Mother's Day e-News
May 4, 2006
At Sanaga-Yong Center the notion of Mother's Day is a little bitter sweet. The blessing really is that our work ~ meaning ours collectively, every single supporter included ~ has meant that the chimpanzees at Sanaga-Yong have an opportunity to love and be loved. They have lost their own mothers, but they are not motherless. The bond of motherhood is very present at Sanaga-Yong Center, and indeed, remains the very reason a sanctuary like ours can ever be successful.
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Sambe lives with other infants in the nursery. He receives love and affection from human caregivers
until he is old enough to live with
a family unit where he will find his adoptive mother.
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Mother's Day Giving
♥ Give a gift of love ...
Adopt a Chimpanzee
♥ Make a donation to the
chimpanzees on behalf of
a loved one
♥ Peruse IDA-Africa's
Gift Shop
♥ Buy a special gift
through iGive - a
percentage of your
purchase goes to
IDA-Africa
♥ Write a Mother's Day note in the comments section of the on-line form and we will include it in the adoption packet or gift package. |
Dr. Speede wrote recently with this reflection on the story of our dear Dorothy and her adopted son Bouboule. It's a wonderful story of the healing power of motherhood.
Dorothy and Bouboule (male) are probably our sweetest adoption story. Bouboule was a clingy, insecure baby. I knew him well and personally cared for him when he was an infant. He needed more mothering than the other infants his age, and never seemed to get enough love.
Dorothy was an older female kept on a neck chain for more than 25 years and never had a chance to be a mother. She had a very low status in the group and was always picked on, wouldn't stand up for herself. Becky would always spit on her, pour water on her head, throw things at her. Then we integrated a group of six babies that included Bouboule into Dorothy's (Jacky's) group.
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Dorothy adopted Bouboule as her son, and started asserting herself to take up for him. Soon she had a lot of respect in the group. Being a mother seemed so natural for Dorothy and I could see the happiness in her eyes. She and Bouboule were inseparable for years. Now they're not together too much, but Dorothy will still stand up for him in a skirmish. She's still his mother.
Dorothy doesn't like anybody picking on Bouboule, but now he's well-adjusted enough, and big enough, that the others don't bother him much. And Jacky has accepted him as an adolescent male. I've seen Bouboule grooming Jacky several times. Two days ago, I was walking around the enclosure with the group, and Future started making sport by throwing rocks at me. Very annoying and dangerous because he's got a great arm, great aim. Twice, Bouboule saw him and came to stop him from throwing the rocks. Just grabbed his hand and took the rocks. He was protecting his old surrogate mother/friend.
Please give a gift this Mother's Day that includes a gift to the chimpanzees...what a beautiful, meaningful way to truly honor the spirit of motherhood.
Warm regards from all of us at IDA-Africa...on behalf of the chimpanzees and in honor of the mothers at Sanaga-Yong and the free-living mothers we are working hard to protect.
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