Last June, seven chimpanzees that were discarded from the entertainment industry or used for biomedical research were released after years of abuse and moved into the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Cle Elum. The sanctuary is one of only nine refuges in the country that cares for and provides shelter for rescued or abandoned chimpanzees. On Friday, October 2, the organization is holding its first gala event to benefit the primates at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center in The Great Hall.
The chimps – including six females and one male (named Burrito, pictured above) – range from 26 to 36 years of age. Before moving into CSNW, some of them had never seen the outside of a dark lab before.
The chimpanzees, now known as the Cle Elum Seven, have begun new lives on a 26-acre farm in the Cascade Mountains where they’ve begun to heal and discover new talents. CSNW’s Director of Outreach, Diana Goodrich writes this about chimpanzee Jamie (pictured below):
The before photo shows the bare patch on her belly – during her years as a research test subject, she obsessively plucked the hair from her abdomen. She hasn’t done this once since her arrival to CSNW.
Jamie has since discovered her artistic side. One of her original drawings will be auctioned at Friday’s event.
The sanctuary was founded by Seattle resident Keith LaChappelle in 2003 after reading about the plight of captive chimpanzees. The retreat is now run by trained primatologists whose goal is to make lives happy and secure for their chimps. (Thanks for the pictures, Diana.)
Tickets for the Celebrate the Seven event are $50 and can be bought via the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest website. As a bonus, check out First Fridays Artwalk in the Fremont Abbey’s Cafe for free. This week features a group photo exhibit from Andrew Waits, Anna Luxx and Melanie Masson!