Today J.B. worked on some welding on the new raceway that leads to Young’s Hill. Recently Jackie wrote about how it seems that the chimps definitely know what’s been going on the last few months, and mentions that J.B. watched Jamie try to get his attention and pull on the door a little, too. You’ll see some of that in this video. We are lucky to have such great quality control around here–Jamie is always making sure we did a good enough job!
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Chimpanzees in the News
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.
CSNW is a trendy establishment
A couple weeks ago, volunteer Connie mentioned that she had a lot of pea plants and was inquiring whether or not the plant parts would be OK for the chimps to munch on. I did a little bit of online research and discovered that yes, the parts of a pea plant are indeed edible. In fact, there was this great article that describes it fairly humorously in my opinion: “You’ve probably seen them on plates in Asian restaurants and trendy establishments. Pea shoots and tendrils may look exotic or sophisticated, but even gardeners who can’t grow peas to maturity can grow pea shoots and tendrils.”
Well, Connie was able to grow not only the pea shoots and tendrils, but also the peas to full maturity in their pods! Today we put them out as a forage and the chimps really enjoyed them.
Negra, with the pea plants in the background:
Annie, taking a break and laying down while eating her peas:
Burrito:
Missy:
Foxie – so much to love
I had the following conversation with Debbie this morning:
Me: (smiling) I love the way Foxie moves her bottom jaw up and down when she food grunts.
Debbie: I love everything that Foxie does.
And that about sums up how we all feel about Foxie. We are looking forward to celebrating her birthday in just two days!
Here’s a little video of the Loveable Foxie that I took last night in that quiet time after dinner:
Roslyn Olympics – history in the making
There may be nothing that can truly capture the spirit of the July 30, 2011 Roslyn Olympics and the Troll Games, but here is an attempt…
In addition to ARRF Animal Rescue, thanks also to Matthew Wenz who designed the awesome Roslyn Olympics posters and to sponsors Cascade East Animal Clinic, Abbotts Printing Inc, Roslyn Downtown Association, Jeb’s Pet Supply and 93.7 KXA The Wind!
Chimps using tools
Chimpanzees naturally use tools in free-living Africa. One common example of tool use is “ant fishing” or “termite fishing” — when a chimpanzee takes a stick and dips it into an ant or termite mound to gather up some tasty insects. At CSNW, we have a simulated termite board which we fill with things captive chimpanzees enjoy, such as fruit puree or peanut butter.
As part of our sanctuary philosophy, we strive to allow for “species specific” chimpanzee behavior. This can involve providing adequate space and climbing structures for a natural behavior like brachiation, and it can also include providing enrichment that allows them to use their instinctual chimp behaviors, such as nesting or tool use.
The other day, Jackie and I presented the chimpanzees with a puzzle: how to get drinks from buckets outside the caging. They quickly grabbed hoses to use for tools, as you’ll see in the video.
Troll Olympics – a few photos
Here are just a few photos from the Troll Olympics, held in Roslyn, WA today. What a great time! More photos to come.
