Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

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ida africa

an unfortunate privilege

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We were fortunate to have spent a bit of time with Dr. Sheri Speede and some volunteers for IDA Africa when they were in the area the last few days as part of Dr. Speede’s book signing tour for her new book Kindred Beings. She relayed something that we all had in common. It’s related to Debbie’s post from the other day. Here it is: working with chimpanzees is an incredible privilege. It’s not something a lot of people get to do. When I’m walking with Jamie, playing with Burrito, passing a troll to Foxie, taking a photo of Jody, having a quiet interaction with Annie, admiring Missy as she runs on the hill, or simply looking at Negra with my heart swelling with love, I often think about this. But here’s the thing – this is a privilege that we shouldn’t have. I know we’ve expressed this on the blog in direct and indirect ways before. It’s one of those thoughts that you carry with you everyday as a caregiver in a sanctuary. No matter how great the moment is, no matter what amazing and wonderful thing has happened – there shouldn’t be a need for us to have jobs like this, and the chimpanzees we care about so much shouldn’t be here.

But they are here, and so are we. So we do have this privilege, and we are able to pass along this privilege vicariously to you through this blog – to tell their stories and explain what’s it is  like to care for chimpanzees. The greatest aspect of working at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is that we all feel this way, really without even thinking about it. We all understand that we are here for chimpanzees who deserved better. They are not here for us. And we will continue to be here for them and make their lives in captivity as good as they possibly can be.

 

Jody lying down:

Jody lie look at camera

 

Jamie walking on Young’s Hill:

Jamie walking on Young's Hill

Kindred Beings release

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One of our guest bloggers, Dr. Sheri Speede, has a great new book released today called Kindred Beings: What Seventy-Three Chimpanzees Taught Me About Life, Love and Connection. Be sure to check it out! Sheri will be doing a book signing tour, and will be stopping in nearby Seattle on October 10th at the Elliott Bay Book Company. We’ll post reminders about the book signing on our Facebook page—you definitely don’t want to miss the chance to meet with Sheri.

You might recall Sheri’s post on Jacky. Here’s an excerpt from her new book about a chimpanzee named Nama.

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Sheri Speede’s first interaction with adult female chimpanzee Nama, who was tethered by a five foot chain around her neck for 16 years . . .

As I walked slowly within her reach, she took my arm, and I allowed her to pull me in close to her.  I sat down beside her in the wet dirt, trying to avoid the diarrhea. She looked at my face curiously for a few moments, glancing at my eyes but not really looking into them. She was inspecting me, rather than trying to communicate. After a minute or two, her hand hovered in front of my face, and she began smacking her mouth open and closed rhythmically. Understanding that she was about to groom me reassured and relaxed me, but her fingers on my face were not really so gentle. She was digging at the corners of my eyes in a way I didn’t enjoy. I turned my face away. When I looked back at her, she perused my face again briefly, and then tried picking my nose with a finger that smelled of feces. I turned away again. I clacked my own mouth and tried to groom her face, but she didn’t like it either. She turned her head to escape my hand as I had done with hers. This wasn’t going perfectly.

Finally, when I lowered my hands to groom her chest, she pushed her shoulders back and straightened her neck to give me good access. I moved both my hands over her chest the way I thought another chimpanzee would—parting the grayish hairs, flicking off dirt particles, gently scratching at blemishes on skin stretched tautly over easily discernable ribs. After about 10 minutes, Nama lowered her head and returned her chest and shoulders to normal posture. When I looked up to see what she wanted to do next—not more face grooming, I hoped—her eyes were seeking mine with a desire to communicate that startled me. While she held my gaze, she took my right hand and placed it purposefully on the chain around her bony neck, rubbed bare of hair by the shackle. Her lower lip hung open, and her eyes were steady, beseeching. She was requesting the freedom she needed most of all and was expecting no less than simple action as an answer from a friend. All I could give her was a promise that she couldn’t understand, although I meant it with all my heart.

“Nama, I will take that chain off of you, just as soon as I am able to. I will never rest a single day until I do.”

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Nama on her chain she wore for 16 years. Photo © Sheri Speede.

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Niete and Nama (standing on right) greeting each other at Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center. Photo © Agnes Souchal.

Pick up a copy of Kindred Beings today!

 

Jacky

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As part of our guest blogger series, here is a post by Dr. Sheri Speede. Sheri founded In Defense of Animals-Africa (IDA-Africa), after working as Northwest Director of In Defense of Animals. While working for IDA, she helped advocate for companion, farm, and research animals in the US. After a couple of trips to Cameroon, her focus shifted to providing sanctuary for chimpanzees in Africa who had been part of the illegal pet trade or were bushmeat orphans. In addition to founding IDA-Africa, she also opened Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon. You might recall that J.B. posted a blog a couple of weeks ago about life and death. He mentioned a very moving story of how the Sanaga-Yong chimpanzees grieved after the passing of one of the residents, Dorothy.

CSNW has had a long-time connection with Sheri and IDA-Africa, and we will always be grateful for her advice on the electric fencing during the development of Young’s Hill!

Here, Dr. Speede tells the story of Jacky.

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All but one of our 73 chimpanzee residents at Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon’s Mbargue Forest were born to free-living mothers. Each was orphaned as a nursing infant when a poacher killed his/her mother to supply the illegal bushmeat trade. Working with the government of Cameroon, we rescued some of the orphans from hunters and dealers while they were still infants. Others suffered decades of abuse on chains or in small cages before we reached them. Resilience and capacity for emotional recovery seem to vary among individual chimpanzees as much as these life-defining qualities do among humans.

Although I am equally committed to each of our 73 chimpanzees, the gentleness coupled with profound inner strength of some individuals have inspired my deepest respect and admiration. One awe-inspiring chimpanzee who has touched me deeply is Jacky. He lived in a small cage at a hotel, first taken in as a tourist attraction, for over 30 years. When I met him in 1997 Jacky was furious and dangerous. Local people called him the “mad chimpanzee,” meaning he was crazy, and it wasn’t difficult to see how he had earned that reputation. He refused to make eye contact with us, and his various forms of stereotypy, while heart wrenching, did make him appear lost to the sane world. In one of his most disturbing and frequent manifestations, he placed one open hand in his mouth while rapidly and forcefully pounding the top of his head with his other fisted hand. He abused himself like this frequently and for minutes at a time, causing the top of his head to be bald. Anyone who accidentally veered too close to his cage paid a high price for the mistake. With lightning speed and certain intent Jacky could grab hapless hands, pull them into his cage, and with a single bite inflict irreversible damage.

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Jacky in his cage at Atlantic Beach Hotel, where he lived for 30 years. Photo © Sheri Speede.

After we finally succeeded in bringing Jacky to Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in 1999, he soon stopped his self-abuse. I cautiously kept my distance from him until one day he initiated a change in our relationship. After watching me care for the wound of another chimpanzee, he turned to present me with a laceration on his own back that needed care, and we became friends. While these changes in his temperament were remarkable, his rapidly evolving relationships with other chimpanzees at the sanctuary were most amazing, and his capacity for leadership that survived so many years of deprivation seemed nothing short of miraculous. He formed an alliance with adult female Nama (who had been shackled by a chain at another hotel for 16 years), and together they led a social group of chimpanzees for ten years. Under the gentle and just leadership of this powerful duo, we were able to introduce many young orphans, eventually expanding their social group to twenty-six.

Eventually, a younger, stronger male persistently challenged Jacky, and after a struggle for dominance that lasted many months, he eventually pant-grunted his submission and handed over the reins of leadership about three years ago. Today Jacky is a respected elder, and although he is no longer the alpha male, we still call the group “Jacky’s group.” Without a lot of responsibility, he spends his days playing and avoiding conflict, which seems a form of contented retirement.

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Jacky at Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center. Photo: Carol Yarrow.

Sheri has written about Jacky and other chimpanzees in her book Kindred Beings, which will be published by HarperCollins in September 2013.

IDA-Africa Auction

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There are still a few months before CSNW’s big Oct. 2nd auction fundraiser, Celebrate the Seven, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to go to a great auction that has the added bonus of helping chimpanzees.

Here’s a message from IDA-Africa about a terrific event and a unique opportunity to learn about an amazing sanctuary in Africa:

You’re invited to celebrate IDA-Africa’s 10th Anniversary with Founder, Dr. Sheri Speede, and “Seattle’s Best Comic,” Peggy Platt, as emcee. The 10th Annual Fundraiser and Auction to benefit IDA-Africa and the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon will be held on Thursday, July 23rd at the Lakeside Event Center. Dr. Speede will share chimpanzee rescue stories and the details of IDA-Africa’s groundbreaking conservation campaign. Enjoy a spectacular view of the city from Lake Union while bidding on fantastic silent and live auction items, sipping on wine, and savoring the culinary delights of CaterArts. Click here for more information. Tickets are going fast and can be purchased on-line. We hope to see you there!