Quoted in Sentient Media

A new article co-authored by renowned author and animal sentience expert Dr. Barbara J. King focused on the complex harms of keeping primate as "pets." I was happy to speak with her while she was researching for the article, and am pleased that she quoted me in the finished product:

It's pretty impossible for the nation's primate sanctuaries to understand the need for primate retirement when so many privately owned primates are living under the radar. It's a real problem that doesn't have any solutions, short of a federal ban on private ownership of primates. Perhaps one day... but until then, our work continues. 

Guest on Prime Mates podcast - again!

Some of the more amusing interviews I've had are those that have taken place on Prime Mates podcast. I think it's partly due to the sharp wit of its host (Australian comedian Matt Stewart) - which can be tricky to keep up with - and partly because I always love an excuse to chat about primates, and maybe it's also the thrill of doing a recorded interview with someone who is around the world and literally in a different day than I am. Whatever the reason, it's fun, and so I'm always glad to return as a guest on the show.

This most recent episode centers on primates that have escaped or been captured loose. I talk about Daisy the infant capuchin who was found running around on an ambulance in downtown Chicago, chimpanzees Chipper and Joe Bananas who escaped their roadside zoo, got drunk on honey and broke a farmer's tractor, and more. You'll have to listen to hear the rest! I guarantee a few laughs will result.

Click here to listen.

Researching The Founders: Lynn Cuny

I first visited Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation (WRR) in 2014, the week I was in San Antonio for a NAPSA conference. This was also the week I interviewed for a position with NAPSA. Thankfully, I ended up being offered the position a short while later, but at the time all I knew was that I wanted to work there very badly! As a result, I was pretty much a nervous wreck during the conference and though I was very impressed by what I saw of the sanctuary tour of WRR, I know I didn't absorb everything that I would have, had I not been interviewing for the job of a lifetime.

When I was at WRR back then, one thing I recall was being in awe of the signage reminding visitors to respect all lives on site, no matter how small.

I was very much looking forward to my return visit as I researched The Founders.

WRR is not a NAPSA member sanctuary, so I don't interact with them as much as I do with some of the other sanctuaries. However, I do speak with them rather often to place primates in need. I have always been very grateful for their willingness to help in this way.

The sanctuary is known for its unique design, created to grant the rescued animals as much wildness back into their lives as possible. Though they are still captive in a sense, their enclosures are designed over vast spaces (sometimes many acres) that give them the ability to live in social groups, much like they would in the wild.

I won't give away too much - I want you to read the book, after all - but Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation is indeed a precious resource granting dignity to many deserving individuals, and it will be an honor to tell the story of its founder, Lynn Cuny.

I extend much gratitude to New England Anti-Vivisection Society for funding the travel for The Founders.