Article in the American Bar Association Animal Law Committee newsletter

 I may have stepped back from work for a bit, but my heart is always with the primate sanctuary community. 

In 2024 I presented on a webinar hosted by the American Bar Association Animal Law Committee (watch it here), after which I was asked to write up my presentation as an article. The publication finally just came out, and though it is behind a paywall, I can share images from the PDF here. 

Explaining the absence

 This blog has been quiet for a year now, and for good reason. I recently gave birth to my second daughter after a very difficult pregnancy. I elected to step down as the Director of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, and will resume working in the sanctuary field when I am able.

Presenter at Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance conference in San Diego

This week I was honored to be a speaker at the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance's conference in San Diego, CA. 

Thanks to the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, the exploitation of big cats has ended in many ways, and big cat sanctuaries foresee less of a demand of their services in the future. I was there to let them know about high numbers of monkeys awaiting sanctuary retirement, and I urged them to consider expanding to welcome more monkeys in the coming years. 

I learned so much about what non-primate sanctuaries face, and even more about the similarities between our worlds. Here's to hoping we continue collaborating together, and rescue more monkeys!

 

Speaking at Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance conference in October

 I was excited to be invited to present at the upcoming Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance conference in October, taking place in San Diego. This alliance was modeled after NAPSA, though I have not yet had the chance to attend one of their events.

I will be speaking about the need to diversify species receiving care in sanctuaries, and will focus on monkeys in particular and how US sanctuaries are looking to the future to predict shifting industry needs.

Looking forward to this!

NAPSA Workshop

This week we concluded the NAPSA Workshop, a multi-day conference I plan and lead as the Program Director of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance. It was a busy and fascinating time in Atlanta - the first time I was able to see my coworkers together since 2019!

Before I got the photos back from our event photographer, I did have one special shot to share...

When our bus arrived for the sanctuary tour at Project Chimps, this was the first thing I saw when I disembarked! A familiar sight - my book! I was happy to sign this and begin the day on such a high note.

And now, more photos:

Project Chimps Book Club covers Monkey Business

 My first book, Monkey Business, is already close to a decade old. Much has improved regarding the legal statuses and protections available for nonhuman primates in our country since I wrote it, though there is still more work ahead.

Despite that, I was very pleased to learn that that Project Chimps (a Georgia chimpanzee sanctuary that cares for close to 100 chimpanzees who were rescued from biomedical research) selected Monkey Business for the latest meeting of their online Book Club. 

Since I live across the country, it was wonderful to be able to participate virtually, and their host asked some very probing questions. I appreciated that she gave the book so much thought and attention - and the conversation made it clear that an updated Monkey Business is sorely needed!

Watch the Book Club interview here.

Now published: Chapter in Nonhuman Primate Welfare

Over 6 years ago, I was honored when ethicist Lori Gruen asked me to co-author a chapter with her for a forthcoming book on primate welfare. We went to work quickly... but after many revisions and long waits, it took this long for the book to finally get published! I'm thrilled that it's finally out.  

Though a few facts have changed since we last revised our chapter "Animal Welfare, Animal Rights, and a Sanctuary Ethos," I'm proud to be involved in this project!

Buy the book here.

WE DID IT: Saving the Wildlife Waystation chimpanzees

Now that the news has broken, I can shout it from the rooftops that WE DID IT : All 40 of the Wildlife Waystation chimps have been rescued!

Do you even know how long I waited to type that? (The answer is: over three years.)

 All are now living at accredited sanctuaries, except for three who were sent to accredited zoos. 

The Chimpanzees In Need emergency rescue fundraiser that I developed and ran with colleagues has already raised over $4M, and has less than $500,000 left to raise before it can end. We will get there... because if we can move 40 chimpanzees across the country, we can do anything.

It was important for me to document this because one day some of these memories may get muddy over time. 

One day this won't be so fresh in my memory. I may not remember the days of worry and panic as we wondered if we would be able to keep these chimps alive, way before we could even think of building their new homes. 

I may forget the dust and decay of the closed Waystation, and how every time I went there I'd learn something knew - how peppercorns grow, what a wild tarantula looks like. 

I may even forget the thrill of seeing huge, helpless exotic beings loaded up and wheeled past in a metal cage, surreally moved onto a truck like so much furniture.... though I doubt it.

That's the kind of thing that never leaves you.

The final ten chimpanzees were rescued in two groups, over two transport days two weeks apart.

The first day was bright and sunny. Smiles were big and the air was redolent of oranges as we chopped up food for the chimps to snack on during their trip.

We recorded some interviews and spoke with a journalist.

Nerves were high as they always are on transport days, but then as the chimps began to be wheeled over to the truck, we could relax a little bit more, and say our goodbyes to the chimps.

The second, and final transport day was very different from all the others we'd had so far. It was raining (in Southern California!), and chilly, and as there were only two chimps to load, it went so fast that it was over way before we had even hoped it would be.

Then all there was to do was say goodbye.

The rescue of the final Wildlife Waystation chimpanzees was bittersweet. 

It marked the end of so much - good and bad - and the relief of knowing that the chimpanzees are all safe, finally (somehow!) was overwhelming. It still is. Those of who worked on this project will be forever changed. 

I've learned so much about resiliency, and forging ahead despite so many uncertainties, and leading even when I don't know how. 

We never had the option to give up, because the chimps were waiting...

and we saved them.

Quoted by KTLA, various other outlets

NAPSA, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and sanctuaries and primate experts around the world breathed a sigh of relief when news broke that the final chimpanzees had been successfully rehoused from the Wildlife Waystation in early December - even Dr. Jane Goodall, who emailed me a lovely note of congratulations!

Chimpanzees In Need campaign announced the news via press release, which was then picked up around the country. One of the more notable media mentions was from KTLA in Los Angeles. I am quoted in the article, expressing my joy to have finally reached this milestone:

Read the full article here.

Quoted in LA Times

 As the rescue of the final Wildlife Waystation chimpanzees kicked off, I was excited to hear that the LA Times wanted to cover the story's conclusion. Back in 2020, when the Chimpanzees In Need campaign officially kicked off, the LA Times interviewed me as well - you can read their comprehensive story from 2020 here.

This more recent story was more celebratory and, of course, much more enjoyable for me to discuss. 

Read the full story here.

Interviewed on ABC

 I was excited to see that Los Angeles station ABC 7 was interested in covering the rescue of the Wildlife Waystation chimpanzees, so I was of course quite pleased to be interviewed for the story. The Chimpanzees In Need rescue campaign is coming to a close, and the story mentioned progress made to date and what is ahead to finish up this lifesaving work.

Watch the video here.