mental health

Mental Health Awareness Month

May 31, 2026 by Chad de Bree 9 Comments

As May ends and June starts to usher in summer, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight Mental Awareness Month. This is by no means the most in depth history about the recognized month. In fact, I will be honest that most of the information I got is from Wikipedia.

Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to raise awareness around individual’s suffering from conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and suicide. Every year there is a theme to help boost awareness. This year’s theme is “More Good Days, Together.” Mental Health America, the organization who established the awareness then known as National Association for Mental Health, chose this year’s theme to encourage everybody to reflect on what a “good” day means to them and their communities. The way I interpret that is we know what a good day looks like for us individually, but what does a good day look like to everybody else and how can we help others achieve their good day.

Jamie looking up toward the sky back in 2022 after getting access to the newly expanded Young’s Hill. One thing Jamie adores is her time outside. After living in a windowless basement at the Buckshire Corporation to be used as a test subject, the chimpanzees, especially Jamie, cherish being able to look up to the sky and feel the breeze flow through their hair.

This year’s theme really made me think: what does a good day look like to everyone else here. I know what a good day here looks like to me. To me a good day is everybody shifts without hesitation, they eat all of their meals, there were no fights, the cattle took their own meds and I didn’t have to fight someone off of someone else’s, and Bruce allowed me to love him. There are some other small minor things, but those are the big ones. Now admittedly, I really don’t know what a good day to the other caregivers looks like. 😬 I think I just assumed theirs looked identical to mine. But in the spirit of theme, it’s really making me think about that.

Also, playing with the chimps is a HUGE plus in the ingredients for a good to for me. Like going around Young’s Hill with Burrito.

Mental health is such an important topic in the caregiver world. Burnout is one cause of the low attrition rate in this career field, and burnout hits fast and hard. Most of what I say next is just based on my own observations and personal experience. If I had to guess why the burnout rate is high is just due to the multitude of things we are responsible for. I know for me, this job is always on the top of my mind. Whether I’m on site, at home, on vacation, it doesn’t matter. Every worry, whether it be a fight, some social tension, upcoming procedure, etc., all those things follow me everywhere I go. No matter what I’m doing or where I am, I have chimps on the brain.

George went on the Bray to finish eating his breakfast. When Since the moment we as staff were told we would be rescuing George, everything that came with that has been at the forefront. The rescue, the legal proceedings, and probably the biggest topic, the integration. Though the integration has subsided a little because he has adapted incredibly well.

Though George’s situation has “cooled down” from what it was for me, now Negra occupies most of my thoughts. So as you can see, this job is a one thing right after another kind of job.

This job is one that keeps you on your toes… 24/7! For me, even though this is pretty much a 24/7 type of job, I get great gratification seeing the chimps playful and happy. That, regardless of how long it lasts, is what gets me out of bed in the morning. There are the hard times, but going through the storm to feel levitated like that is 1000% worth it.

Cy and George eating the primate chow on the Bray during breakfast. The relationship between Cy and George is one that gives me hope. For them obviously, but also just the kindness that the current state of the world covers up.

Terry also took his chow out onto the Bray for breakfast. It actually ended up in a fun little run between him and Burrito on the Young’s Hill side.

For years, Mental Health America has tried to rip down the curtain of stigma that surrounds mental health for some reason. I tend to be as open and honest with mine in case it can be of any help to anybody else going through it. And it thrills me that stigma seems to be waning for now, which is why I think they chose the theme that they did for this year: to help others in need.

Burrito and Foxie being silly with one another on Young’s Hill back in January. Foxie used to rely pretty heavily on Jody for support. Since Jody’s passing, Foxie has had a whirlwind of a time trying to refind her place. Luckily, Burrito has recently taken a big step in providing more physical and emotional support to Foxie.

Be sure to check Mental Health America’s resource page of a lot of different resources out there to help you or someone you know in a crisis. The world is a better place with you in it because you help better the world.

Mave and Dora hugging after Dora got scared of something. Mave has been a huge support system to Dora and vice versa.

Burrito hugging Foxie in the early days of the sanctuary.

Reaching Out

September 7, 2025 by Chad de Bree

I wanted to do something a little different for today’s blog. I am sorry for such a dark yet important topic. I promise there will be some nice photos sprinkled throughout to give you a serotonin boost. I should also note that this blog isn’t representative of any staff member here, just statistics I pulled from various government and academic sources.

Honey B looks on as an incoming thunderstorm rolls in

As some of you may know, September is recognized at Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s a month dedicated to raise awareness, promote hope, and normalize seeking help. The reason I want to post about such an important topic is to provide as much insight and resources as I can to all my fellow caregivers out there at other sanctuaries, zoos, clinics, and other facilities that house animals. But this is also for you, the reader, as well if hard times have bestowed upon you.

Negra with a mouthful of cabbage during a lunch forage on Young’s Hill

Mental health is not talked about in the open enough, I feel, and it should. Depression and suicide is high per capita in the animal welfare career field, particularly among veterinarians and veterinarian technicians, which can be anywhere from 2 to 5 times higher than other professions. Though no thorough study has been conducted to date, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest the rate over of those in animal caregiving/rescue is five times higher that other professions as well. That suggestion should be taken with a grain of salt though as those labeled “animal caregiving/rescue” included the professions of veterinary care, shelter workers, lab scientists, firefighters, law enforcement, zoo keepers, etc. Let this be my call there should be a proper study done on this topic focusing on the animal welfare profession.

Honey, Meredith, and Betsy grazing on some supplemental hay in their pasture

Even though no official study has been done on the suicide rate of animal welfare workers, we do know things like compassion fatigue, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and moral injury contribute to burnout amongst caregivers, which then leads to mental health deterioration.

If there is one thing I do know without having to rely on government and academic statistics, is that burnout runs rampant amongst the caregiving community. Burnout in the sanctuary world is like an uncontained wildfire, it spreads at an accelerated rate and leaves ghostly shells of things that were once vibrant. Many of the the facilities in the sanctuary world have been putting forth the effort to try to combat this fire, but it’s still a little too early to see how efforts will play out.

Missy eating a green bean during her lunch forage on Young’s Hill

I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but it took me a very long time to admit and acknowledge my burnout. For some, burnout could be caused by things that just keep piling up without trying to acknowledge and work with them. For others it could be a single event that sparks that match. I know for myself, it was when we lost Jody.

Willy B trying to spy what was in his neighbor’s forage

For me, Jody’s passing, and subsequently Nutmeg’s passing, were the things that triggered the PTSD that led to my burnout. And yes, as combat Marine veteran, I can and will say PTSD is not exclusive to combat. Really it can be any event that takes you down that rabbit hole and nobody is immune to it. In my time, I have learned there is no cure to PTSD or burnout, but there are ways to cope with it and make sure it doesn’t consume you.

Burrito, Annie, and Missy surrounding a pacific racer snake they spotted on Young’s Hill during today’s lunch forage. No need to fear, the snake escaped and everybody is fine.

I guess this next part is for any animal caregiver out there whom may read this:

To my fellow caregivers out there, far and wide, I will not claim to be a trained professional in the subject but merely letting you know what helped me to get the burnout monkey off my back. These are the guides I follow:

Be the caregiver you want to be

Remember when you were hired you were taught how to perform the tasks to be a caregiver, but you weren’t taught what kind of caregiver you want to be. You took on this job for a reason. If you get bogged down with everything that isn’t the reason you came onboard, then remember why you came onboard. Though we each have our own way of doing things and our own focuses, circle back to why you wanted to work with the species you work with. For me, even though I have other duties outside of the caregiving, it’s the caregiving aspect that has the most direct impact in their day-to-day lives. Knowing that they’ll have a clean space, as much space as they can have, full bellies, and stimulated minds at the end of the day is what makes me happy.

Talk to each other

You are not alone. There’s a chance your fellow caregivers, whether the ones you work with or ones at another facilitiy. Reach out to each other. Talk to each other. I can’t guarantee results, but you can reach out to me if you aren’t comfortable with someone you work directly with. I’ll at least try to point you in the right direction.

If you are feeling down or are going through a crisis, then please reach out to any of the resources available. Dial the number 988 if you need someone to talk to right away. There are trained professionals that can help you. Or you can go to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to find the resource that is right for you. And just remember, you matter!

And now a series of Burrito playing with Caregiver Ellen!

On the Daily

May 1, 2024 by Grace

Happy May, everyone! It truly feels like spring is here in Cle Elum, as the (arguably) gale force winds that arrive every spring are here with gusto today.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, which is an important topic. We are pretty candid on this blog and have written about compassion fatigue and burnout, which are frequent experiences for those in care fields. We’ve also written about compassion satisfaction, a counterweight to fatigue and burnout. Like Kelsi wrote in her blog on compassion satisfaction, it’s all about finding moments that remind us of our why- why we’re here doing what we do, despite the tough moments. The last year has been hard on all of us, with the grief of Jody and Nutmeg’s passing omnipresent, and it’s been important for me to remember that joy and sadness are not mutually exclusive. That they can coexist in the same moments.

To honor National Mental Health Awareness Month, I thought I would share a list of things that bring me joy and compassion satisfaction here that happen almost every day. It’s a list I started keeping in my phone to look at when I feel overwhelmed. It’s not the big stuff, it’s the little moments- the ones that happen almost daily.

(Disclaimer: This list is not entirely comprehensive and all chimp-human contact is protected. Click here for more details.)

Going in to say hi to the chimps in the morning and being immediately greeted with excited breathy pants
Foxie asking me to babysit her baby dolls while she takes some time for herself
Terry kisses (especially when he sticks his tongue out and just kind of licks the back of my hand)
Watching the chimps enjoy the sunshine
Serving a meal item that the chimps find super exciting (corn, baked sweet potatoes, apples…) and hearing Mave and Burrito’s high-pitched excited food squeaks. All food grunts are joy-inducing sounds, but those two jump the octave and really just make you grin
Annie’s bird noises
Cy with his magazines
Walks around Young’s Hill with Jamie
Games of chase with Burrito
Grooming with Lucky
The way Gordo gently sets down his smoothie cup instead of tossing it to the floor
The way Gordo will find even the smallest piece of paper to sit on in the greenhouses for breakfast, instead of sitting directly on the cool ground
How the group of 9 will watch us prep meds in the morning from the front rooms with the clinic door open… It’s just nice.
How Jamie, Foxie, Burrito, Gordo, Cy, Dora, and Honey B hold their smoothie cups during breakfast
Terry’s incessant raspberry sounds
Looking up to the corner of the playroom to see Negra cozy in a nest that looks like it’s as thick as four mattresses.
When the chimps decide they do or don’t want something (i.e. if Foxie decides not to give us the greenhouse for cleaning- we’ll get it the next day, but I love the moments where the chimps choose how the day goes)
How Jamie will save her chow and put it in a cup to let it soak in water before she eats it.
The noises Willy B makes when he wants us to set up our phones for him to watch YouTube while we clean.
How Missy will tight-rope walk across the firehose in the playroom at dinner to grab her food
When the chimps take food with their feet. 🙂
The little happy toe rubs that the chimps do during meals
Rayne sitting in boxes, all day, every day, no matter the size of said box

Some photos of these moments:

Foxie enjoying a walk on Young’s Hill after giving me her baby to watch.

Gordo + pear + foot

Terry, giving one of his morning kisses

Cy enjoying a magazine (and a coconut)

The Humans Aren’t Alright

October 10, 2023 by Chad de Bree

(Note: Before reading on, just know, the humans are indeed okay! It’s just a play off of yesterday’s blog title: The Chimps Aren’t Alright)

Before we get into the blog, let’s play a game! Can you guess who was hoarding PVC Tubes from the night before in their nest? The answer will be at the end of the blog!

Today is World Mental Health Day! World Mental Health Day was first celebrated in 1992 as a way to raise awareness, education, and to try to help break the stigma which surrounds mental health. With it being today, I thought I would talk about something that is gaining more traction in the world of chimpanzee caregiving: Compassion Fatigue.

Compassion fatigue affects those who work in a occupation relating to caregiving; i.e. doctors, nurses, EMT, psychologists, physical therapists, veterinarians, and yes, caregivers of both human and non-human animals. In 2010, Dr. Patricia Potter described compassion fatigue as the “traumatization of helpers through their efforts at helping others” in her study of compassion fatigue in oncology nurses. Compassion fatigue consists of two things: burn out and secondary traumatic stress. Caregivers who are burnt out may experience unhappiness, disconnectedness, insensitivity to their work environment, exhaustion, and feelings of being overwhelmed, bogged down, and being out of touch of who they want to be. Secondary traumatic stress is when caregivers simply cannot get those whom they help out of their thoughts. It can cause sleeplessness, forgetfulness, and the inability to separate private and professional life.

Dr. Potter’s study was then replicated by Dr. Mary Lee Jensvold of the Fauna Foundation and Central Washington University to specifically look at compassion fatigue in chimpanzee caregivers. To the surprise of almost no one, chimpanzee caregivers experience compassion fatigue. I will plead the 5th on saying if any of my fellow caregivers here (both staff and volunteers) have or have not experienced compassion fatigue at any point, but I will talk about my own experiences with it in an attempt to try to break the stigma around openly talking about mental health.

I have showcased some of the symptoms of compassion fatigue. For me, it’s very hard to separate my personal life from my caregiving one. The chimpanzees are always on my mind, even on my weekends, holidays, and vacation. I sometimes stay awake at night, particularly if the chimpanzees have been worked up and there’s a lot of fights or other emergencies. I also have this constant, nagging feeling what I am doing is not good enough for them. Not to say what I do is terrible, just that feeling like it’s not enough for them. Even just trying to hang out with the chimpanzees can take its toll when you have not just one or two trying to vie for your attention, but several. It’s just one of those moments when you wish you could clone yourself several times over, but can’t, so you’re going to leave somebody disappointed. A terrible feeling for a caregiver.

Though I know I personally will not be able to address every single one of these things that contribute to my own fatigue, I can address most of them.

Recent articles detailing compassion fatigue do have many tips in trying to combat it. This next part is mostly for other caregivers around the world, but for all the well wishers still reading, maybe you can use it as well. My first humble suggestion is to read more about compassion fatigue, what it is and what are the symptoms of it. The two articles linked in this posting are great starts. Second suggestion is to look after yourself. It is 100% okay to take those days off you’ve been wanting to take. Go see family and friends. Go for a hike. Go travel to places you have never been to but always wanted to go. Do whatever it is that makes you happy and brings peace into your life. Don’t think about work. Your time off is just that: YOUR time off. It’s incredibly difficult to not think about work when you aren’t there, I know. But you have to in order to continue on in this field. Turn off you work notifications. Hide anything that is work related in your home. And most of all, trust your fellow caregivers. They are well trained, know their job, are just as capable as you, and can handle anything while you’re away. (I don’t mean to imply I don’t trust the other caregivers here. I do 100%. But I know that is a feeling associated with compassion fatigue.)

This job is a truly unique life experience. It is not a mundane, putting checks in boxes type of career. You constantly have to be on your toes, think outside the box, and be prepared for things you probably haven’t thought of. This job requires a lot of stamina, passion, and hard work and decision making. In order to do that, you have to take care of yourself and recharge. I once asked an activist I know how she is able to continue to carry so much passion for what she believes in and continue to fight for it. She told me, “you cannot pour from an empty cup. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself mentally and physically so that cup can always have something to pour.” So those are the words I will leave you with.

Now onto another plugin. Jamieween is quickly approaching. Be sure to continue to check out our Amazon Wish List for items for one of the biggest celebrations we celebrate! In fact, today and tomorrow is Amazon Prime Day! So some things may be at a reduced cost!

And it wouldn’t be a blog without some photos, right!?

Negra fishing peanut butter out from between Frisbees