The Cle Elum 7 had a brunch forage to celebrate Love a Chimpanzee Day. Make sure to watch to the very end of the video to give yourself just one more reason to rejoice!
Sponsor-a-day
Today is for chimpanzees, Monica, and Gary Best
Several years ago (seven to be exact!), the chimpanzees’ good friend and supporter, Monica Best, chose to celebrate her birthday by proclaiming April 23rd “Love a Chimpanzee Day” and she has sponsored it each year since for the chimpanzees. And this year as we celebrate chimpanzees and Monica we are also celebrating in memory of Monica’s dad, Gary Best.
Monica, you have the biggest heart, full of generosity and compassion. We are so grateful to you for all you do not only for the chimps, but for so many other animals in the world. We are honored to celebrate your dad here today – he must have been quite a man to have a daughter like you. All of us here are wishing you a day full of the comfort, love and joy you provide for so many others.
Happy Birthday, Monica, and Happy Love a Chimpanzee Day!
Today is in memory of Linda
Today’s day of sanctuary, sponsored by Lisa and Rich Stuverud, is in memory of Linda Vizzare and is about the celebration of life in all it’s many forms, along with those we love. Lisa shared this beautiful message about today:
“We, Rich and I, want to celebrate this special day because Linda and I shared it as our birthday. We wanted to celebrate and share it with Jamie, Negra, Jody, Missy, Annie, Foxie, Burrito and everyone involved in supporting CSNW because through our involvement with the sanctuary we have found our own kind of sanctuary and we are forever grateful.”
Lisa and Rich, you and your family do so much to make sure the chimpanzees’ days and lives are filled with joy, love and hope. We are so grateful to you all and touched by your heartfelt gift today. Our hearts are with you as you celebrate Linda and the lives and birthdays you shared together. May you find peace and comfort in your memories of her today.
And Lisa, Happy Birthday! May all of the love and kindness you so generously share with others come back to you tenfold and may this special day continue to bring you much to celebrate!
Happy birthday hoots and hellos from your pals, Burrito and Jamie:
Happy Birthday, Meg!
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Seneca, Edan, & Gavin Konturas in honor of Meg Konturas for her birthday! They shared the following message about today:
“On her birthday, Meg wanted her gifts to be the chimpanzees’ gifts.”
This is so lovely! Seneca, Edan and Gavin, thank you so much for not only honoring Meg’s birthday wishes, but for giving the chimpanzees the gift of sanctuary!
And Meg, happiest of birthdays to you!! It is so kind of you to request that your gifts be to make the chimps’ lives better! What a compassionate way to celebrate life. We are honored to celebrate with you here today and happy birthday hoots from all of us, chimpanzee and human alike! And if you need any party ideas, the chimps just so happen to be Master Partiers…
Jamie:
Burrito:
Annie:
Jamie:
Today is in honor of Team Humphreys!
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Jennifer Humphreys in honor of her family, “Team Humphreys,” and her mom, Carol Humphreys, on her birthday! Jennifer is a former volunteer with CSNW and we so appreciate her continued support of the chimps! She shared this message about today:
“Celebrating my mom’s birthday again, with my parents Carol and Jan, and siblings Kelli, Elizabeth, Heather, Geoff, Greg, Brian, and Kyle.”
Jennifer, thank you to you and your family for continuing to remember the chimpanzees and including them in your family celebrations! We so appreciate the difference your compassion and generosity make in their lives.
And Carol, we wish you the happiest of birthdays filled with all that you love! Have a beautiful day of celebration, Jamie-style! 😉
Happy Birthday, Kirby!
Today’s day of sanctuary was sponsored by Jodi Watson in honor of Kirby Watson for his 50th birthday! Jodi shared this really special message about Kirby:
“He’s the love of my life, and I admire him, and I hope he has another 50 years with me on this earth.”
Jodi, reading your message we are even more touched that you would choose to sponsor a day for the chimpanzees in Kirby’s honor. Thank you so much for thinking of them as you celebrate today.
And Kirby, we hope this is the best birthday yet and that it’s full of all good things! Thanks for sharing your special day with these special chimps. Happy Birthday from all of the primates here at CSNW!!
Best friends, Annie and Missy:
Jamie’s choice
Jamie spent her childhood living with a trainer. Her records are scarce, but she was most likely used in some form of entertainment before being purchased for use in biomedical research at around the age of nine. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to see chimpanzees (or any wild animal) robbed of their natural lives, their childhood, and their family and social structures in order to provide so-called “entertainment” for humans. While we cannot change the histories the chimpanzees have experienced, or the fact that they will be in captivity for the rest of their lives, we do our best to provide them the space to be themselves, exactly as they choose in every minute of the day. A safe, dignified and loving home in which their “chimpanzee-ness” can come out.
We give the chimpanzees a variety of enrichment each day to keep their curious and intelligent minds engaged as much as possible, but whether they play with it, nest with it, tear it up or ignore it, it’s their choice. Jamie is highly intelligent and most likely as a result of her unnatural history, she is also very human oriented in her interests. She will often choose to use enrichment in ways that the other chimps don’t. But that’s the key – she gets to choose. When Jamie first arrived here she periodically chose to wear clothing that was included in enrichment, but over time her desire to do this has faded away and thankfully been replaced by chimp like activities such as walking the perimeter, playing with her friends, and being the boss of us all. But given her unnatural history, it’s only, well, natural that she would still incorporate things that are familiar to her in her play from time to time.
So while supervising the cleaning of her home from atop her barrel, this was one of Jamie’s choices:
An upside-down-Jamie-on-a-barrel is always a happy Jamie.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can help end the exploitation and abuse of great apes, please check out our advocacy program, Eyes on Apes, and sign up for our Take Action Alerts. Just as Jamie once did, there are others who need your voice.
