Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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202 Chimpanzees update

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Watch this recent interview with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who just might be my new favorite person: http://apnm.org/news_current_events/2010/govrichardson_koat.php

If you’re in New Mexico, watch KNME at 7:00pm tonight for “New Mexico in Focus.” For those not in New Mexico, the show will be made available online after the weekend.

The KNME show will include a panel discussion about the Alamogordo Primate Facility chimpanzees who are slated to move to a laboratory in San Antonio, Texas. The panel includes State Representative Nate Cote, University of New Mexico Professor Dr. John Gluck, and Animal Protection of New Mexico’s Laura Bonar.

Included in the group of 202 chimpanzees in Alamogordo are Jody, Foxie and Negra’s children. Jody’s son Levi has already been transferred to Texas.

Much of this information comes from the latest update from Animal Protection of New Mexico.  Read the entire update here: http://apnm.org/mailbox/aug13_1_10.html We are so grateful to APNM for continuing to work on helping these chimpanzees and for keeping us all informed and letting us know how we can help.

Gene Hackman helping the Alamogordo Chimpanzees

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So far the NIH has not budged on their plans to transfer 202 chimpanzees from the Alamogordo Primate Facility to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research.

The chimpanzees have gotten some celebrity support recently, though – Gene Hackman wrote a letter to the head of NIH asking to halt this transfer.  Check out this excerpt from his letter (it gave me chills in a good way):

“As you know, efforts to save the Alamogordo chimpanzee have drawn support from Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Tom Udall, and many other people around the state and across the country. I join them in urging you to fulfill the National Institutes of Health’s goal to ‘exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science’ by allowing these chimpanzees to live out their lives in the safety of a sanctuary.”

Read the full letter here: http://pcrm.org/resch/alamogordo/hackman.html

If you haven’t already, please contact the government about this issue. Your tax money is funding the laboratory housing and future experimentation on these chimpanzees.

Find out more ways you can help by following this blog for updates, as well as:

Project R&R

Animal Protection of New Mexico

Humane Society of the United States

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Incidental Enrichment

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As you probably saw from yesterday’s blog post, the chimps not only have a new clear view, but also love hanging out on the window sills in the outdoor area! Who new?! There were moments yesterday when there was at least one chimp sitting in each window sill. It looked like a CSNW version of Hollywood Squares. Intentional enrichment is great, but incidental enrichment is even better!

Jamie:

Jody:

Foxie:

Missy:

Burrito:

Senator Cantwell introduces GAPA companion bill

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If you receive our e-newsletter you found out some sad news this morning – at least four of the 202 chimpanzees living at the Alamogordo Primate Facility who are slated to be transferred to Texas and made available for biomedical testing are children of the Cle Elum Seven.

We were able to determine this thanks to Project Release and Restitution and the information they have available on their website.

Learn more about this transfer of 202 chimpanzees from our July 16th blog post and view today’s newsletter with details of whose children are among the group: August e-newsletter.

There is hope for these and all chimpanzees in biomedical research in the United States, however. Today, Washington State Senator Maria Cantwell introduced a companion bill to the Great Ape Protection Act, first introduced in the House of Representatives as HR 1326. Passing GAPA would mandate that federally-funded chimpanzees be retired to sanctuary and would outlaw the use of chimpanzees in painful and invasive biomedical research.

Learn more about GAPA and how you can help from the Seattle Times editorial co-written by Executive Director Sarah Baeckler and from the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine.

This is a crucial time for chimpanzees and we have the power to help them. Thanks to everyone who is speaking out for them.

Yesterday in honor of Neil

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Yesterday, August 2nd, was a Sponsor a Day in honor of Neil Welch who “loves the intelligence and beauty of the chimpanzees.” Thank you, Neil and thank you Tanya for honoring Neil by dedicating a day of sanctuary for the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees!

Here’s a special photo of the beautiful and intelligent Jody investigating the long laces on a sandal:

Jody with sandal in playroom

Grooming

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Grooming, generally a very calm activity, is a really important part of chimpanzee culture. It establishes and strengthens friendships and alliances. Chimps part the hair and pick out any debris or dead skin. They also will groom scabs off of themselves and each other.

Left to right: Missy grooms Burrito’s head. Burrito grooms Foxie’s back. Foxie grooms Burrito’s arm.

Burrito, Foxie and Missy groom outside

Annie (right) grooms Missy’s face. Chimpanzees often use their lips as well as their fingers to groom themselves and others.Annie grooms Missy's face

Jody (left) and Missy (right) groom Jamie (center, wearing scarf of trolls). This photo was taken shortly after Jamie had been ill for a few days and had been separated briefly from the group (though they could all still see each other). Grooming is very common when chimpanzees are reunited after even a short separation.

Jody and Missy groom Jamie

Keep the pressure on – help 202 chimpanzees

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If you haven’t already, please call and write Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today and urge her to halt the transfer of 202 chimpanzees from the Alamogordo Primate Facility (APF) to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in Texas.

You can send an electronic letter through the Humane Society of the United States and you can call the office of Health and Human Services at these numbers: 301-435-0888 or 202-205-5445 or 877-696-6775 (option #6 on the 877 number may put you in touch with a live person).

These chimpanzees should be allowed to permanently retire, not be subjected to more research. Retiring the chimpanzees is not only the ethical thing to do, it will also save taxpayer money, something we all have a right to speak out about. Currently, the chimpanzees are being warehoused at APF and have not been used in research for at least nine years.

Read our July 16th blog post about this issue for more information and read New Mexico governor Bill Richardson’s press release supporting halting the transfer of the APF chimpanzees.

Also, please see the statement from Save the Chimps released two days ago. It includes a link to a pdf which summarizes the history of chimpanzees in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

The announcement about the plan to transfer the chimpanzees was made well after the decision had been made.  We must speak up now and keep the pressure on for the sake of the 202 individuals and their future.