Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

chimp rescue

Brandon Wood Rocks!

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In case you haven’t heard, in the world of chimps, Brandon Wood rocks!

Brandon is 11 and has been working hard on behalf of chimpanzees. He’s been very busy sending letters to congress and to the president, telling them about the importance of the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, and has even been fundraising for the Cle Elum Seven! His dedication, passion and diligence is something to really look up to. I know I do!!

So, as a way to honor him and all that he has done, and is doing, we had a surprise party for the chimps today. Volunteer Connie initiated the plan and brought a few “rock star-style” party decorations and then, volunteers Stephanie and Katelyn went on the hunt in Seattle and found all kinds of rockin’ decor, including a guitar pinata- because we think Brandon “rocks”! In addition, I secretly contacted Brandon’s mom, Deanna, to find out some of Brandon’s favorite foods and snacks so we could have them for the party and make the day as special as possible.

To get the chimps geared up for a party, we started things out by having a snow cone/cup forage in the greenhouse.

Annie:

Burrito:

Foxie:

Deanna told me that one of Brandon’s favorite things is pumpkin pie. We don’t give the chimps dairy or sugar, so we were presented with a challenge, but it didn’t stop us! We pureed pumpkin, soy milk, tofu, and cinnamon and baked it inside mini pumpkins. I think it worked out pretty well!

Burrito loved it!

Some of the decor, pre-party:

Annie with the guitar pinata:

Jamie:

Deanna told me that another favorite of Brandon’s is ants-on-a-log, and that he also really enjoys tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. Can you guess what we served the chimps for lunch?

Thank you so much for all you do, Brandon! In our eyes, you really are a rock star!

An accomplishment

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Jody’s adventures on/with the hill have been so exciting and fascinating to watch. After the initial excitement of the grand opening of Young’s Hill was over, Jody went back into the outdoor area and stayed there. She monitored the activities on the hill daily, often standing in the raceway tunnel waiting for everyone to come in, and closely inspecting folks upon their return. It took a long time, but once she gained the courage to go out- she went way out! She walked the entire perimeter, exploring every inch of the hill. It was spectacular to watch!

What really struck me while watching her out there was how much she looked back towards the building and the rest of the property. She really seemed fascinated to see parts of the property that she hadn’t seen before- including her home for the last 3+ years. I can’t imagine how strange it would be to live in a house for years and not know what the place looks like from the outside. And after all this time, it must be really satisfying to finally be able to see inside the barn or the garden in it’s entirety, the mountains in the distance, and even just further down the driveway…

I’m so inspired and in awe watching the chimps explore the great unknown and to see their amazing confidence and courage. It makes me not only proud of the chimps, but so proud of this sanctuary. The way I see it- it’s such a huge change from anything they’ve ever known that the chimps really have to trust us to feel comfortable out there. They have to believe that we are taking care of them and that we are still protecting them in this big open space. I feel so proud of our team when I see the chimps out there– and so grateful to our supporters! Just like Jody, it’s a huge accomplishment- we did it! It’s such an amazing thing and definitely something for all to be proud of.

Raisin Boards

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Raisin boards are blocks of wood with holes drilled in them that we put raisins or other dried fruit into and the chimps have to use tools or find other creative ways to get the food out. We have implemented an evening “enhanced enrichment” program, in which we present the chimpanzees with a puzzles or some other type of challenge at the end of the day to help keep them from getting bored. Tonight’s raisin boards had a peanut butter/banana paste in them, which the chimps really loved. Here’s Missy’s strategy.

She alternated between using her hand made tool

and just sucking the peanut butter out (which had solidified some in the fridge)

Whatever works, right?

Seriously Playful

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In contrast to the Negra-style play mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, when Foxie and Jamie play, they are completely uninhibited and just down right goofy. I could watch them (and laugh with them) being silly all day long.

Chimpanzees in the News

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Last week was a banner week for newspaper articles about chimpanzees and their protection.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest was the subject of a great article published yesterday (front page of the print edition) in the Yakima Herald Republic. Read it here and be sure to share it with others by sharing the link or scrolling down to the bottom of the article and clicking on the “share” button.

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On Friday, a compelling guest column by our friend Debra Durham was published in the Seattle Times. Debra wrote about her take on a recently released film and the realities within the fictional story in the column Depiction of lab animals in ‘Planet of the Apes’ disturbingly accurate.

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Recently, a very important op-ed in the New York Times appeared from Representative Roscoe G. Bartlett which eloquently described his change in opinion about the use of primates in biomedical research and the reasons for his co-sponsorship of the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act. Here’s a quote from that article:

“Continuing innovations in alternatives to the use of invasive research on great apes is the civilized way forward in the 21st century. Past civilizations were measured by how they treated their elderly and disabled. I believe that we will be measured, in part, by how we treat animals, particularly great apes.”

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And finally, the Washington Post tackled the story of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) meeting that convened last week as part of their investigation into the need for the continued use of chimpanzees in biomedical research. The investigation began in response to protests about moving chimpanzees from the Alamogordo Primate Facility (APF) to a laboratory in Texas where they faced being put back into invasive research.

If you’ve been following this story through our blog and e-newsletters, you know that Jody’s son Levi is one of the unlucky 14 chimpanzees already transferred to Texas. Foxie’s son David, Negra’s daughter Heidi and Jody’s daughter April remain at APF, and their future is in the hands of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH commissioned the IOM to examine the scientific value of using chimpanzees in research, but, as the Washington Post article pointed out, and as we all know, the ethical questions of using great apes in invasive research cannot and should not be separated from the discussion.

For the sake of Heidi, David, April, Levi, and all chimpanzees who are currently considered merely tools and test tubes by some in the biomedical research industry, we are grateful for Jane Goodall, Laura Bonar and others at the IOM meeting who insisted that ethics be included in the discussion and ultimate decision by the NIH.

Heidi
Negra's daughter Heidi

 

Troll bonanza

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In preparation for Foxie’s birthday and the Troll Olympics, several supporters have been gathering troll dolls. Foxie and the town of Roslyn, where the Troll Olympics will be held, have no idea what’s in store…

Just take a look at the dolls that Monica found for Foxie! This photo was taken before she packed them up and shipped them to the sanctuary:

Monica's troll family

If you’re local, I hope you’ll join us at the Troll Olympics on July 30th. Let me know if you’d like to volunteer.

If you’re not local, well, perhaps you can create your own troll celebration and let us know about it.

Big thanks to our partner ARRF Animal Rescue who is having their 2nd annual Doggie Olympics before the Troll Olympics at the same location – you should definitely come to both!

And thanks to sponsors of the Roslyn games: Abbott’s Printing, Inc., KXA 93.7 The Wind (if you know the area, you know why the local radio station is called The Wind!), Roslyn Downtown Association, Cascade East Animal Clinic and Jeb’s Pet Supply.