Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

great ape protection

Laboratory Life

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At Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, we made a conscious decision to focus on sharing the personalities of the chimpanzees with everyone we could – to show who they are and the steps they are taking to recover from their past lives as biomedical research subjects.

There are more happy, goofy, playful, funny moments in a day at the sanctuary than we could possibly share with everyone. We treasure each of these moments and are so thankful to everyone who has helped us to create a place where the Cle Elum Seven can find joy.

But we know that there are nearly 1,000 other chimpanzees still in biomedical research within the United States who deserve the same opportunity – the chance to live out their lives in a legitimate sanctuary where they can begin to experience happiness. Seeing lists of numbers or names from labs that represent chimpanzees is a haunting experience. Each number is a chimpanzee full of personality just like Burrito, Negra, Foxie, Jamie, Jody, Missy and Annie, and some of those chimpanzees are relatives of the seven – sons, daughters and cousins.

Last week we sent out an e-newsletter about 110 chimpanzees that the government claimed were being retired, though 100 of them are slated to move to another laboratory, not a sanctuary.

For more on this issue, I urge you to take a few moments and read this article published yesterday by Craig Maslow of the Houston Press. After reading it, you will want to want to take some sort of tangible action. A couple of ideas for action are provided here by Animal Protection of New Mexico.

It also happens to be National Primate Liberation Week next week. If you live in the Seattle area, you can participate in events that are being organized by Seattle’s Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN), Action for Animals, and the Seattle Animal Defense League. Check the NARN calendar for details on all local events. There are no chimpanzees being used in biomedical testing in the state of Washington, but there are countless monkeys used by the University of Washington and by private laboratories. For a list of primate liberation week events happening across the country, check the Stop Animal Experimentation Now! website.

There are definite signs that the end of chimpanzee biomedical research in the United States is coming to an end, particularly with the progress on the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act,  but we must keep the pressure up and make sure that the last of the chimpanzees in laboratories are sent to legitimate sanctuaries, and we must advocate for the tens of thousands of non-chimpanzee primates who will never know life outside of a laboratory cage.

Negra before in buckshire cage
Negra at the Buckshire Corporation before coming to sanctuary.
Negra on Young’s Hill at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

 

Great Ape Protection Act Video

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If you haven’t seen this video put together by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, with footage taken by Jonathan Houser of the chimpanzees being released onto Young’s Hill, watch it below.

The chimpanzees are the stars of the video, in our opinion, but you might spot a Hollywood star or two as well. There is certainly momentum building for ending the use of chimpanzees in research, and we hope that the Cle Elum Seven can continue to serve as an example of why chimpanzees should be permanently released to sanctuaries.

Biological Anthropologist Barbara King shared the video on the NPR website earlier today.

Happy Birthday, Anne Roberson!

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Mary Ann Baltich has sponsored this day of sanctuary in honor of Anne Roberson’s birthday.  It’s a fitting gift for someone who generously supports the chimps monthly through our Chimpanzee Pal program (Anne sponsors Annie).  Mary Ann, Annie, and all of us at CSNW wish you the happiest of birthdays, Anne!

Here’s Annie celebrating her own birthday a few weeks ago:

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

 

Planet Green for a Green Planet

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Great news! We’ve found an easy way for our supporters to help us (and themselves) from afar!

CSNW has teamed up with a company called Planet Green, which is a company that recycles inkjet cartridges and old cell phones. For every inkjet cartridge and cell phone turned into them on our behalf, Planet Green sends us a donation (visit this link for a list of prices of what Planet Green gives us). I have a few volunteers from Seattle that have begun collecting for us. I sent in about 20 inkjet cartridges and 4 cell phones and we received a check for $37! (Considering it didn’t cost any of us a dime, not bad! Thanks so much guys!) Just think how much we could make if we all started collecting!? In addition, Planet Green is a remanufacturer, so you can purchase your inkjet cartridges through them and we receive 15% of every purchase. Visit this link to learn more: www.PlanetGreenRecycle.com/ChimpSanctuaryNW

If you would like to start up your own collection box for inkjet cartridges and cell phones, send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll set you up with flyers and shipping labels and get you started. It’s a really easy thing to do and a great way to help us (and the environment) out!

This program is not only good for us, you, our landfills, etc… but it’s also a great way to do your part on behalf of gorillas in Africa. Cell phones contain a mineral called coltan, which is a mineral extracted in the deep forests of Congo in central Africa- home to lowland gorillas. Mass production of cell phones has resulted in mass destruction of the forests and is resulting in a loss of habitat for gorillas. By opening up the forest, this practice also paves the way for the slaughter of gorillas for the bushmeat trade. Recycling old cell phones is a great way to reduce the need for coltan and protect the gorillas and their home.

And…as if I haven’t given you enough reasons, here’s Foxie’s adorable face: =)

Op-ed in Seattle Times

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CSNW’s Executive Director, Sarah Baeckler, along with colleague and friend of the Cle Elum Seven, Debra Durham, just had an op-ed published in the Seattle Times. Please read the guest column, about the Great Ape Protection Act, here. Nice job, Sarah and Debra!