The Chimps Of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story Of Resilience And Recovery (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
This book is hard to read. Not because it's written poorly, but because the subject matter is hard to face.Westoll, who has a background in primate anthropology (I use those words on purpose), spent a summer as a volunteer at Fauna Sanctuary - the only Canadian accredited chimp sanctuary. Located in Quebec, this sanctuary is where chimps who were used in medical research and/or worked in small circuses or zoos go to die.What the Grow family have set up is a place where they can have a better rest of life, one with real food, friendship and some control over their lives.The chimps all have social problems, great fear and anger when it comes to medical intervention and human intervention. Easy to understand if you had your teeth knocked out with a crowbar, were knocked down with blow darts hundreds of times, or were giving Hepatitis or HIV on purpose.The book is also full of love and moments of awe, though, and fun and small victories.You'll never look at medical research the same way again. Andrew Westoll is a journalist who also wrote a book about studying monkeys in Suriname. He spent over a year at the Laura Sanctuary to write this book. Gloria Grow has run the sanctuary for animals including chimps since 1997. The chimps were mainly brought from research facilities in the US after they were retired. Chimps were used for research in all sorts of ways since the 1920s but became important again in the 1980s for AIDS research. The tests, vaccinations, and surgeries they went through we're horrific and terrifying. When they weren't having it done to them, it was happening to other chimps around them. They all have PTSD and suffered years of abuse. Gloria's sanctuary helped the chips live out a good life but the neighbor's were so terrified by law they can't help any more than they have now. Andrew tells the story of his year there, getting to know the chimps and especially Tom his favorite. A heartwarming story I found enlightening and not as traumatic as the documentary Project Nim, because this one has hope for the chimps living there. I found it very moving.
What do You think about The Chimps Of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story Of Resilience And Recovery (2011)?
Story of dedicated, good people saving the world from atrocity.
—belle
remarkable, heartbreaking, thought provoking.
—linnylove
