Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Annie

Thank you, Kathleen!

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It’s a big day at the sanctuary today as we celebrate both Negra’s honorary 43rd birthday AND the chimpanzees’ 8th anniversary in their sanctuary home! And we’re so touched that our good friend, Kathleen Corby, chose to sponsor this very special day! Kathleen shared this beautiful message about today:

“I have to quote J.B. from his blog post (06/10/16) on Negra’s special day : “It’s often said that healing is not a matter of forgetting, but of accumulating new memories that, over time, crowd out the bad ones. Eventually, memories of courage and adventure push aside memories of fear and anxiety. Those memories will never be forgotten. But every time I see Negra absorbing the view from the top of Young’s Hill, I think of how far she’s come in these last eight years, and I hope that moment becomes yet another healing memory that pushes an old one further out of reach.” Dear Negra, I love you so. Eight years is such a short time to have come so very far. I am astounded and deeply touched each year by your brave awakenings. I could not do the same. The word “resilience” does not even come close to expressing the amazing capacity of love, strength, and forgiveness that lies within your heart. Today I celebrate all the positive, loving memories that have accumulated in your heart over your 8 years in sanctuary. Happy 43rd Birthday Queen Negra! XOXOXO (And Happy 8 Years CSNW!)”

Kathleen, thank you so much for welcoming the chimpanzees into your big, beautiful heart and for truly being part of their lives each day. What a gift to have you in the world. We truly appreciate all that you do for the chimpanzees and your sponsorship of this amazing day full of celebration, love, and home!

Happy Birthday, Queen Negra! And Happy Anniversary to Annie, Missy, Burrito, Jody, Foxie, Jamie and Negra, the seven people who are the heart and soul of CSNW!
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Today we remember Robert Ruggeri

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This special day of sanctuary was sponsored by the chimpanzees’ good friend, Rachel Ruggeri, in memory of her father, Robert Ruggeri. Rachel shared this wonderful message about today:

“My father loved animals and always believed freedom was preferable to security…for all creatures. He would have been proud to see the gang at Cle Elum find both their freedom and their happiness. Monday, June 6th would have been my father’s 80th birthday. In his honor, may the Cle Elum gang know freedom for the rest of their lives.”

Rachel we are so full of gratitude to you for all that you do for the chimpanzees – for providing them with the opportunity to live out their days with the freedom to be, and continue to discover, exactly who they are in each minute of the day. Freedom means different things to different people and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for providing them with a home in which they feel secure enough to be more courageous, joyful, and comfortable in their own skin, expanding far beyond any physical boundaries.

Robert must have been an amazing person and we are so happy to honor him today! All of us here at CSNW are wishing you a day filled with love, joy and comfort as you celebrate the memory of your father.

Annie:

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Burrito:

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Foxie and Dora:

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Jamie:

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Jody:

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Missy:

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Negra:

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Annie and Missy:

Missy Annie running behind

Thank you, Robyn!

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Today’s wonderful gift of a day of sanctuary for the chimpanzees was sponsored by Robyn Petticrew.

Robyn has been a supporter of the chimpanzees for several years, and we know she’s expressed a fondness for both Annie and Foxie, so we picked out some of our favorite photos of these two together to thank Robyn for her donation to sponsor the day.

Have a beautiful day, Robin!

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Foxie and Annie in window, troll dolls on bench

 

 

 

Then and Now

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For lunch today, we set out a forage on Young’s Hill.

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Life is so dramatically different for the Cle Elum Seven these days than it was just eight years ago. Gone are the days of climate-controlled, windowless buildings, hard surfaces, and cramped spaces. Life now is bright green grass, warm sun, gentle breezes, and roses for lunch.

Missy:

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Jamie:

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Negra:

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Annie:

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Foxie:

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Burrito:

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Jody:

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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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