Make Wenka’s Birthday Gift the Promise of Sanctuary

Release and Restitution for Chimpanzees in U.S. Laboratories


Make Wenka’s Birthday Gift the Promise of Sanctuary
Wenka is a frail 55-year-old chimpanzee, held at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. Born on May 20, 1959, Wenka has been in a laboratory for more than five decades - an unimaginable amount of time to live in concrete and steel. She deserves the comfort and safety of sanctuary before her time runs out.
Your immediate help is needed to secure Wenka’s release, along with all the other elders in captivity who have been in a lab for 40 years or more. Many have spent their entire lives in a lab enduring multiple procedures or being repeatedly “bred” to make more babies for research. Read more...


Please let your voice be heard on her special day
1. Sign the petition asking for the release of Wenka and all other elder chimpanzees into sanctuary.
2. Email the President of Emory University, Dr. James W. Wagner. Ask him to use his power to see to the immediate release of Wenka and any cage companions she might be fortunate enough to have (this detail of her life is unknown), as well as all the other elder chimpanzees now held at Yerkes, into permanent sanctuary. Allow them to enjoy their remaining years, months, or even weeks in the relative peace and freedom of sanctuary before they die.
3. Pass this information on to family and friends, add it to your blog and/or social networking pages - help us get the word out about Wenka and the other elders now before it's too late.

Wenka's story
Wenka (Lab ID #170) was born in the first dedicated chimpanzee lab in Orange Park, Florida, the predecessor to the Yerkes National Primate Research Center (Yerkes) in Atlanta, on May 21, 1954. On the very day of her birth, she was taken from her mother to a dark room where she was cared for by humans while participating in a nystagmus and fixation vision study until October 1955 when she was 17 months old.
Family TreeWenka’s parents were Web and Banka. Web was born in the Orange Park lab on January 16, 1943 to Wendy and Bokar (Wenka’s paternal grandparents). Wendy, her grandmother, was one of the first four chimpanzees bought by Robert Yerkes from an animal dealer in Africa. She died of a stroke in 1971. (Read more about the beginning of chimpanzee research in the U.S.) Bokar came from Africa in 1930, fathered 40 offspring, and died during an experiment in 1960.
Banka was born in the Orange Park lab on January 28, 1941, and died when she was mistakenly poisoned on September 25, 1956. Banka’s parents (Wenka’s maternal grandparents) were Bimba and Frank. Bimba came from Africa in 1930 and died from dysentery on December 13, 1944. Frank was purchased from a laboratory at Johns Hopkins in 1933. He was used in a morphine addiction experiment and died on November 22, 1946.
Her Human FamilyIn late 1955, when she was around 17 months old, Wenka was sold as “a pet” to a human family in North Carolina to be raised. At age 3, Wenka was permanently returned to Yerkes on April 19, 1957, when she became too big for the family to handle. It was unusual for her to have survived that trauma since many cross-reared infants die when they are removed from their human families.
Baby JamaWenka gave birth six times between 1966 and 1977. Wenka’s use in research includes alcohol, oral contraceptive, aging and cognitive studies. More...

A personal account from a former laboratory caregiver (anonymous)
...In some ways, she fell into the category of a chimpanzee desperately seeking love from the one source she remembered as a child, but I think if I met her now, some of my impressions would be different, having known more chimpanzees since then.
My most prominent memory of her other than her age is her hands. She had beautiful hands. Her fingers were long and delicate, her palms fragile, and they seemed to perfectly represent her sweet and passive nature. Yet there was a part of her that had lived long enough, she knew the system and tried her best to make it work to her advantage. Read more...

Spring R&R E-News

Spring eNews

Dr. Carole Noon greeting Arthur on his arrival at Save the Chimps. Born at the Coulston lab, Arthur and Phoenix were less than two years old when they were sold and ended up at a roadside zoo. NEAVS rescued them and placed them in the loving care of Dr. Noon and Save the Chimps. Dr. Noon was a member of the Project R&R Advisory Board.

In Memoriam, Dr. Carole C. Noon NEAVS/Project R&R joins the animal protection and conservation communities, her family and friends, and all chimpanzees everywhere in grieving the recent death of Dr. Carole Noon, Founder and Director of Save the Chimps (STC). STC is the world’s largest sanctuary for chimpanzees rescued from research and other areas of use and abuse. Dr. Noon died on May 2, 2009. She was 59 years old. An icon of commitment, care, and visionary leadership, Dr. Noon will forever be remembered for her intelligence, passion, wit, and work on behalf of captive chimpanzees. Dr. Noon established Save the Chimps (originally known as the Center for Captive Chimpanzee Care) in 1997 in response to the U.S. Air Force announcing that they were ending their research on chimpanzees. Read more...

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Order our legislation pin to help spread the word about the Great Ape Protection Act – order two and give one to a friend!

Bill’s Cosponsors Show Growing SUPPORT! As of today, 54 representatives have signed on to the Great Ape Protection Act (GAPA, H.R. 1326) as cosponsors, showing steady and growing support for the bill in Congress. “We have no doubt that outreach efforts made by Project R&R supporters nationwide have led to legislators getting thousands of letters, postcards, and phone calls, contributing to the bill’s growing support,” says Jennifer Campbell, Director of Member Services for NEAVS/Project R&R. “This is grassroots citizenry at its finest. The American public wants an end to chimpanzee research in the U.S. – the Great Ape Protection Act will deliver that goal.” The Great Ape Protection Act is currently in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Project R&R is asking everyone to contact their representatives to cosponsor the bill – something especially important if your representative is a member of the Energy and Commerce committee.

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EU Animal Testing Vote: One Step Forward and One Step Stuck On May 5th, the European Parliament voted to ban all research on great apes except in cases when the research would help to conserve the species. The decision is applauded by all the individual nations worldwide who have already ended or limited the use of great apes in research and is a major boost for current legislative efforts to end their use in the U.S. – the only remaining large scale user of chimpanzees in the world. However, sadly, in what is being described as a “charter for the multi-billion pound animal research industry to carry on business as usual – with scant regard either for animal welfare or public opinion,” the EU Parliament voted in favor of continuing research involving non-human primates. Read more...

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Get inspired, get educated, and get active. Visit releasechimps.org today!

Releasechimps.org Updated and Expanded! Releasechimps.org, Project R&R’s award-winning website, with extensive and in-depth information on chimpanzees in research, has been recently given a thorough information update. Visit www.releasechimps.org now to view revised and expanded information on chimpanzees, photos, legislative news, and more! Want to help by telling friends about it? Download our banner ad onto your social networking page, website or blog and help spread the word.

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NEAVS/Project R&R volunteer Laura Heggs proudly finished a half-marathon this past spring, AND raised awareness of the plight of chimpanzees in labs and U.S. legislative efforts to end it – along with $2900 in pledges for Project R&R. Thank you to everyone who sponsored her run!

Volunteer Highlight: Successful Marathon Run Brings Awareness to Chimpanzees in Research A huge congratulations and thank you to Laura Heggs and other NEAVS/Project R&R volunteers who are making a difference for not only chimpanzees but for all animals in labs! GAPA Volunteers are folks just like you who want to make a difference. They do so through their own creative ideas as well as the help of our Volunteer eBuzz - a bimonthly eNews which offers concrete, easy-to-do action items that are helping us achieve our shared goals. So what are you waiting for? Become a GAPA Volunteer NOW and help spread the word in your community. We'll send you our Volunteer eBuzz every other month which includes suggested activities to help raise awareness and secure legislative support, as well as news about what other volunteers are up to across the U.S.

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A recent BUAV investigation revealed severe cruelty and suffering during capture, handling, and trade of primates, as well as at their final destination – the research laboratory Photo © BUAV

NEAVS joins BUAV to Take a Stand for Indonesian Primates NEAVS continues its work on the international front, joining the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) for a ban on the capture, breeding, and export of long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques for research. In a recent letter to the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NEAVS President Dr. Theodora Capaldo insisted on diligence in monitoring the trade in primates, a halt on issuing CITES import permits, and “to do all that is necessary to end the importation of primates from Indonesia.” The letter was sent on behalf of thousands of NEAVS members nationwide who responded to our recent eAlert on this urgent matter. If you would like to personally write to Indonesian and U.S. Wildlife leaders, please visit neavs.org for more information - your voice will make a difference!

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CT residents: please reach out to your state senator and urge him/her to support An Act Concerning a Policy Regarding Dissection in Classrooms, H.B. 6565. Let them know that, as their constituent, this legislation is extremely important to you and vital to the lives of countless animals and all CT students.

CT Dissection Choice Bill Passes House, now in Senate! We are pleased to report that Connecticut H.B. No. 6565 has moved on to the Senate after passing the House by an overwhelming vote of 114 to 32! H.B. 6565 would allow students to opt out of animal dissections and prohibit educators from requiring students to perform experiments or dissections on animals as part of classroom instruction. Thank you to all our CT supporters who called and wrote their representatives - YOU made the difference. PLEASE help keep it moving and contact your Senator now! When the bill passes, Connecticut will join 15 other states that have already passed dissection choice laws and resolutions.

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Spring Cleaning Goes Green, Humane AND Mobile!

Your choice... Go mobile: iPhone and iPod touch users can download the new Compassionate Shopping Guide application Or, if you prefer a wallet-size paper version of the Guide, simply email us.

Sweep, mop, wipe, and shine - there’s nothing like spring cleaning. And no matter what phase of spring cleaning you are tackling, the Leaping Bunny can help you find dozens of household products that are both green AND humane. And now, iPhone and iPod touch users will find it's even easier to shop from the Compassionate Shopping Guide! Download this new free application (exclusive to iTunes users) to access the Guide from your iPhone or iPod touch when you're out and about. Scroll through over 250 companies that have joined the Leaping Bunny. Many listings include company descriptions and logos for easy brand recognition. So look for the Leaping Bunny logo while you finish your spring cleaning, and remember: it's the only cruelty-free certification program that ensures that companies are free of new animal testing at every stage of product development, and ALSO that their ingredients - where most animal testing occurs - are also cruelty-free. NEAVS is a founding member of the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC)

Take the pledge to go cruelty-free.
If you have already signed the pledge, thank you for passing in onto family and friends.

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Owners struggle to find sanctuaries for chimps

Greetings!

This AP story will be run in various news venues, and in various versions . . .

This is the Washington Post version.

April D. Truitt

Primate Rescue Center, Inc.

2515 Bethel Rd.

Nicholasville, KY 40356

(859) 858-4866

(859) 858-0044 fax

kyprimate@mac.com

Help spread the word: "PET CHIMPANZEE" is an oxymoron!

Don't miss our new "Virtual Tour" video at:

www.primate-rescue.org

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/14/AR2009051400842_pf.html

Owners struggle to find sanctuaries for chimps

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN

The Associated Press

Thursday, May 14, 2009 6:48 AM

-- Russ Cochran fondly recalls the fun he had with his chimpanzee when the animal was younger, taking him for rides in the car and to his cabin on the river. Boaters would stop to see Sammy, who would jump in canoes and help himself to food and drinks from the cooler.

"That would be the price of admission for him," Cochran says. "He would drink beer if you let him. He liked beer."

Now Sammy is a powerful 19-year-old with strength many times that of a human. He recently got into a vicious fight with Cochran's younger chimp, Buckwheat. That fight and news accounts of a savage chimpanzee attack in Connecticut that nearly killed a woman this year convinced Cochran that he didn't want to have two male chimps _ the new pet, Buckwheat, had to go.

But finding a new home for Buckwheat and other unwanted chimps isn't easy. Animal experts say dozens of chimp owners in the U.S. are actively trying to find new homes for their chimps, who are more dangerous than adorable when they reach maturity.

The nation's sanctuaries are full with more than 600 chimpanzees, according to April Truitt, who runs the Primate Rescue Center in Kentucky.

"There needs to be a place for these animals," said Cochran, who lives in West Plains, Mo. "I don't think people should have chimps as pets. I say that having had three of them."

Some sanctuaries say they have received more calls since a 14-year-old chimp named Travis suddenly attacked Stamford, Conn., resident Charla Nash. She lost her eyesight, hands, nose, lips and eyelids in the attack and is now at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic in critical but stable condition.

Travis, who starred in commercials when he was young, was kept as a pet and weighed 200 pounds when he attacked Nash on Feb. 16. He was shot and killed by police.

There are about 235 known, privately owned chimps in the United States, according to Truitt, who did a census in 2003 and has continued to closely monitor the number. Owners of about 70 chimps would give them up if they could find a good home for them, Truitt said. She says she has gotten more calls from owners looking to give up their chimps since the Connecticut attack.

Seven sanctuaries issued a statement last month saying they need more funding so they can offer a safe place to private owners who want to give up their chimps. They also called for states to ban the private ownership of chimpanzees and for the entertainment industry to stop portraying them as "cute hairy little people."

"We cannot take in these individuals without a significant contribution to their lifetime care, so tragedies like the one in Connecticut will likely keep happening," the sanctuaries said. "In substandard facilities, they pose a significant public safety danger."

One owner who spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared her neighbors' reactions said she has been trying for years to find a facility for her two chimps.

"Travis was chimp 9/11," she said. "We have no life. We basically take care of them 24/7."

The Connecticut attack was the latest in a series of incidents in recent years involving chimps escaping and biting people. In 2005, two chimps in California nearly killed a man, chewing off his nose, testicles and foot and biting off chunks of his buttocks and legs before they were shot to death.

This spring in Missouri, authorities responded to a call to help capture an angry chimp running loose on a state highway. When officers arrived, the chimp opened the patrol car door and grabbed the leg of a deputy, who fatally shot it, police said.

Chimps can live 60 years and cost about $15,000 per year to care for, according to sanctuaries. Zoos are normally not able to accept hand-reared chimps because of difficulty integrating them.

Experts blame a handful of breeders and the entertainment industry for contributing to the problem.

Travis starred in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola when he was younger. At his Connecticut home, he watched television, ate at the table, drank wine from a stemmed glass, brushed his teeth and was toilet trained, according to a police report filed when he escaped in 2003.

Legislation has been proposed in Congress to ban the transport of monkeys and apes across state lines for the purpose of selling them as pets. The importation of primates for the pet trade has been outlawed since 1975, but bill sponsor Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., has said 30 states allow the keeping of the animals as pets and it is easy to purchase a primate from exotic animal dealers or over the Internet.

"When you're holding a 2-month-old baby chimp in your arms and feeding him out of a bottle, it's a very special thing," Cochran says. "You think at the time it will be all worth it."

Cochran, who spent about $25,000 for cages in his home, said one facility in Florida wanted $200,000 to care for his chimp. Cochran wound up finding a place in Texas that took Buckwheat for $10,000.

The first six or seven years were wonderful, Cochran says.

"Then puberty starts," he says. "When the hormones start to fly, it makes them unpredictable."

Sammy bit off the tip of Cochran's little finger when the animal was 9, Cochran said.

Cochran says he no longer thinks it was worth it to own the chimps.

"On a retirement income, it's an expensive hobby," he says.

Gloria on CBC Radio Today

Gloria will be on CBC Radio 88.5 FM tonight from 4pm to 6pm...gather around and listen!!
Gloria sera invitée sur les ondes du CBC Radio 88.5 FM ce soir de 16:00 à 18:00. Bonne écoute!

Saying Goodbye

Dr. Carole Noon

Founder and President

Carole Noon, PhD, Founder and President of Save the Chimps, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary, passed away Saturday, May 2, 2009, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.Dr. Noon, a passionate and tireless advocate for chimpanzees, created a world-class sanctuary for chimpanzees who were once exploited by laboratories, and the entertainment and pet trade industries.Carole, a woman of action, was not content to talk about the problem of unwanted chimpanzees, but devoted her life to doing something about it. Dr. Noon was inspired to help chimpanzees after meeting Dr. Jane Goodall in the early 1980s.After obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Dr. Noon received her Ph.D. in biological anthropology from the University of Florida, specializing in the socialization of captive chimpanzees.Much of her field work was done at Chimfunshi, a chimpanzee sanctuary in Zambia founded and operated by David and Sheila Siddle. After leaving Zambia, Dr. Noon began to lay the groundwork for developing a chimpanzee sanctuary in the United States.Dr. Noon founded Save the Chimps in 1997 to provide permanent sanctuary to chimpanzees being abandoned by the United States Air Force. The Air Force rejected her proposal to care for the chimpanzees and instead gave them to The Coulston Foundation, a biomedical research facility with the worst record for primate care of any lab covered under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act. Dr. Noon sued the Air Force on behalf of the Coulston chimpanzees.After a year-long legal struggle, the lawsuit was settled out of court in Dr. Noon’s favor. In 2001, 21 Air Force chimpanzees moved to their new island home at Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida. The next year, Coulston declared bankruptcy, and a new situation was needed for placement of the Coulston chimps. With generous financial support provided by the Arcus Foundation, 266 chimpanzees were rescued from Coulston. Save the Chimps soon became the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary. Over the next several years, Dr. Noon oversaw the renovations of the dismal Coulston facilities in New Mexico, as well as construction of the “chimp city” at Save the Chimps, where all of the chimpanzees will eventually be relocated. Today, 282 chimpanzees in New Mexico and Florida call Save the Chimps their home.Carole Noon radiated a spirit, energy and drive that few people on this earth possess. She inspired and mentored those who shared her devotion and dedication to chimps. Those who knew her will always remember her strength, compassion, wisdom, humor and wit. But most of all, we will remember her love for the chimpanzees. She had a special fondness for the senior residents of Save the Chimps, the elderly chimps who had endured so much suffering, but who now greet each day with joy and excitement. Carole took great delight in making Rufus laugh, sitting with Dana for a quiet visit, or listening to Gromek hooting and drumming on his special island. Seeing the chimps roam the islands, free from their cages, made Carole’s heart sing—forever.Carole Noon changed the lives of both chimpanzees and humans for the better. A dear friend, advocate, and champion has been lost. But the work that she poured her heart and soul into must go on. The greatest tribute to Dr. Carole Noon will be to continue to protect and care for the chimpanzees she so loved, and fulfill her dream of moving all of her beloved chimpanzees from New Mexico to Florida.

Memoriam:

http://www.savethechimps.org/memoriam.asp

Sign the Guest Book:

http://www.haisleyfuneralhome.com/sitemaker/sites/Haisle1/obit.cgi?user=carole-noon&signGuest=1

Read the Guest Book:

http://www.haisleyfuneralhome.com/sitemaker/sites/Haisle1/obit.cgi?user=carole-noon&viewGuest=1

Articles:

Carole C. Noon, Who Founded Save the Chimps, Dies at 59 - The New York Times

Chimps lose an unsung hero - Animal News: Animal Planet

Noon willing to fight to save chimpanzees, create sanctuary in Western St. Lucie County - TCPalm

'Save the Chimps' founder dies - WPTV Channel 5

Astronauts pay respects to 'space chimps'

• Story Highlights
• Astronauts Scott Carpenter and Bob Crippen visit a Florida sanctuary for chimps
  
• Sanctuary is home to several 1960s "space chimps" and their descendants
  
• NASA used chimpanzees to test how space flight would affect the human body
  
• "We're paying them back for their service," Carpenter said
  

updated 1:51 p.m. EDT, Fri May 1, 2009

By John Zarrella
CNN

FORT PIERCE, Florida (CNN) -- The chimpanzees could sense something was different.

Astronauts Bob Crippen, left, and Scott Carpenter beside a space capsule at a Florida chimpanzee sanctuary.

Most days, the only people they see on their island habitats are their caretakers. But on Thursday afternoon, the chimps got a special visit from reporters and camera crews, along with two men who share a unique bond with the animals.

The place was a sanctuary run by Save the Chimps, a nonprofit dedicated to providing a permanent home for chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, NASA facilities and other sources.

The men were astronauts Scott Carpenter and Bob Crippen, two heroes of the U.S. space program. And the chimpanzees -- some of them, anyway -- were veterans of early test flights by NASA and the U.S. military.

"We're paying them back for their service," said Carpenter, one of NASA's original Mercury Seven astronauts and the second American to orbit the Earth. He toured the sanctuary with Crippen, who piloted Columbia on the first space shuttle flight in 1981.

The two NASA heroes came to acknowledge the contributions of a group of chimpanzees known as the "space chimps."

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the space program, very much in its infancy, used monkeys and chimpanzees to test how space flight would affect the human body. Before Alan Shepard Jr. made his famed first American space flight in 1961, a chimpanzee named Ham completed a successful suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule.

"There were a lot of unknowns back in the '50s about how the human body would react to space and some real bad concerns that you might die," Crippen said. "And these guys opened that up to at least give people confidence that it was OK to go put Al Shepard and the guys up for the first time."

Ham's backup was a chimp named Mini, believed to be the only female chimpanzee trained for the Mercury program. Mini's daughter, Lil Mini, lives at the Save the Chimps sanctuary.

Save the Chimps was established in 1997 in response to the U.S. Air Force's announcement that it was getting out of the chimpanzee research business. The sanctuary first took in 21 of the Air Force space chimps. Besides Lil Mini, there are a handful of other space chimps still there.

According to the sanctuary's records, a chimp named Dana was captured for the Air Force program in the 1960s and used for research, while Marty was used for a "data acquisition flight" in 1965.

Space chimps Gogi and Gromek are here, too. Gogi was used to study the effects of rapid decompression, according to sanctuary records. Gromek was used in studies of the blood. When Gromek came to the sanctuary in 2000, it was the first time he had been out of a cage in nearly 40 years.

The sanctuary is a remote 200 acres divided into a dozen islands. Chimpanzees don't swim, so the water surrounding each island is a natural barrier. In all, there are 150 chimps here. Nearly all the others were used in medical research.

Most chimps lived in laboratory cages until they came to the sanctuary. Now they live in family groups of about 25 to each island, where they roam in enclosures. Several unoccupied islands sit ready for the arrival of another 150 former research chimps that will eventually retire here.

"These guys contributed a lot to where we are at now from a technical standpoint and a scientific standpoint," Crippen said. "It's really nice to give them a nice place to retire."

Carpenter and Crippen toured the facility in golf carts, and some of the chimps jumped and screamed when the carts approached. Others got a kick out of spitting water on visitors who got close to their enclosures.

As the two astronauts drove around, sanctuary staff members pointed out each and every chimp by name.

Carpenter is not sure the chimpanzees proved space flight safe for humans, because a chimp is many times stronger than an adult human male. But from one retired space traveler to another, he appreciates their contributions to space exploration.

"They're capable of withstanding a lot more stress than people are," said Carpenter, who turned 84 on Friday. "But ... it gave us the resolve to press on."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/05/01/astronauts.space.chimps/index.html

Fauna Fundraising in Cap-St- Ignace/Levée de fonds à Cap St-Ignace

Annie Tremblay a regular Fauna volunteer came in contact with a special woman named France Blais. Mme Blais owns a doggie day care and was sick and tired of hearing of people owning and disposing of their pets mostly dogs as if they were just another household item. She decided to educate people by writing a book about lifelong care and ownership of dogs called " Pouvez-vous vivre avec un chien? "(can you live with a dog). She invited Annie to represent Fauna at her official book launch in Cap-St-Ignace, and offered Fauna a 2$ donation on every book she sold. Mme Blais will also continue to donate proceeds from all of her books sold by mail to Fauna./

The day was a huge success, Annie and her daughter Audrey sold $185 worth of Fauna merchandise and Mme Blais donated $177 of proceeds from her book sales!!

Thank you Annie, Audrey and Mme. Blais for your hard work!!

If you would like to purchase a book, please, visit the site below

http://www.pensionpourchiensvlv.qc.ca/

Annie Tremblay, bénévole régulière à la fondation Fauna, est entrée en contact avec Mme France Blais. Mme Blais est propriétaire d'une entreprise de garderie pour chiens et est devenue exaspéré par les gens qui traitent les animaux (surtout les chiens) comme des objets. Elle décida donc d'éduquer les gens et d'écrire un livre à propos des soins à prodiguer aux chiens ainsi que la signification de l'acquisition d'un chien intitulé "Pouvez-vous vivre avec un chien". Elle invita Annie pour représenter la fondation Fauna au lancement officiel à Cap St-Ignace, et elle fit un don de 2$ à la fondation Fauna pour chaque livre vendu. Elle a également décidé de continuer à faire don des recettes de tous les livres vendus par la poste à la fondation Fauna.

La journée fut couronnée de succès puisqu'Annie et sa fille Audrey ont vendu 185$ de marchandises Fauna et Mme Blais fit un don de 177$ des recettes provenant des livres vendus!

Merci à Annie, Audrey et Mme Blais pour votre bon travail.

Si vous souhaitez acheter un livre, veuillez cliquer sur le lien suivant:

www.pensionpourchiensvlv.qc.ca

Project R&R E-Buzz

May/June 2009

Young chimpanzee grooming © M. Nichols

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. - Mother Teresa

Thank you for volunteering!

Your efforts WILL help pass the Great Ape Protection Act (H.R. 1326) which was reintroduced this spring and currently has 52 cosponsors. The bill is in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This May/June’s eBuzz goal will spread the word and make an impact - if you help. We've got a big country to cover and we're counting on our volunteers to make sure all areas have a voice in our national campaign to END CHIMPANZEE RESEARCH!

May/June Goal Celebrate our primate family Family relationships are vital to chimpanzees. Like us, they share strong, often lifetime bonds, and in the wild live in societies of family and friends. They greet one another with hugs and share a range of emotions such as compassion, altruism, grief, and loyalty. They are deeply dependent on their mothers in early years, love to play, and learn skills through observation and practice. Parents are protective and tolerant of their young. This spring, we ask all of our volunteers nationwide to create a special effort around Mother's Day and Father's Day to educate people in your area about chimpanzees, their plight in research, and the Great Ape Protection Act (H.R. 1326). By building awareness and understanding, we can engage thousands to write to their legislator asking him/her to support the bill. Email us and we will send you our legislative postcards and pins to distribute to family, friends, coworkers, or at community events. A few ideas to get you started... Mother's Day/Father's Day cards to legislators – a personal way to educate on the bonds that chimpanzees, like us, share with their family and to ask for their support. Picnics and garden parties – bring postcards to have guests sign; email us and we'll also send you vegan chocolates to share with friends as you spread the word! Local walks and marathons – bring the Great Ape Protection Act's message with you: order our 'End Chimpanzee Research' tee shirt to wear proudly and spread the word! Don’t forget to order our colorful brochures, perfect for passing out at local Memorial Day, Flag Day, or other spring events.

Volunteers in Action A big “thank you!” this month goes to: » Laura H. of St. Louis, MO who successfully ran a half marathon to benefit and raise awareness for the Great Ape Protection Act!! Laura raised over $2,800 in sponsorship dollars, a terrific accomplishment. A BIG thank you to Laura and everyone who donated – Laura was inspired even more by all her support! » Virginia H. of Saugus, MA cranked out our postcards in her community – she got folks to sign them and then stamped, addressed and mailed them out herself! Bravo for making it effortless for folks to get the word out to their legislator. » Beth L. of Raleigh, NC stepped up and made her voice heard. She and another constituent met with one of the representatives on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where the bill currently sits. Their outreach was critical in Representative G.K. Butterfield signing on as a cosponsor! » Kirsten M. of Cannon Beach, OR cooked up excitement for the Great Ape Protection Act when she helped prepare an Earth Day dinner for over 50 people and used it as an opportunity to introduce Project R&R. In addition, she and her husband showed our Project R&R video, distributed literature, and collected signatures for legislator postcards at their Earth Day booth. Kirsten looks forward to doing more community outreach. She shares: “I now carry the book marks and buttons in my purse and give them out to people I run into. I have made a commitment to give at least one away daily. That gets me into a mindset. I have never been great at presenting causes to people but I have forced myself to get over it and have been for the most part pleasantly surprised at how interested people are in helping the chimps get to sanctuary. It is a great feeling to hope that someone will really get excited and get on board.” » Karen Y. of Montclair, NJ visited Cornell University – the alma mater of several of her family members – and spoke to professors and students there about the Great Ape Protection Act. One student volunteered to collect signatures on legislator postcards, and Karen offered to personally address and mail all student postcards. » Marlene P. of Stony Point, NY attended a town hall meeting in order to speak to her legislator, Rep. John Hall. She also ensured that he received 100 postcards from constituents. Finally, a warm thank you to Mrs. Garley and her 5th Grade Class in Sussex, WI, who sent us a very inspiring letter that gave us hope for not only today but for tomorrow’s generation as well. Mrs. Garley wrote: "Dear Project R&R: Our classroom does an activity throughout the year called "Buck a Book." Students read books of different genres on their own time and record their reading in their logs. For every book each student reads, they ask their parents for a dollar and then turn the dollar in to me. Each time we reach $50, the class votes on what organization they would like to make a donation to. Because animals sometimes are mistreated, our class wanted to make sure this month's donation went to Project R&R. Our class was very excited about supporting your cause!” We want to showcase YOUR volunteer activities and stories to share ideas with others and keep everyone active and involved. Please email us and let us know how your outreach is going!

Don't forget: you can order as many Legislator and It's Time postcards as needed! (your donation to help with postage is appreciated) Keep an eye out for Project R&R eAlerts, which will give you up-to-the-minute information on the Great Ape Protection Act, H.R. 1326, as it happens. Email us your question(s) (Please let us know if your volunteer status changes.)

Thank you for all your good work!

- Watch for our next eBuzz in early July -

Theo

Lately Joannie has been giving Theo our resident baboon strawberry soy milk. He just adores it. She places it in his cage in a bowl and he rushes in leans over, bum in the air and all, and sips it down and does not spill a drop.

Depuis quelques temps, Joannie donne à Theo notre babouin du lait de soya à la fraise. Il en rafolle. Elle place le bol rempli dans sa cage et à sa vue il s'élance vers celui-ci, se penche au-dessus, les fesses en l'air, et le boit à petites gorgées sans même en laisser une goutte.

Spring on the farm/Le printemps à la ferme

The weather has been warm enough to let all the farm animals out and stay out for the night!! this is the favorite time of year for our pink pig family. Gordie, Maurice and Sulley. They love the muddy pasture and the rainy days. They dig holes lay in the mud and sleep outside.

La température est assez clémente pour laisser les animaux de la ferme à l'extérieur toute la nuit! Nous sommes présentement dans la période de l'année préférée par notre famille de cochon rose. Gordi, Maurice et Sulley. Ils aiment le pâturage boueux et les journées pluvieuses. Ils creusent des trous, se couchent dans la boue et ont beaucoup de plaisir à dormir à l'extérieur.

Warren is also a happy camper to be back in the front pasture with all the goats, free to roam the grass and bump all the goats around if they get to close to his food.

Melodie and Melancolie are also back with their friends in the front pasture.

Warren est également heureux d'être de retour dans le pâturage à l'avant avec toutes les chèvres qui sont libres de se promener dans l'herbe et ils poussent les chèvres qui s'aventurent trop près de leur nourriture. Melodie et Melancolie sont elles aussi de retour avec leurs amis dans ce même pâturage.

All the bird, roosters, chickens can now roam the farm in search of all the fresh growth, bugs and nice warm sand to lay in on sunny days!!

Many of the flowers in the various gardens around the farm and the Chimp House have started to come out as well!!

Toute la basse-cour se promène maintenant un peu partout sur la ferme en quête de pousses fraîche, de petites bestioles et du sable chaud pour s'y reposer lorsque le soleil se pointe. La floraison est commencé dans les jardins autour de la ferme et de la maison des chimpanzés.

Great gifts for the Fauna Chimpanzees/Superbes cadeaux pour les chimpanzés de Fauna

Visitors are always quite generous when they come see the chimps. Lately, however, we have been blessed with amazing things for the Chimps.

Last week Gilbert Fortin and Joanne Sanscartier brought hand made blankets, pillows, necklaces, hats, and bracelets for each and every Chimp. It took Mme Fortin four months to make all of the items you see below.

Les visiteurs sont toujours très généreux lorsqu'ils viennent voir les chimpanzés. Mais récemment nous avons été choyés par tous ces merveilleux cadeaux pour les chimpanzés.

La semaine dernière Gilbert Fortin et Joanne Sanscartier ont emmené des couvertures, oreillers, colliers, chapeaux et bracelets tous faits à la main pour chacun des chimpanzés. Mme Fortin a mis quatre mois pour confectionner tous ces articles présentés ci-dessous.

We also had Kathy Bocsi, Adrian Barber and Jeff Shimizu volunteers who came from Ontario to help out in the Chimp House that brought hand made gifts that grade 7&8 year students from Joshua Creek Public School in Oakville, ON made for the Chimps.

Nous avons également eu la visite des bénévoles Kathy Bocsi, Adrian Barber et Jeff Shimizu d'Ontario pour nous aider à la maison des chimpanzés. Ils ont emmenés des cadeaux faits par des élèves de 7ième et 8ième année de l'école Joshua Creek Public School, Oakville, Ont.

Here are some other great items that we received

Voici plusieurs autres dons que nous avons reçu récemment

The Monkeys/Les singes

Newton loves all and any food that he is served, however, he is particularly keen on smoothies. One morning he was served his smoothie in a little serving dish and he stuck his whole face in the dish and literally sucked down his smoothie in record time. When he lifted his little face from his dish this is what he looked like!
Newton adore tous les aliments qui lui sont offerts et plus particulièrement les laits frappés. Un bon matin, son lait frappé lui est servi dans une petite assiette. Il mis son visage entier contre l'assiette et il aspira tout le lait frappé en un temps record. Lorsqu'il releva sa tête voici ce qu'il avait l'air!

Darla Relaxing Darla au repos

We regularly give the monkeys enrichment and tie all sorts of toys on the caging for Sophie, she loves to tug and giggle all her toys . This week we gave her a stuffed blow fish that makes noise when it is pushed. Compared to Sophie the fish is huge. We were not sure if she would be afraid of the huge orange ball or enjoy it. She walked up to it looked at it, touched it and did the little capucin jump and squeak that she usually does with new toys, then she just smacked it and it fell off her table and then made the funny noise it makes. Sophie jumped up, hung her head over the side of her table looking down at the peculiar orange ball then looked back at us with an expression of "what the heck was that" and she sat there for a while trying to figure out what had just happened. It was quite adorable.

Nous offrons de l'enrichissement aux singes et attachons toutes sortes de jouets aux cages de Sophie qui adore les tirer. Cette semaine nous lui avons donner un poisson porc-épic qui émet des sons lorqu'il est compressé. À côté de Sophie le poisson est énorme. Nous étions incertain de sa réaction en voyant cette grosse balle orange. Elle s'approcha pour mieux le regarder, le toucha et fit son petit saut et cri de capucin habituel qu'elle fait pour ses nouveaux jouets. Ensuite elle le frappa ce qui le fit tomber de la table tout en émettant le bruit parce-qu'il fut comprimé. Sophie sauta et regarda cet étrange balle orange et nous regarda avec une expression de "c'est quoi ça?" tout en demeurant assise un bon moment alors qu'elle essayait de comprendre ce qui s'était passé. C'était vraiment adorable.

Pougie enjoying his breakfast!!

Pougie se régalant de son déjeuner!!

Theo taking in the sun

Theo prenant un bain de soleil

Special Gifts for Regis/Cadeaux pour Regis

The Boudreault-Mathieu Family adopted Regis and were extremely excited with their Adopt A Chimp package, they sent Regis tons of stuff and wrote him a nice card. And the children made him some sweet drawings that are now up in the Chimp House.
La famille Boudreault-Mathieu a adopté Regis et ont été extrêmement excité de leur trousse Adoptez un chimpanzé. Ils ont envoyé à Regis une tonne de cadeaux et ils lui ont écrit une jolie carte. Les enfants ont fait de beaux dessins qui sont maintenant dans la maison des chimpanzés.


The card read:
To Mrs Grow and the Fauna Team:
Special Thanks for the wonderful package that you sent our family following our adoption of Regis. We read every single bit of information and enjoyed Regis' picture so much. It is now on our fridge!! He seems to be such a sweet little guy. Thanks so much!

And a special note for Regis:
Dear Regis
We hope you enjoyed your little surprises. We all wish you a great Easter Day and lots of fun with your friends!
Happy Easter to all those at Fauna who may celebrate this special day as well.
Love the Boudreault-Mathieu Family

Dans la carte on pouvait lire:
À Mme Grow et l'équipe de Fauna:
Remerciements pour la superbe trousse que vous nous avez fait parvenir suite à notre adoption de Regis. Nous avons lu tout ce qu'elle contenait et nous avons vraiment aimé les photos de Regis. Nous les avons mises sur le réfrigérateur!! Il semble être un petit homme vraiment adorable. Merci beaucoup!
Et une note spéciale à l'attention de Regis:
Cher Regis,
Nous espèrons que tu a aimé nos petits surprises. Nous vous souhaitons tous de passer une belle fête de Pâques et d'avoir beaucoup de plaisir avec tes amis!
Joyeuses Pâques à tous ceux à la fondation Fauna qui fête cette journée spéciale.
Avec amour,
La famille Boudreault-Mathieu