Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

GiveBIG

Today is in honor of Monica and Love a Chimpanzee Day!

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Join us in celebrating Love a Chimpanzee Day by honoring this day with a donation of any size on what also happens to be the first day of early giving for GiveBIG!

Donate specifically in honor of Monica (leave a birthday note for her) on our joint birthday fundraising page or on our general GiveBIG page – all funds, which are very much needed right now, go directly towards all the costs associated with providing the individualized care we give at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

It all started in 2010 when donor Monica declared April 23rd (her birthday) to be Love a Chimpanzee Day and sponsored the day in memory of her cat Ozzie.

Monica sent a care package of toys for the (then) seven chimpanzees, and you can see the video of them enjoying that day here.

It’s difficult to avoid the nostalgia that watching that video, and thinking of other Love a Chimpanzee Days in the past, brings up. One favorite memory for Monica was from the 2011 Love a Chimpanzee Day when Burrito so graciously posed with a photo of Duran Duran, Monica’s favorite band.

Burrito loves Duran Duran

So much has changed at the sanctuary in the ensuing years. It wasn’t until the fall of 2011 that Young’s Hill, the outdoor area for Jamie’s group, came to fruition.

Then there was adding additional land to the sanctuary property, bringing the total to over 110 acres, followed by welcoming four bovine friends to our little family to help us keep the pasture grass under control.

The last six years have been the busiest in terms of construction and expansion.

Back in 2010, we couldn’t have envisioned what the sanctuary would look like today. Or the joy, delight, excitement, love, laughter (and, let’s be real here, worry, stress, and sleepless nights) that the group of nine chimpanzees (three plus six) from Wildlife Waystation would introduce into our lives, nor the incredible volunteer and staff caregivers who would join the team and the amazing supporters who would add their valuable insight, encouragement, and donations – making all of this possible.

We couldn’t have predicted that it would be so many years before we were faced with the loss of a sanctuary resident or that it would be beautiful and loyal Jody and gentle giant Nutmeg who we would say goodbye to within a year.

Throughout it all, Monica has been with us, donating towards every conceivable fundraiser and providing support that goes well beyond monetary gifts.

Thank you, Monica! Happy birthday and happy Love a Chimpanzee Day 2024!!

Don’t forget to donate in honor of Monica on our joint birthday fundraising page or on our general GiveBIG page for early giving during Washington State’s days of giving!

 

 

It’s Love a Chimpanzee Day 2023

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Can you believe it’s Love a Chimpanzee Day again already?! Supporter Monica Best named April 23rd Love a Chimpanzee Day and has sponsored this day each year since 2010 for her chimpanzee friends at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, creating a calendar-worthy official holiday and another excuse to throw a party! That’s a lot of years of love that Monica has shared with the chimps.

With our birthdays so close together, Monica and I have once again teamed up by creating a joint fundraising page for GiveBIG, and we invite you to celebrate this day by checking out our page and making a contribution.

Donor Donna is matching up to $20,000 in funds raised through the end of GiveBIG on May 4th, so your donation now is doubled! HUGE thanks to donor Vicki for making a gift on our page that encouraged us to raise our initial goal!

Monica’s love of animals is not exclusive to chimpanzees – she’s also studied wolves and worked in dog and cat shelters. She’s had many feline and canine friends over the years and created Love a Chimpanzee Day on her birthday in honor of her cat Ozzie during a difficult and uncertain time when Monica was fighting cancer. She credits the sanctuary (especially Negra) with helping her in her years-long battle with the disease and the aftermath.

We are so incredibly grateful for Monica and all of her generosity. She’s been instrumental in the expansion of the sanctuary these last several years and in helping encourage others to give.

You can help us celebrate today and the on Monica and Diana’s GiveBig fundraising page or the sanctuary’s main GiveBig page.

Happy Love a Chimpanzee Day, everyone!!

Burrito loves Duran Duran
Monica is a fan of Duran Duran and we took this photo of Burrito during the 2011 Love a Chimpanzee Day!

Diana’s Birthday Wish

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Today is my birthday! My birthday wish is for the newly integrated group of nine chimpanzees at the sanctuary to blossom into a stable family that includes new friendships as they watch the construction of outdoor habitats that are are being built just for them right now.

If you’d like to contribute towards this wish, at least the building of the habitats part (as for the stable group and new friendships, we will all just have to cross our fingers), consider investing in future adventures by making a donation on my and Monica’s GiveBIG page.

A pant-hoot thank you in advance and to those who have already made a donation!

Paper Play and Other Wish List Items

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Yesterday, we made a banner for Love a Chimpanzee Day and left the roll of paper in the greenhouse. Burrito immediately took the roll of paper outside. Did he have a plan? It’s difficult to say.

One thing we can say for sure is that we need more paper! It’s just one of many items currently on our Amazon wish list right now. Please peruse the list of things we need for a well-functioning and fun chimp house.

Today, when we were cleaning the playroom, I spied Burrito playing with the empty paper roll. You just never know what’s going to tickle the fancy of the chimps!

If you were able to join our virtual visit yesterday, I hope you had a great time! Our GiveBIG fundraising is off to a good start, but we have a pretty big goal this year. There’s still over $1,500 in matching funds from me and Monica to double your gift. The fundraiser goes until May 5th, which will be here faster than Burrito can drop a roll of paper.

It’s Love a Chimpanzee Day 2021!

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Supporter Monica Best named April 23rd Love a Chimpanzee Day and has sponsored this day each year since 2010 for her chimpanzee friends at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

We’re using this occasion as the official kick-off to GiveBig. Monica and I have teamed up by creating a joint fundraising page with a $5,000 matching donation!

Love a Chimpanzee Day has become an official holiday around here. So much so, that we even include the day in the annual calendar.

Monica created Love a Chimpanzee Day in honor of her cat Ozzie on her birthday during a difficult and uncertain time when she was battling cancer. She credits the chimpanzees with helping her through that time and subsequent relapses.

Like many of us, even as a kid, Monica loved and was drawn towards nonhuman animals, especially wolves. She didn’t fall for chimpanzees until she happened upon a television show that featured Carole Noon, the founder of Save the Chimps. She immediately searched for other sanctuaries on the internet and found Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

We are SO GRATEFUL to Monica. She has been an incredible champion of chimpanzees and is always thinking of ways to make their lives happier. She’s also always thinking of ways to broaden the support of the sanctuary and encourage others to donate to help the chimpanzees she loves and chimpanzees everywhere.

We would not be in the position of being able to welcome the Lucky Six chimpanzees coming to the sanctuary later this year without her support.

Today we are celebrating with the chimps and inviting all of their fans to join a virtual tour, see the expansion in progress, and learn about the Chimps in Need campaign and all of the chimpanzees who remain at Wildlife Waystation waiting to go to their new sanctuary homes.

You can still register for this 4:00 p.m. PT virtual event here.

Even if you are unable to attend, you can help us celebrate today and the future with more chimpanzees to love by donating on Monica and Diana’s GiveBig fundraising page or the sanctuary’s main GiveBig page.

Let’s all lean on our love of chimpanzees today and celebrate all the joy they have brought to our lives.

Happy Love a Chimpanzee Day, everyone!!

Burrito loves Duran Duran
Monica is a fan of Duran Duran and we took this photo of Burrito during the 2011 Love a Chimpanzee Day!

Reasons to GiveBIG

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These are scary times. But the ten chimpanzees and four bovines at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest count on us each and every day to clean, prepare meals, create enrichment, and provide medical care, regardless of what is happening in the world outside. And we in turn count on you to help make that possible.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to continue giving to your favorite charities at this time, please consider participating in GiveBIG, Washington’s annual day of giving, and support the sanctuary by donating or creating your own fundraising page.

We are so fortunate to be able to greet the animals in our care each day and work for something we believe in with all our hearts. On behalf of the staff, the chimpanzees, and the bovines at CSNW, please know that your generosity during this time is more meaningful and more appreciated than ever.