A New Milestone – Fewer than 100 Chimps Remain!
On Monday, January 18, 2010, ten more chimps set forth on a 40-hour journey between Alamogordo, NM and Fort Pierce, FL, and the new world that lies before them. There was great excitement in the air as dedicated staff gathered to prepare for the long day ahead of them. Under the supervision and guidance of Sanctuary Director, Jen Feuerstein & STC Veterinarian, Dr. Jocelyn Bezner, STC’s caregivers worked tirelessly to load the chimpanzees into their individual transport cages, providing cozy blankets and their favorite treats to ensure their comfort. Whoopi, Boy, Scotty, Vanna and Linda were the first to be ready to hit the road, but they had a bit of a wait until the other members of their chimp family were ready. Vanna was clearly impatient, while others like Boy laid on his back with feet in air as if sensing whatever lied before him was well worth all the effort.
ENDURING ENDLESS TESTS AND BIOPSIES.
Boy was particularly dear to STC’s beloved founder Dr. Carole Noon. Estimated to be in his forties, Boy was captured in Africa when he was just an infant. Boy spent almost his entire life as a research subject until he was rescued by STC in 2002. For nearly 15 years, Boy lived at LEMSIP where he was forced to live in a 5x5x7 steel cage enduring endless tests and biopsies. When LEMSIP closed, Boy was transferred to The Coulston Foundation. In 2002, STC took over TCF, and the fate of Boy and 265 other chimpanzees forever changed.
Once the next five chimps, Tina, Nadia, Schotzie, Renquist, and Liberty, were settled comfortably into their transport cages, the staff loaded all 10 chimps into their custom built trailer. With enthusiastic cheers, loving wishes and bittersweet tears the staff waved goodbye to their beloved chimp friends. The trailer drove thru the gates into a beautiful sunset which clearly was lighting the way for the journey.
This migration marks the first for 2010 and brings our population at our New Mexico sanctuary to under 100!! These ten chimpanzees are members of “Bobby’s Group” and will be reunited with the ten chimps that migrated in December 2009. Funding for this migration was made possible by the generosity of the Park Foundation, a loyal supporter of STC. STC salutes the Park Foundation for making this migration possible, and thanks them for their compassion and generosity.
Stay tuned for photos and updates of the chimps arrival in Florida.
89 CHIMPS STILL ELIGIBLE FOR SPONSORSHIP!!
Save the Chimps needs your help to migrate the remaining 89 chimps still eligible for sponsorship. Please consider sponsoring a migration for an individual chimp, a family of ten or simply donate towards The Great Chimpanzee Migration. Every dollar counts.
Save the Chimps is a nonprofit501 © (3) organization and relies solely on the generosity of its supporters. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar by the Arcus Foundation through April 30th, 2010.
Save the Chimps and being a part of our family.