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Be Mine, Cy

February 12, 2024 by J.B.

Cy is the leader of his family of nine chimpanzees. Contrary to popular myths about alpha male chimpanzees, he is kind, gentle, and caring. He is at times a reluctant leader—one whose dominant status has been bestowed upon him out of admiration and respect rather than being sought after and achieved for its own sake. But when called upon, he never fails to meet the needs and expectations of those who count on him.

Cy was born in 1990 at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery In Primates (LEMSIP). He was taken from his mother and raised by humans, splitting time between the nursery playroom and a small cage suspended off the floor. He would likely have been subject to HIV or hepatitis vaccine trials but LEMSIP closed their chimpanzee research program in 1996 before he could enter the the adult wing of the lab. Cy was then transferred to the Wildlife Waystation in California, where he would live for over two decades. In 2021, he came to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest along with his full sister, Lucky, and his half sister, Rayne, as well as Terry, Dora, and Gordo. A year later they were integrated with Willy B, Mave, and Honey B, who is also Cy’s half sister.

Cy at LEMSIP:

When he is isn’t called upon to lead his family, Cy can often be found sitting by himself in a corner, flipping through magazines. His favorite subjects are animals (but no cows, please!) and the latest celebrity photos from People and Us Weekly. He also loves spending time with his caregivers, playing quiet games of “tickle” or raucous games of chase. Among his favorite foods is corn on the cob—one of the few things for which he will exact a tax on his group mates (but even when he steals food, he does it in a kind and gentle manner!).

One of Cy’s most important roles is that of mentor and protector to his second in command, Willy B. His ability to accept Willy B’s anxieties and social challenges and approach them with patience and understanding is practically saint-like, and almost certainly a primary reason that Willy B has finally been able to live in the larger social group he deserves.

Cy’s new life at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest has been made possible, in part, by his Pals Monica, Daniel, Aprile & Robert, Emily, Thomas & Ranu, Katherine, Matthew, Penelope, Fritzie and Tami, who sponsor his care. You, too, can become Cy’s Pal or give the gift of sponsorship to someone you love.

After all, it’s hard not to fall in love with Cy.

Filed Under: Cy Tagged With: be mine, chimp pal, chimpanzee, Chimpanzee Pal, Cy, northwest, pal, rescue, Sanctuary, sponsor-, valentine's day

in memory of Jody Chimpanzee on her birthday

May 14, 2023 by Diana

Tobin sponsored today in honor of Jody’s birthday celebration prior to us losing Jody just two weeks ago. Ever thoughtful, Tobin sent in a new message to share on this celebratory but also somber day,

Dear Friends of our beloved Jody:

As was the tradition at the CSNW, Jody’s birthday was celebrated every year on Mother’s Day. Those of us who loved her and rejoiced in her very being will continue to do so, in our hearts, minds, and souls. As we grieve, let us remember the look of joy on her beautifully expressive face, whether ascending the towers on Young’s Hill or in foraging the bounty of her land. Let us remember her maternal devotion to Negra, Annie, Missy, Foxie, Jamie, and Burrito. Taken from her mother in infancy, and deprived of nurturing the children she conceived, Jody became the den mother to her troop of orphans.

In my original statement for Jody’s birthday, I had written an open letter addressed to her. I told her that I hoped that the lilacs would be in bloom for her birthday, and I told her that I was so pleased when, somehow, she would appear in my dreams.

As I have read the many messages in the comments section of the Sanctuary website, I have been moved by the many words of condolence to Jody’s survivors and caregivers. One message especially holds meaning to me: “May her memory be blessed.”

Surely our memories of Jody are blessed, as we who love her were blessed by her presence in our lives.

And when I read of that Hebrew blessing, I thought of Jody and the words of a poem, also written in Hebrew:

For Thou, the Giver of Life,
created me in my inmost being;
Thou created me together
in my mother’s womb

Where can I go from Thy Spirit?

Our beloved Jody, your memory is blessed.

– Tobin Kerry –

 

 

Filed Under: Jody, Sponsor-a-day Tagged With: birthday, in memory, Jody, lilacs, sponsor-, Tobin

Today is for Lisa Stuverud!

April 4, 2023 by Diana

Longtime donor Lisa Stuverud generously sponsored today, on her birthday, with this message of gratitude:

It’s been another trip around the sun ! Today my heart is full and I want to sponsor a day for everyone at CSNW with tremendous gratitude for the joy that was Missy’s first living tree climb and the shenanigans that was Honey B’s hose heist. CSNW sustains me and we are so blessed to be a part of it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts !!

Missy and Honey B, mother and daughter, do share a certain confidence! Thank you for sponsoring today, and happy birthday from all of us, Lisa!

Interested in sponsoring a day of sanctuary for yourself or a loved one? It’s one of many fun ways to make a donation! Visit the donate page and scroll down for options.

Filed Under: Honey B, Missy, Sponsor-a-day, Thanks Tagged With: lisa stuverud, sponsor-, Sponsor-a-day

HOOT! Sponsors: Merritt and John Atwood

May 10, 2017 by Diana

This is the seventh in our series of blog posts celebrating sponsors of the HOOT! 2017 Spring Fling gala.

Past posts celebrated Poppoff, Inc., Martha Faulkner Real Estate, Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, Jennifer and David Roers, Tracy Headley, and Pam Lehnert & Marc Warner.

 

Today is in honor of HOOT! sponsors Merritt and John Atwood.

 

Merritt shared how she learned about the sanctuary and why she supports the chimps.

 

“I first heard of CSNW in 2010 when I saw an article in the Seattle Times  (I think). Always an animal lover, I wanted to help.  What a great mission: to care for chimpanzees who had been caged up for years and used for biomedical research.”

And she has been a loyal donor ever since!

Merritt spends much of her time helping animals. She was a long time volunteer at the Humane Society in Bellevue, WA. Then, after moving to Whidbey Island, she became a supporter of Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation (WAIF). She is now in the 9th year on their board and is as committed as ever to bettering the lives of animals.

Merritt hasn’t visited Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in person, but she follows along on social media, as I know most of you out there do too.

When presented with one of the most challenging questions there is: Who is your favorite chimpanzee?, her response was: “It’s really hard to say which chimpanzee is my favorite.  Maybe Burrito for holding his own with all the ladies,  and looking as though he is enjoying himself immensely!”

Based on the video posted yesterday of Burrito playing with Foxie, I would say the assessment of his enjoyment is pretty accurate.

In true animal-lover form, rather than sending me a photo of herself and John, Merritt shared photos of her beloved companion animals.

 

This is sweet Nelson, who came from WAIF and passed away last year:

 

And this is Henrietta, who the Atwoods brought to their home in 2009 from Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue. She is about 12 years old now:

I have absolutely loved doing these HOOT! sponsor posts. It’s uplifting to me to share information about caring people and to be able to thank them for their generosity in this way, and I’ve learned new things about each of them in the process.

Big thanks to Merritt and John for your support of the Cle Elum Seven chimpanzees and for all that you have done for animals in your local communities – you have made a tangible difference in so many ways.

 

The 2017 HOOT! Spring Fling is just a few days away! There’s still time to support the event with your donation, and there are just a few seats left if you’ve been procrastinating buying tickets. Anyone can also preview auction items and put in absentee bids on three items right here.

hoot logo

Filed Under: Burrito, Events, Fundraising, Sanctuary, Thanks Tagged With: Burrito, chimp, chimpanzee, donor, hoot, northwest, Sanctuary, sponsor-

HOOT! Sponsors: Darwin’s Natural Pet Products

April 26, 2017 by Diana

I am so  happy to be sharing information about HOOT! sponsors so everyone can learn the different ways that people have discovered the sanctuary and why they have decided to contribute their financial support to seven chimpanzees living in Cle Elum.

Today is the fourth in a series of blog posts celebrating sponsors of the HOOT! 2017 Spring Fling gala.

 

Past posts celebrated Jennifer and David Roers, Tracy Headley, and Pam Lehnert & Marc Warner.

 

Today, with so much gratitude, we celebrate the extreme generosity of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products.

The format for this post is a letter from Darwin’s founder Gary Tashjian:

At Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, we’ve built our business around supporting the connection between people and animals. We’ve always been inspired by the quote from Mohandas Gandhi that “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” 
 
That’s why I was so excited to discover Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest’s booth at the University Street Fair in Seattle a few summers ago. Chimps (and all primates, for that matter) have a special relationship with humans, and the way we have allowed them to be treated is, I believe, inconsistent with our values. I was happy to find an organization here in the Northwest with people who not only felt the way that I did about this issue, but dedicated themselves to doing something about it. I knew that Darwin’s needed to support their efforts in some way.
 
After visiting the sanctuary and learning that the chimps’ diet consists primarily of fresh vegetables, I realized that Darwin’s had a unique opportunity to help support the sanctuary’s efforts, as we use fresh vegetables in our dog food recipes as well.
 
We reached out to Charlie’s Produce, who we work with to supply the vegetables that we use for our dog food, and asked them if they could help. Charlie’s was very supportive of our efforts, and together we put together a program that enabled us to provide an array of fresh vegetables to the chimps, at no cost to the Sanctuary.

fresh produce
 
We are very happy to be able to do our part to help these chimps enjoy a healthy diet, and to live out the rest of their lives in a safe and nurturing environment. Darwin’s is proud to be a supporter of the sanctuary’s efforts.

Gary Tashjian
Founder
Darwin’s Natural Pet Products

 

Big thanks to Gary and Darwin’s (and Charlie’s Produce) for the literal ton of produce for the chimps over the years and for being a Chimpanzee Champion Sponsor of HOOT! 2017!

 

 

 

Burrito sends his thanks too!

Filed Under: Burrito, Fundraising, Sanctuary, Thanks Tagged With: charlie's produce, chimp, chimpanzee, darwin's natural pet products, event, hoot, sponsor-

HOOT! Sponsors Jennifer & David Roers

April 19, 2017 by Diana

Today is the third in a series of blog post celebrating sponsors of the HOOT! 2017 Spring Fling gala.

Past posts celebrated Tracy Headley and Pam Lehnert & Marc Warner.

Today is all about Jen and Dave Roers!

 

You may recognize the names Jennifer and David Roers because they have made challenge donations to the gala for the past few years, which have helped inspire others to give. Their Chimpanzee Champion+ sponsorship donation this year is also a challenge to encourage others to donate towards the event. So please do learn more about individual and corporate sponsorship levels!

I sent a few questions to Jen and Dave about how they became involved in Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and why they are supporters.

Here is Jen’s answer:

Dave and I first became aware of Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW when Dave saw a flyer at work.  Once we learned about the chimpanzees, we were hooked!  To see the Cle Elum Seven change and progress from their arrival to today is amazing.  The chimps have so much resilience and can teach humans a little something about compassion and forgiveness.  We’re also inspired by the passionate and enduring efforts of the humanimals at the sanctuary. CSNW draws the best of humanity whether it be staff, volunteers, or supporters.  It’s an honor to be a small part of it.

I work for and Dave volunteers at Pasado’s Safe Haven, where we work to end animal cruelty.  Pasado’s has a unique relationship with CSNW as a couple of the chimps’ caregivers work at Pasado’s!  These folks are truly special.  Dave and I recently went on the Ester the Wonder Pig Cruise and volunteered at a donkey sanctuary in Aruba (that’s where they were in the photo abovve).  It was one of the highlights of the entire trip.  It’s pretty obvious that caring for and protecting animals has become the focus of our lives.  In addition, we are the proud humans of 3 beautiful cats.

Here are some fun photos of them at Pasado’s:

Big thanks to Jennifer and David for all you have done to make change and progress possible for chimpanzees and other animals. You make my world a better place, and I’m looking forward to celebrating with you on May 13th at HOOT!

Last summer, when Negra ventured further out onto Young’s Hill than she’s gone before, that was due to the support of you both, and all of the Negra fans out there.

Filed Under: Negra, Sanctuary, Thanks Tagged With: fundraiser, hoot, sponsor-, Thanks

HOOT! Sponsor Tracy Headley

April 11, 2017 by Diana

This is the second in a series of blog posts highlighting sponsors of the HOOT! 2017 Spring Fling gala. You can see the first in the series here.

We are sharing HOOT! 2017 sponsors so everyone can get to know the people behind the generosity.

So, today is all about Tracy!

Tracy Headley is a Happy Hour Sponsor, which is fitting, because she brings happiness to us at the sanctuary.

She first became involved with Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest when her friend Shawn (on the left in the photo above) invited Tracy and her partner Bruce (on the right in the photo) to the sanctuary. Shawn had won a visit to CSNW at another auction and thought Tracy and Bruce would be interested in joining him. In Tracy’s words, “That day started my love affair with seven unique and wonderful chimps.”

In more of her words, Tracy shares what that love affair has been all about:

The blog posts have allowed me to watch the chimps grow to live a life closer to what they should have lived all along.  This past year I have delighted in watching Annie, at 42 years old, discover her moxie. To see the look on her beautiful & serene face as she explores Young’s Hill-joy!  I have learned so much about chimps, and these seven in particular, from the wonderful blog posts.

Tracy is generous throughout the year, always giving donations for chimpanzee birthdays and other fundraising drives, but here is why Tracy specifically chooses to support sanctuary events with her donations:

This is our 5th year attending, and 4th year as a sponsor.  I try to budget for HOOT!, and my sponsorship is part of my budget.  It allows me to give some of my donation early, hoping that it can help with some of the party planning costs.  Plus, it is the best party of the year.

I asked Tracy who her favorite chimpanzee is, and I just love her answer:

I want to be more like Foxie.  She is fun, silly, intuitive, and a loyal friend.  I LOVE Foxie. Really there is something to love and admire about all seven.  I think I am more like Jody.  I like things orderly, and I care deeply about the well being of my family and friends. 

Here’s a photo of Foxie and Jody out exploring together.

We agree, Tracy does care deeply about the well being of her friends, and that shows in the support that she has given to the sanctuary over the years.

Thank you, Tracy, for being such a great friend to all of the chimpanzees and the humans at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest!

Filed Under: Events, Foxie, Fundraising, Jody, Party, Sanctuary, Thanks Tagged With: chimp, chimpanzee, Fundraising, hoot, sponsor-

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