northwest
Fence Training
We’ve made a lot of progress on Young’s Hill recently and it looks like we might be able to wrap things up in just a few short weeks. It’s hard to believe that the chimps will soon be wandering around their new, two-acre enclosure.
With construction in the final stages, it was time for us to begin fence training with the chimps. To do this, we built a small section of temporary electric fence just outside of the greenhouse, which the chimps can reach through the caging.
Teaching the chimps about electric fencing before letting them out onto Young’s Hill is important for two reasons. First, it is much safer for the chimps to learn about the fence in controlled conditions. The temporary fence ensures that their first contact with the wire will be with a fingertip and not some other, more sensitive, part of the body, and that they will be standing safely on the ground when they receive the shock. Second, the temporary fence allows us to separate the negative experience of their first shock from the experience of going outside for the first time. Because the temporary fence is just outside of their current enclosure, the chimps are able to retreat to a safe and trusted part of their home if they feel scared.
We began fence training on Monday. The chimps are naturally curious, and anything new in or near their enclosure becomes the object of intense examination. Jamie, of course, was the first to touch the wire. She screamed and jumped back. The other chimps came to see what was going on. As far as we know, the Cle Elum Seven have never experienced electric fence before, so the other chimps didn’t seem to know what to make of Jamie’s reaction. Soon after, Jody and Foxie both touched the wire. While Jamie stayed outside and kept an eye on the fence, Jody and Foxie retreated to the doorway.
Burrito was next to approach. He fiddled with the fence, touching the insulators and the post itself. Since we started this project, I had toyed with the idea of touching the fence with the chimps watching me. I mostly wanted to know what the chimps were going to experience, and I also thought it could serve as an additional opportunity for the chimps to learn about the fence. So, with Burrito in front of me, I touched my hand to the wire. This goes without saying, but the chimps are a lot tougher than me. While they screamed and ran away, I screamed and fell down. My knees literally buckled. While the shock was unpleasant to say the least, it only lasts 1/1000th of a second, and before you know it, everything is back to normal. But you have learned that you never want to touch the fence again.
Unfortunately, Burrito did not learn the lesson that I tried to impart, and he too received his first shock. By this time, the chimps were starting to understand what was going on. Missy, Negra, and Annie kept their distance. But later in the day, Annie’s curiosity got the best of her, and she touched the wire. The following day, Negra did the same. Missy still hasn’t touched it. It is possible that she learned from watching the others. The temporary fence will remain live until Young’s Hill is ready, in case she does want to learn for herself.
To be honest, I was dreading this part of the project. No one wants to see their friends upset. But it went as well as we could have hoped for – the chimps seem to understand and respect the fence, and no one has been traumatized. In fact, Foxie has been more playful this week than ever! Now that the training is out of the way, we can focus on the day when the chimps will experience the great outdoors for the first time.
Art
As you may know, Jamie is an artist, though her medium of choice these days is usually pens and crayons, rather than paint. Perhaps she is more of a writer than a painter?
One of my favorite pieces from Jamie is the mask in this post. I found it while cleaning the playroom and was immediately amazed at how artistic and creative it was, so we’ve decided to frame it and put it in this year’s auction! I can’t wait to see how well it does!
Missy’s birthday & foolish caregivers?
Missy’s birthday is this Tuesday, three days from now. Jackie and I were talking the other day about ways we could celebrate. Of course we’ll have a big party for Missy and the other chimps – Robbi and Dick have already delivered bags overflowing with awesome new toys and party supplies.
We had the Troll Olympics to celebrate Foxie’s birthday. Jackie and I were both there, but didn’t participate in the games because I was overseeing the events and Jackie was filming and taking photos. We both had a great time, but, to be honest, we were a little jealous of the participants.
So, we came up with a plan…. we will take pledges from blog readers in any amount for Missy Games.
If we get a total of $500 pledged, we will run a Missy obstacle course on Young’s Hill that J.B. will design for us. If we get $1,000 pledged, I’ll “run” around Young’s Hill on the outside of the fencing. If that doesn’t sound like a big deal, well, it is. The hill itself is really steep and it’s quite the distance for a non-athlete like me, but I should start getting in shape to prepare for games of chase with Missy!
We’re really going to be making fools out of ourselves, but with your support, and in honor of Missy’s athleticism and goofiness, we’re willing to do it.
You can pledge by commenting on this post or emailing me: [email protected] and jackie: [email protected].
We are planning our outfits already – sweatbands and socks that Missy would like are a must.
Seattle Bake Sale September 3rd & 4th
The Chocolate Shoebox in Seattle is having a bake sale on Saturday September 3rd and Sunday September 4th from 11 to 7pm to benefit Precious Life Animal Sanctuary and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. They are still welcoming bakers for fabulous vegan baked goods. See the poster below for more info.
Enter it in your calendars now! What could be better than eating baked goods to benefit two sanctuaries?
Chimpanzees in the News
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.
Missy’s grooming tool
Missy loves to groom herself using a tool. She often uses a piece of bark or straw that she finds on the ground, but if those aren’t doing the trick she will create a better tool.