than wondrous and breathtaking.

And this morning, one of now countless particularly beautiful mornings the chimpanzees have had here, was no different. As they foraged for breakfast al fresco on Young’s Hill, as they traversed seemingly every inch of every structure, their hair shining in the sun and blowing in the breeze, moving as a family, each step through the electrifying green grass another step further from their histories, my friends’ familiar eyes cast to the expanse of sky and valley and mountain beyond, I watched, my heart on tiptoe.

Jamie:

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Burrito and Jamie:

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Burrito:

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Foxie and Annie:

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Foxie and France Dora:

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Annie:

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Annie and Missy:

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Missy:

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Jamie taking in her new viewpoint from the new structure, Twister:

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And then moving on to check out the view from Jamie’s Tower:

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And not to worry, Jody and Negra were both at the far reaches of Young’s Hill foraging for breakfast with a side of wild greens right along with their family, but unfortunately my photos of those two beautiful ladies didn’t turn out.