FOXIE'S STORY

It takes a family to heal a chimpanzee

Foxie came to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, with the rest of the Cle Elum Seven, on June 13, 2008. But this was neither the beginning nor the end of her story.

Foxie was born in captivity in August of 1976. The same month that the Seattle Seahawks played their first football game and the Viking space probe entered orbit around Mars. Unlike these other events, very few people knew about Foxie's birth. It was not an uncommon occurrence -- just another chimpanzee born for a life as a laboratory research animal.

Foxie was used for hepatitis vaccine studies -- poked, prodded, and repeatedly "knocked down." And she was used to produce more chimpanzee "subjects" for research. Foxie had five babies during her years in research. She even had a set of twins. Her babies were taken from her as infants, some possibly only days, even hours old. And then she was bred again.

Towards the end of her time in research, she wasn't being bred and she wasn't being used in research protocols. She sat in a cage in a basement laboratory with no windows, no fresh air, and very little to occupy her mind. The laboratory no longer wanted Foxie, but there was nowhere else for her to go. Months passed, then years.

And then came hope.

Keith didn't know about Foxie when he began building Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, but he knew there were chimpanzees in need, and he knew he had to do something. When Keith learned about Foxie and the six other chimpanzees at the lab, Keith's "Sanctuary of Dreams" turned into Foxie's future home.

When I first met Foxie at the laboratory, she hid in a corner, mostly out-of-sight. She watched my every move, though, and by the end of the visit she presented her belly for me to tickle with a rolled up newspaper. Her caretaker at the laboratory warned us that she couldn't be trusted and would try to grab her caregivers if given the opportunity.

When she arrived at the sanctuary she was aloof for a time around humans and cautious about her surroundings. She would not play with or even touch any of the toys and other items we gave the chimps. And then, she adopted a troll doll. For those of you who gave as a result of our July e-newsletter, you saw the video of Foxie clutching and cradling her first doll. And for those who have been following our blog, you have seen the photos and videos of Foxie with her now numerous troll dolls that she carries with her every day. And you have seen how she has begun to transform into a happy, playful and confident chimpanzee who is full of acrobatic surprises.

Foxie has never tried to grab her caregivers. She is only interested in playing with us, and she can't get enough of play! She now plays with any of her chimpanzee "family members" who are up for a romp and her human caregivers throughout the day.

Foxie's continued transformation would not be possible without your support to the sanctuary. Individual donations pay for Foxie's care. The Sanctuary of Dreams is now a reality, a reality sustained and nurtured by a network of people who are now the chimpanzees' extended family.

The birth of a chimpanzee for research is no longer a common occurrence, but there are still chimpanzees out there who need us. We would like to be the Sanctuary of Dreams for other chimpanzees in the future, and we will do it with your help.