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And beautiful Foxie has so much to give
Love, pure and simple. So sweet!
Foxie was estremely traumatized when she had her babies taken from her, only days old, in a captive breeding program. Luckily, she found a replacement for her chimp babies when she arrived at CSNW, initially with troll dolls, whose faces look like baby chimps, and now she also has Dora! She would have been the same kind of mother in the wild. Just like humans, some mothers are extraordinary and some aren’t. She is a dedicated mother with a huge, nurturing heart. The photos tell the story better than words! In the wild, babies stay with their mothers until they are about 7 years old, some for life, in order to learn all of the skills they need to survive in the wild. Does anyone know if Foxie was born in the wild? Her behavior with her “babies” seems to indicate that she had a great mother.
Foxie was born at a research lab in Texas. We know that Negra was born in the wild, and possibly Annie and Jody as well.
Just heart wrenching!
I found an interesting mention of Foxie on PCRM.org website (CSNW is featured in many links on their site!). I had saved the link because they mentioned Foxie and stated that “Dr. Durham is currently conducting a study at CSNW” regarding psychological trauma due to the result of social and environmental deprivation in laboratory settings. (I am assuming this from a few years ago?)
Foxie is mentioned: “When Foxie first arrived there [CSNW], she avoided certain objects and activities. She showed limited interest in fellow chimpanzee residents, food, and nesting. Surveys completed by Foxie’s caregivers show that she still exhibits a range of psychological symptoms, but there is evidence of improvement during her new life at the sanctuary.”
It is hard for me to imagine Foxie this way. And seeing your photos made me think of the PCRM notation. So lovely to see these photos of Foxie kissing and embracing her Dora babies, large and small. She has come so far and I am so happy and proud of her. May Foxie always be free to love and be loved.
To Karen Young: I never made the connection of how a troll doll has a face so similar to a chimpanzee. Thank you for that! Makes the love Foxie has for her troll dolls all the more endearing!
Yes, Kathleen, Foxie was pretty aloof when she first came to the sanctuary. She didn’t immediately trust her caregivers, and she refused to touch most of the blankets and enrichment we offered (until she met her first troll doll a few weeks after the chimps arrived). Like you said, she has come a long way!
Love can be paint in your heart but sometimes it doesn’t work the way you want to.