Snow Chimps at Project Chimps!
Community, Just For Fun December 6, 2020
Blue Ridge, Ga. – Who doesn’t love a snow day? Adults and children alike took part in the joy of the first snowfall of the season last week and humans weren’t the only ones enjoying the change of scenery. The chimps at Project Chimps ventured out into the open spaces to appreciate the winter wonderland.
“They think it’s the best treat ever!”
“People always ask us how the chimpanzees respond to snow, and the answer is, they love it,” Ali Crumpacker, Executive Director of Project Chimps spoke about the great apes’ new experiences at their Fannin County home.
Crumpacker explained that one of the nicest surprises for those chimps that ventured out of their Peachtree Habitat was how yummy they found the snow to be: “They think it’s the best treat ever!”
“The ones who venture out into it appear to love it,” Crumpacker told FYN as she explained that much like humans not every chimpanzee at the sanctuary is a fan of Winter weather.
While chimpanzees in the wild would not likely experience snowy weather due to their natural environment not being cold enough, Crumpacker explained that these chimps were born in the United States.
“Several have lived in states like NY or elsewhere where they would have experienced winter weather at some point in their lives,” Crumpacker said adding, “For the past several years, they all lived in Louisiana before moving to Georgia though, so it may have been some time since they saw snow and we don’t know if they ever really got to play in it before!”
Despite their past, one thing remains clear for the snow loving chimpanzees, last week brought them a special treat and Project Chimps provided them with an environment to enjoy and experience Winter’s delight.
If you would like to learn more about Project Chimps and their mission you can visit their website by clicking here : Project Chimps
All photos provided by Project Chimps
Author
Sanctuary dog mourns his animal friends by staying by their side
Fast & Furriest April 19, 2020
(story by Christian Cotroneo)
The horses, llamas, donkeys and dogs who arrive at Horse Creek Stable Rescue Sanctuary are often sick, battered or just plain tired.
The refuge for special needs animals they founded in Georgia’s Blue Ridge mountains is a bustling 35-acre beacon of new beginnings.
But there are endings here, too.
When they pass, the animals are buried on a slight hillside overlooking the pastures. Graves for dogs are lined up in a row. Burials for bigger animals — horses, llamas, alpacas — are marked with a fruit tree. Lester and Diane see it as a symbol of the circle of life.
“We just try to honor them that way,” Lester tells MNN.
This week, Tricycle mourned the loss of his friend, an alpaca named Vixen. (Photo: Horse Creek Stable Rescue Sanctuary)
But the most obvious marker for a fresh grave will be a 3-legged golden retriever named Tricycle. When an animal dies, he mourns them — sometimes for as long as three days — by stretching across the grave.
Recently, he’s been spending his time at Vixen’s grave.
“We lost Vixen,” Aradi explains to MNN. “She was an older girl. An alpaca. Within an hour of her dying, we had a neighbor come with a backhoe and dug the grave.”
They planted the customary fruit tree.
Not long after that, Lester went out to feed the llamas. He gazed towards the hillside and, sure enough, “there’s Tricycle laying on Vixen’s grave.”
“I don’t know if he can sense it, smell it, or whatever, But I think he was grieving. That was his way of saying goodbye.”
And Tricycle has said it many times before. The first time was back when his friend Major died. A St. Bernard-mastiff mix, Major arrived at the farm nearly broken.
“He was brought here with back issues. He was abused. He couldn’t walk any more.”
Tricycle and Major became fast friends.
“When Major died, we buried him here on the farm,” Lester says. “Tricycle went over and laid on his grave for about three days. He would come into the house. But every time he was outside, he would go to his grave and lay on it.”
Lester and Diane Aradi have given countless animals a second chance in life, including Carrie the alpaca. (Photo: Horse Creek Stable Rescue Sanctuary)
Lester posted a picture of Tricycle mourning Major on Horse Creek Stable’s Facebook page back in 2017. Not long after that, a dog rescue group got in touch with him. They loved the photo. They thought maybe Lester and Diane could take in another three-legged dog who could really use a second chance in life.
And so, Romeo arrived at the farm. Naturally, Tricycle bonded with his new friend — a golden retriever just like him.
Circle of life, indeed.