Jamie was making a close-up examination of the termite mound on Young’s Hill today. What do you suppose she was looking / hoping for?
chimpanzee
More fun in the sun
In general, chimpanzees tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves, but Missy just takes it to another level. Today, you could see the joy in her eyes as she scanned the hill, trying to decide which way she would run and what things she would climb and jump off of along the way.
After some deliberation, it seems she decided she would run every which way and jump off of everything.
From the looks of it, it was as fun as she thought it would be.
The other chimps weren’t quite as energetic, but they all seemed to enjoy this unusually beautiful December weather we are having now. Annie and Jody walked to the top of the hill together.
Burrito tried to tag along, but his bipedal walking (something he does when he ventures past his comfort zone on the hill) slowed him down.
Foxie followed close behind him, balancing a yellow-haired troll on her back.
And Jamie made her way around the perimeter of the hill as she always does, making a slight detour to cross the log bridge where she politely reminded the photographer that he should get moving because the walk was not over yet.
Negra enjoys the sun more than anyone, but she chose to soak in the rays from her comfortable nest on the heated playroom catwalk. And with everyone else out on the hill, she finally had some peace and quiet.
The Scavenger
Chimpanzees are natural foragers, but Burrito also has a little bit of scavenger in him. He can often be found hours after a meal prowling the area for any bits of food the other chimps may have overlooked. Today shortly before lunch, he found a peanut that had been missed at breakfast. A single peanut may not seem like much, but for the guy who lives for food, it’s big news.
Veterinary Clinic Progress
I’m happy to say we have more progress to report on the veterinary clinic!
With the help of our supporters and some generous foundations and businesses, we’ve been able to check more items off of our wishlist. Patrick and Carrie Hardie facilitated the donation of a steam autoclave, an automated external defibrillator (AED), and many other supplies. And Project V.E.T.S. has come through for us again. First, they connected us with Willamette Equine Veterinary Services in Oregon, who donated an automatic x-ray processor. Then, they awarded us with a grant that allowed us to shop for new and reconditioned equipment at apexx Veterinary Equipment, and apexx generously donated the first 25% of the cost of every item. This allowed us to purchase a laryngoscope set and an IV fluid pump (pictured below).
We’ve also been busy at the sanctuary making a place for the clinic next to the chimp building. One reason for this is this is that we don’t want to have to travel too far with an anesthetized chimpanzee on a stretcher. But more importantly, it’s best for the clinic to be in a secure environment in the event that a chimpanzee comes out of anesthesia unexpectedly. We could either reinforce the trailer to make it chimp proof, or simply park it within the perimeter fence that already surrounds the building. We chose to do the latter, but that entailed extending the fence 10 feet to the west, relocating the entry gate, and adding 60 feet of gravel driveway. Thankfully, volunteer Mark spent some cold mornings with us setting posts and running wire.
With the fence modifications complete, we were also able to begin the installation of the wildfire sprinkler system, a project made possible by a grant from the ASPCA. A high-pressure pump will send water through PVC pipes around the base of the fence and up to sprinklers mounted on the tops of the fence posts. The pump will be powered by a generator and the sprinklers will soak the chimp house and surrounding area in the event of another wildfire.
It goes without saying that the health and safety of the chimps is our top priority, so we are incredibly grateful to all of our supporters that make improvements like these possible. Thank you!
Take Action Tuesday: Chance in Wolf of Wall Street
This action alert went out earlier today. Not on the mailing list? Sign up for Eyes on Apes Take Action list today to get these alerts straight to your inbox!
In the upcoming movie Wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio is seen holding an infant chimpanzee, Chance. It is especially disappointing because Mr. DiCaprio is known for his passion for animal conservation—most recently he supported conservation efforts to save tigers in Nepal.
Animal advocacy groups have contacted Mr. DiCaprio and the movie producers, however our efforts to reach out have not resulted in Chance’s scenes getting removed from the movie. Now it is time for the public to speak up!
Chance was once a pet, and his previous owners discarded him to a pseudo-sanctuary called the Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary. The animal attraction claims to be a reserve for animals, but they regularly exploit their residents for entertainment purposes. In fact, Chance’s owners (the Rosaire-Zoppe family) are the only remaining trainers that continue to use chimpanzees in circuses. No respectable reserve or animal sanctuary would lease out their animals for media productions such as this movie.
Even if the AHA was present for filming, they have no authority over Chance’s treatment off-set, making the “no animals were harmed” disclaimer misleading.
Portraying chimpanzees as cute and cuddly attractions seriously misinforms the public on the true nature of these beings and perpetuates the pet and entertainment industries. Studies have shown that showing chimpanzees alongside humans in film and TV mask their endangered status, and these scenes hurt conservation efforts.
Despite hearing these facts from advocacy groups, the Wolf of Wall Street producers have not removed Chance’s scenes from the movie, which will be released on December 25. We encourage you to please post on the movie’s poster on their Facebook page and Twitter to let them know that because of the issues with Chance’s scenes you will not be going to see the movie, and you will tell all your friends to boycott it with you.
Sample Facebook Post:
I’m boycotting Wolf of Wall Street because of the chimpanzee scenes! Even Hollywood knows that abuse occurs when animals are used in movies (hollywoodreporter.com/feature). Chimpanzees don’t belong in movies unless they are CGI. Chimpanzees are an endangered species and showing them as cute and cuddly props hurts conservation efforts and perpetuates the pet trade.
Sample Tweets:
Pls RT! Join @EyesOnApes and tell @LeoDiCaprio chimps should not be in movies & you won’t see @TheWolfofWallSt!
RT! @LeoDiCaprio I will boycott @TheWolfofWallSt because of Chance’s scenes. Chimps do not belong in movies! EyesOnApes.org
Don’t support animal abuse. Refuse to see @LeoDiCaprio in @TheWolfofWallSt and tell all your friends. EyesOnApes.org Pls RT!
The final thing you can do to help Chance is to spread the word! Please share this alert on social media and encourage your friends to boycott the movie with you.
Don’t fight winter – embrace it like Jamie
Free-living chimpanzees inhabit countries spanning equatorial Africa, but the chimpanzees at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest are becoming more and more acclimated to central Washington weather. Perhaps these photos of Jamie will inspire you to embrace winter too.
Friendship
Missy and Annie may get all the attention, but there’s another friendship amongst the Cle Elum Seven that’s just as important.
As you may know, Burrito could use a little help navigating the politics of chimpanzee society. Consider his life before to coming to the sanctuary: He was born in a lab, raised as a pet, forced to perform in a circus, and then locked away for twenty years for use in hepatitis research. Can you imagine living the majority of your first 25 years on earth either alone or with a different species? Can you imagine how terrifying it would be to suddenly be thrust into a group of your own kind, only to realize that they are playing by a rule book that no one ever bothered to show you?
Thankfully, Burrito has found a good friend in Foxie. In quiet times, she’s a playful companion. When the going gets tough, she reassures him and plays peacemaker with the rest of the group. And when he is scared, she comforts him.
Burrito has all the instincts of a tough guy, but none of experience to back it up. Lucky for him he has a 97-pound girl and her troll dolls on his side.
