Herald- THE Advocate Thursday, November 28, 2019 · Herald-Advocate Thursday, November 28, 2019 THE...
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Herald-Advocate Thursday, November 28, 2019 THE By JENNIFER McCONKEY Of The Herald-Advocate After 11 years alone, sep- arated from any of her species and locked in a small zoo, orangutan Sandra has come to Wauchula to live at the Center for Great Apes. “She’ll have choices here,” says Patti Ragan, founder of the center. Sandra’s move has been in the international spotlight, since Sandra was granted legal personhood status in Argentina. The judge in that case, Elena Liberatori, ruled that Sandra has the right to re- spect, quality care and choices, Ragan explains. Liberatori said that Sandra would go to a sanctuary, not a zoo, Ragan adds, which is why she came to CGA, the only sanctuary for orang- utans in the Americas that is accredited. Although Sandra lost her personhood status when she left Argentina, Ragan says that all of the ape residents at CGA are treated with person- hood rights. “They’re not objects, they’re not chairs,” Ragan says. “They have rights.” The Right To Respect & Quality Care Despite requests from multiple media groups, such as BBC, ABC, NBC and Fox News, news crews have not been allowed to come film Sandra at her new home yet. “We’ve had over 40 media requests from around the world to film her arrival and photos of her here,” Ragan said. “But we’re waiting until she is settled in safely and all goes well.” The goal is to give Sandra a life similar to how it would be in the wild. “They really have the right to be free in their own envi- ronment,” Ragan says of great apes. When that’s not possible, she adds, they have the right to be treated with compas- sion. Ragan says that two of Sandra’s caregivers from Ar- gentina came for a week to visit her. “It was wonderful and they were really helpful,” she says. Settling in at CGA was the second major change of scenery Sandra had to get used to in the past few weeks – before coming to Wauchula, she had to be quarantined in Kansas at one of the few zoos in the U.S. approved for that task by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “She will spend her life here,” Ragan says. The Right To Choices One of the big choices Sandra will be allowed to make at CGA is if and when she wants an orangutan com- panion, and if so, who that will be. “It’s all about her timetable, not ours,” Ragan says. For now, other orangutans are allowed to come near Sandra’s environment so she can get used to seeing them. “She’s very interested in them,” Ragan says. Eventually, Sandra will start meeting the other orang- utans through a mesh barrier in the tunnels, where they can put their fingers through and touch each other. “They may do this for hours,” Ragan explains. If they hit it off, the two will likely start passing items through the mesh or playing together. If that happens, the two will be moved inside where they can interact but still be separated easily. And if all of that goes well, the pair will be allowed to go into one of the dome habitats together. Ragan says CGA plans to introduce Sandra to Jethro first, since he is more shy and quiet, but she emphasizes that it will be the orangutans’ decision if they want to be- friend each other. Sandra will also have the opportunity to choose a fe- male companion if she wants, although Ragan says she’s been especially looking at the males near her habitat. Even though orangutans typically live alone or in pairs, it’s also possible that Sandra could have both a male and female companion if all of the apes want that. In the meantime, Sandra has also been allowed to make choices about where she sleeps and what she does for fun. Ragan says Sandra likes foraging and making big nests in the top of her dome, where she can see a long way around. The dome is higher than she could go in the Argentin- ian zoo and probably higher than she could go in Ger- many, where she was born, Ragan says. On warmer nights, Sandra has been sleeping outside, but when it’s cooler, she sleeps inside, Ragan says. “They have the choices of where they want to sleep un- less there’s a hurricane or un- less it’s critically cold,” Ragan says of the ape resi- dents. Raising Awareness While giving Sandra the space to settle in without being surrounded by cameras was a priority, Ragan hopes that all of the attention will lead to positive change. She explains that Sandra is a representative for other apes in the wild that are being killed every week. “And I think it’s bringing a lot of awareness to Wauchula,” she says. Two famous photogra- phers have been allowed to come take pictures of Sandra – Nick Ut, who pho- tographed the famous “Na- palm Girl” during the Vietnam War, and Mark Ed- ward Harris. Ragan says she also plans to let some news crews come after the first of the year. One of the main ways to help the endangered orang- utans in the wild is to be careful about palm oil prod- ucts, Ragan says. Buying products that ei- ther don’t use palm oil or that use sustainable palm oil helps lower the demand for the type of palm oil harvest- ing that is harming the orang- utans’ natural environment. To find out which products use sustainable palm oil, you can download an app called “Sustainable Palm Oil Shop- ping” by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. And if you want to help CGA, you can visit center- forgreatapes.org to become a member, make a one-time donation, adopt an ape, view CGA’s wishlist and more. You can also choose CGA on AmazonSmile so that a portion of your qualifying Amazon purchases go to the nonprofit. Patti Ragan says that Sandra loves water and cleaning things, even scrubbing the logs in her environment. COURTESY PHOTOS Orangutan Sandra
Transcript of Herald- THE Advocate Thursday, November 28, 2019 · Herald-Advocate Thursday, November 28, 2019 THE...
Herald-Advocate Thursday, November 28, 2019THE
By JENNIFER McCONKEYOf The Herald-Advocate
After 11 years alone, sep-arated from any of herspecies and locked in a smallzoo, orangutan Sandra hascome to Wauchula to live atthe Center for Great Apes.
“She’ll have choiceshere,” says Patti Ragan,founder of the center.
Sandra’s move has been inthe international spotlight,since Sandra was grantedlegal personhood status inArgentina.
The judge in that case,Elena Liberatori, ruled thatSandra has the right to re-spect, quality care andchoices, Ragan explains.
Liberatori said that Sandrawould go to a sanctuary, nota zoo, Ragan adds, which iswhy she came to CGA, theonly sanctuary for orang-utans in the Americas that isaccredited.
Although Sandra lost herpersonhood status when sheleft Argentina, Ragan saysthat all of the ape residents atCGA are treated with person-hood rights.
“They’re not objects,they’re not chairs,” Ragansays. “They have rights.”
The Right To Respect &Quality Care
Despite requests frommultiple media groups, suchas BBC, ABC, NBC and FoxNews, news crews have notbeen allowed to come filmSandra at her new home yet.
“We’ve had over 40 mediarequests from around theworld to film her arrival andphotos of her here,” Ragansaid. “But we’re waiting untilshe is settled in safely and allgoes well.”
The goal is to give Sandraa life similar to how it wouldbe in the wild.
“They really have the rightto be free in their own envi-ronment,” Ragan says ofgreat apes.
When that’s not possible,she adds, they have the rightto be treated with compas-sion.
Ragan says that two ofSandra’s caregivers from Ar-gentina came for a week tovisit her.
“It was wonderful andthey were really helpful,” shesays.
Settling in at CGA was thesecond major change ofscenery Sandra had to getused to in the past few weeks– before coming toWauchula, she had to bequarantined in Kansas at oneof the few zoos in the U.S.approved for that task by theCenters for Disease Controland Prevention.
“She will spend her lifehere,” Ragan says.
The Right To ChoicesOne of the big choices
Sandra will be allowed tomake at CGA is if and whenshe wants an orangutan com-panion, and if so, who thatwill be.
“It’s all about hertimetable, not ours,” Ragansays.
For now, other orangutansare allowed to come nearSandra’s environment so shecan get used to seeing them.
“She’s very interested inthem,” Ragan says.
Eventually, Sandra willstart meeting the other orang-utans through a mesh barrierin the tunnels, where they canput their fingers through andtouch each other.
“They may do this forhours,” Ragan explains.
If they hit it off, the twowill likely start passing itemsthrough the mesh or playingtogether. If that happens, thetwo will be moved insidewhere they can interact butstill be separated easily.
And if all of that goeswell, the pair will be allowedto go into one of the domehabitats together.
Ragan says CGA plans tointroduce Sandra to Jethrofirst, since he is more shy andquiet, but she emphasizesthat it will be the orangutans’decision if they want to be-friend each other.
Sandra will also have theopportunity to choose a fe-male companion if shewants, although Ragan saysshe’s been especially lookingat the males near her habitat.
Even though orangutanstypically live alone or inpairs, it’s also possible thatSandra could have both amale and female companionif all of the apes want that.
In the meantime, Sandrahas also been allowed tomake choices about whereshe sleeps and what she doesfor fun.
Ragan says Sandra likesforaging and making bignests in the top of her dome,where she can see a long wayaround.
The dome is higher thanshe could go in the Argentin-ian zoo and probably higherthan she could go in Ger-many, where she was born,Ragan says.
On warmer nights, Sandrahas been sleeping outside,but when it’s cooler, shesleeps inside, Ragan says.
“They have the choices ofwhere they want to sleep un-less there’s a hurricane or un-less it’s critically cold,”Ragan says of the ape resi-dents.
Raising AwarenessWhile giving Sandra the
space to settle in without
being surrounded by cameraswas a priority, Ragan hopesthat all of the attention willlead to positive change.
She explains that Sandra isa representative for otherapes in the wild that arebeing killed every week.
“And I think it’s bringinga lot of awareness toWauchula,” she says.
Two famous photogra-phers have been allowed tocome take pictures of Sandra– Nick Ut, who pho-tographed the famous “Na-palm Girl” during theVietnam War, and Mark Ed-ward Harris.
Ragan says she also plansto let some news crews comeafter the first of the year.
One of the main ways tohelp the endangered orang-utans in the wild is to becareful about palm oil prod-ucts, Ragan says.
Buying products that ei-ther don’t use palm oil or thatuse sustainable palm oilhelps lower the demand forthe type of palm oil harvest-ing that is harming the orang-utans’ natural environment.
To find out which productsuse sustainable palm oil, youcan download an app called“Sustainable Palm Oil Shop-ping” by the CheyenneMountain Zoo.
And if you want to helpCGA, you can visit center-forgreatapes.org to become amember, make a one-timedonation, adopt an ape, viewCGA’s wishlist and more.
You can also choose CGAon AmazonSmile so that aportion of your qualifyingAmazon purchases go to thenonprofit.
Patti Ragan says that Sandra loves water and cleaning things, even scrubbing the logs in her environment.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Orangutan Sandra
