Born Free USA's online auction

Starting this week, Monkey Business is available for bidding through Born Free USA's online auction.

I've worked with Born Free USA in the past, and I am more than happy to be able to participate in a fundraiser for this wonderful animal advocacy organization. There are some great items up for bid, so please take a look...and happy bidding!

Book Review: A Beautiful Truth

Having a chimpanzee as a pet is a dangerous and costly practice, but Colin McAdam’s A Beautiful Truth illustrates why this is so - in heartbreaking detail.

Told intermittently from the point of view of captive chimpanzees and then by an omniscient narrator, the book could be the story of any couple who buys a baby chimp.  Good intentions mask their perilous ignorance, and in the end, it is only after years of a blissful cross-species coexistence that both the pet and his owners pay a terrible price.

It is clear that much research went into the descriptions of chimpanzee behavior peppered throughout the novel, and McAdam’s choice to write partially through a chimpanzee perspective allows the reader to feel like perhaps they can briefly see the world through the eyes of another species.

The tale he tells is haunting, and as suspense builds towards a seemingly inevitable climax, the reader hopes for the best but is sadly not surprised by the conclusion of it all.

Back from KY and busier than ever

My trip to the Primate Rescue Center last month went very well. Despite an airport mishap (it's a long story, but suffice to say I did end up in Kentucky eventually), I had a great time.  Because I do most of my work for the PRC from home, it felt good to do more hands-on work for the organization.

Things I forgot since my internship at the sanctuary include the unmistakable scent of chimpanzee enclosures and the thrill of having monkeys chirp and hoot at you - and then hooting back at them.

Things I did NOT forget since my last visit involved how difficult it is to sleep when living in an apartment above eleven rowdy chimpanzees. Earplugs came in handy on night two.

My visit coincided with their annual Member Event. This rare occasion is the only time each year that the sanctuary opens itself up to its donors. I had a table where I signed and sold my books (which sold out, I'm proud to say!) and where I also helped sign people up to adopt a primate through the Primate Pals adoption program (I am the Primate Pals coordinator for the PRC).

I've always found that I meet some very inspiring and interesting people at my book signings. One woman, now retired, had spent years working as a professor for a college that also housed a primate research facility. She and a select few of her colleagues spent years fighting the research - from within the college that also provided her a paycheck - because they believed so strongly that primate research was wrong. I thanked her. Silently, I hoped that when I grow to be her age, I'm as passionate and pure about my beliefs as she is.

I took many pictures of the PRC's residents for me to use in my work for the sanctuary, but as I'm not sure about my legal right to share these images for personal use, it's best if I restrain for now.

Coming up on a future blog post: I have a speaking engagement in July, will be selling at a local author book sale in August, and on behalf of the PRC, I'll be attending the annual conference of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) in October. All good things that I'm excited and grateful for!