One of the More Heart-Tugging and Inspiring Stories of 2023
A Brief Look Back and Commentary by Doug Draper
Posted December 27, 2023 on Niagara At Large
I long ago came to a conclusion about our species that I know at least some of you out there share with me.
We human can be, and too often can be, the cruelest and most destructive species on the planet.
I am speaking in generalities of course. I know there are also good people among us, doing what they can to make the world better for every living being we share this planet with.
After years of cruel confinement, Vanilla the chimp finally has a chance to live a good life. Photo by Save The Chimps, a group dedicated to protecting chimpanzees
The following story about a chimpanzee named Vanilla tugged at my heart the – as I am sure it will tug at the hearts of many of you – first time I saw it broadcast this past spring on CBC and a number of other news networks.in Canada and the United States.
It is a story that both speaks to the cruelty too many humans inflict on other species and to the good in who, in this case, worked so hard to free this chimp and give her a chance to live out her life with others of his kind, in the safety and comfort of a sprawling outdoor sanctuary in Florida.
If you have not yet seen it, I urge you to click on the video screen below and watch Vanilla, who spent most of her 28 years indoors, confined to a small cage at a research lab, as she goes outdoors for the first time and his greeted by other chimps as she looks up with wonder at the blue sky above –
As we begin a New Year, I hope more of us are inspired enough by Vanilla’s story to do what we can to make life better on this one and only oasis we know of in the universe where we can all survive.
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Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
To find out more about Save The Chimp, the groups that did so much to help this chimpanzee experience her first taste of the outdoors with others of her kind, click on – https://savethechimps.org/our-mission/
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“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders
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find it shocking that ‘scientists’ are still using methods first introduced in the 1600’s. It is more about dogma and who gets ‘research’ funding and riding that gravy train and using these poor animals as Descarte did and considering them automatons rather than sentient beings. If they ARE like us, what are we doing? If they ARE NOT like us, what are we doing?? So glad that Vanilla is now able to enjoy the portion of her life that remains. In 2019, (the last year for available stats) 68,000 primates were used in ‘research’ in the US…each one as inquisitive, aware and able to feel as much as Vanilla – and many of them will never escape the cages in some dark corner of a supposed research facility
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