Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary for primates.

advocacy

Happy Birthday, Kery!

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The chimpanzees, our new bovine friends, we humans, and all the more-than-human animals of the world have a wonderful friend in Kery Shaw. With a heart as big as the sea, she stands witness to much that most of us couldn’t bear to see in order to bring light to dark places and she works tirelessly to connect and inspire people to grow compassion for one another, to make the world a better place for all beings who live here. Kery sponsored this day of sanctuary for the chimps and shared this lovely message about her gracious gift:

In honor of my birthday, today I celebrate the Cle Elum 7 who have given me great meaning to my life. They are a true source of hope and love. Today I celebrate the staff of CSNW, who have become like family to me. Their hard work, dedication, compassion and humility makes it an honor to know them. And I celebrate the cows, who I am so excited to meet. Today, I dedicate my birthday to CSNW. I am asking supporters and anyone reading this to check out my little fundraiser on their behalf. I share this with all of you in hopes of reaching my goal and finding a matching donor. My partner and I have put together a special video. You can find it on the fb fundraiser page. Thank you to everyone for your compassion and generosity! https://www.facebook.com/donate/344873209632252/344873212965585/

Kery, thank you so much for always holding the chimpanzees in your heart and thoughts. All of us here hope this spin around the sun is the best one yet! Many thanks for your big, lovely heart. Happy Birthday, Kery!

Guess who…:)

This is for the activists

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Last night I was going through some old documents and newspaper articles and reading about the history of chimpanzees being retired to sanctuaries, and, in particular, activists who worked to get chimpanzees out of Buckshire, where the seven chimpanzees living at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest came from.

I will share more details at a later time, but one thing that really struck me was the extremely dedicated people who worked for years to help chimpanzees who they had never even met.

Working at and for a sanctuary can be hard work, but the reward is constant. There is a direct connection between the care that goes into sanctuary work and witnessing happy chimpanzees benefit from your labor. Most people who work in sanctuaries are also advocates, but our priority, as it should be, is to provide the very best life possible for those we care for at the sanctuary.

People who work full-time as activists and animal advocates don’t often have this direct reward. Their work, which often involves endlessly writing complaints and submitting FOIA requests, or working to change legislation, can be arduous. They know that there is wrong being done, and they work to create better outcomes, but it often takes years to see an outcome; all too often nothing comes of their hard work. Then, when there is a happy ending, they move on to the next animal or animals who are suffering.

But their work is precisely what has made the sanctuary life for the Cle Elum Seven, and for other animals in sanctuaries, possible.

Today I would like to publicly thank them and let them know that in my head and heart I thank them each time I think of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees, which is pretty much all the time.

 

Negra foraging for lunch:

Negra foraging

 

Foxie with Dora and friend:

Foxie with dolls

 

Jamie and Burrito patrolling together:

Jamie with Burrito

 

Burrito finishing up the patrol around the hill:

Burrito in the grass

 

Annie and Missy at the top of Twister:

Annie and Missy top of Twister

 

Jody in profile:

Jody profile

In honor of Amanda Lollar and Bat World Sanctuary!

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Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Meg Lunnum, a dear friend to the chimps and humans here alike. Meg does so much to advocate for our fellow animals of the world and also happens to be a professional bat rehabilitator with Bats Northwest, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of bats here in the Pacific Northwest through education, conservation, and research. Meg shared this message about her gift today:

“I would like to honor Amanda Lollar from Bat World Sanctuary for being awarded the GFAS Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence. Bat World Sanctuary was founded in 1994, since then, Amanda has been available 24/7/365 to help injured and orphaned bats. Currently the Sanctuary cares for over 200 permanent resident bats. Amanda has also trained over 400 zoologists, veterinarians, and other animal care professionals to rehabilitate bats. I am proud to say I am one of the animal care professionals she trained. The Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence is given annually to a sanctuary or individual who embodies and puts into practice the GFAS philosophy of vision, dedication and excellence in animal care. It memorializes Carole Noon, founder of Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary. Carole was a courageous and innovative sanctuary pioneer and champion of chimpanzees. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accredits animal sanctuaries; Bat World Sanctuary and our own Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW are on the list of accredited sanctuaries. Who would have thought there would be a connection between bats and chimpanzees?”

Meg, thank you so much for your care and compassion in honoring Amanda and the incredibly valuable work on behalf of bats worldwide that she and her colleagues dedicate themselves to through Bat World Sanctuary! We so appreciate you thinking of the chimpanzees as you celebrate the important work of such a wonderful sanctuary! We are full of gratitude to you for all you do to provide care, respect and sanctuary to so many beings.

Bats play incredibly important roles as pollinators and pest controllers and are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems around the world and yet, unfortunately they are often very misunderstood. Like so many of our fellow animals, including chimpanzees in the wild, they are vulnerable or endangered due a variety of factors ranging from habitat loss, disease, roost destruction, hunting and killing. We are thrilled to celebrate these special beings here today with the chimpanzees! The sanctuary is fortunate to have a small colony of bats who roost on the property and we anxiously watch for their return every spring. Their lively nursery is such a joy to catch glimpses of and if you’ve ever attended one of our summer education visits you may have heard the babies boisterous vocalizations to their mamas.

Meg’s pal, Queen Negra:

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Negra and Jody:

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Snoozing…

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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:

Negra close-up

Jamie’s choice

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Jamie spent her childhood living with a trainer. Her records are scarce, but she was most likely used in some form of entertainment before being purchased for use in biomedical research at around the age of nine. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to see chimpanzees (or any wild animal) robbed of their natural lives, their childhood, and their family and social structures in order to provide so-called “entertainment” for humans. While we cannot change the histories the chimpanzees have experienced, or the fact that they will be in captivity for the rest of their lives, we do our best to provide them the space to be themselves, exactly as they choose in every minute of the day. A safe, dignified and loving home in which their “chimpanzee-ness” can come out.

We give the chimpanzees a variety of enrichment each day to keep their curious and intelligent minds engaged as much as possible, but whether they play with it, nest with it, tear it up or ignore it, it’s their choice. Jamie is highly intelligent and most likely as a result of her unnatural history, she is also very human oriented in her interests. She will often choose to use enrichment in ways that the other chimps don’t. But that’s the key – she gets to choose. When Jamie first arrived here she periodically chose to wear clothing that was included in enrichment, but over time her desire to do this has faded away and thankfully been replaced by chimp like activities such as walking the perimeter, playing with her friends, and being the boss of us all. But given her unnatural history, it’s only, well, natural that she would still incorporate things that are familiar to her in her play from time to time.

So while supervising the cleaning of her home from atop her barrel, this was one of Jamie’s choices:

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An upside-down-Jamie-on-a-barrel is always a happy Jamie.

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If you’d like to learn more about how you can help end the exploitation and abuse of great apes, please check out our advocacy program, Eyes on Apes, and sign up for our Take Action Alerts. Just as Jamie once did, there are others who need your voice.

Take Action Tuesday: Speak up for Eli chimpanzee

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EOA take action tuesday

A few weeks ago, we alerted you to a new Comedy Central show called Big Time in Hollywood, FL, with reported footage of a chimpanzee in several scenes. We know now that chimpanzee is Eli, who lives at a training facility called Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife.

One of the actors from the show, Lenny Jacobson, identified Eli in an interview where he talked about the experience filming with a chimpanzee. He mentioned that the trainer on set was missing a finger from a chimpanzee bite—which isn’t shocking given the true nature of chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are very strong, and once they become too hard to manage, trainers will discard them at roadside zoos or pseudo-sanctuaries.

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Eli’s trainer has a history of dumping former nonhuman ape actors at very decrepit facilities, including Walter, who was found kept in a dark, barren, concrete pit filled with garbage at a roadside zoo. Eli’s trainers also have repeatedly failed to meet minimal animal welfare standards. (www.eyesonapes.org/eli)

There’s still time to act—the episodes with Eli’s scenes have not aired yet. Please send a polite letter to the producers and to Lenny Jacobson letting them know that chimpanzees should not be used in entertainment. Not only are there numerous welfare concerns, but seeing chimpanzees dressed up in clothing and in physical contact with humans perpetuates the idea that they can be treated as pets.

Your letters do work! Another alert we sent out last month regarding a McDonald’s France commercial with Suzy (who lives with the same trainer as Eli) was pulled after they received feedback from Eyes on Apes supporters and other advocacy groups. Great victory! We hope to see Big Time in Hollywood, FL make the same progressive decision.

We’ve set up a sample letter which you can customize as you wish (click here). You may also post on the show’s Facebook page.

Take Action Tuesday! Chimpanzee in new Comedy Central show

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EOA take action tuesday

Tomorrow night, March 25, Comedy Central is planning to air a new TV show called Big Time in Hollywood, FL. The show’s previews contain footage of a chimpanzee in several scenes.

The show was produced by Ben Stiller, who we hope will respond favorably to your feedback — but please hurry! The show premieres tomorrow and we would like to encourage the production to make sure the chimpanzee scenes are not included in the premiere. Not only are there numerous welfare concerns, but seeing chimpanzees dressed up in clothing and in physical contact with humans perpetuates the idea that they can be treated as pets.

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Recently, A&E canceled the show Wild Transport after receiving feedback from Eyes on Apes and other advocacy groups about the use of chimpanzees in their show. We urge you to encourage Ben Stiller and Comedy Central to make the same progressive decision for Big Time In Hollywood, FL! Send him a letter (c/o his publicist), and let him know that chimpanzees should not be used in entertainment. We’ve set up a sample letter below which you can customize as you wish. You may also post on the show’s Facebook page.

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