Author: Karin

Thank you for attending our Sanaga-Yong Soirée virtually! We are excited you are able to join us! Your Zoom invitation will be sent on Friday, September 16th. Then on Saturday, September 17th, you will have the opportunity to view Dr. Sheri Speede’s presentation via our private Zoom party. Sheri will begin speaking at 7:30pm PT, but you can log-on anytime between 7:15-7:30pm PT. If you are running late, no worries. You can join the party anytime. Following Sheri’s presentation, we will host the live auction and would love to have you share the evening with us until we say “goodnight” at 9:30pm PT.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR LIVE AUCTION:

From Thursday, September 8th through Thursday, September 15th you will have the opportunity to preview and bid on the live auction items we will have available at our Sanaga-Yong Soirée. If you would like to bid on any of the items, please follow the instructions below:

1. Email crystal@sanaga-yong.org and title your email “Virtual Live Auction.”
2. Please provide Crystal with the auction item number and name, and the amount you wish to bid.
3. We will apply your bid to that item the night of the soirée. For instance, if your bid is $500, the live bidding will begin at $600.
4. If you are not outbid, you will win the live auction item! Crystal will email you on Monday, September 19th and forward our donation link for you to pay for your winning item.

DONATING TO OUR VIRTUAL GUEST KICK-OFF!

The majority of our rescued residents came to us as babies, usually under the age of two years old. For their mental, physical, and emotional development, and for their safety, they are raised under the careful and loving supervision of their caregivers until they are old and strong enough to be integrated with a community of older chimps.

During their time with their caregivers, they spend each day in the forest playing, exploring, learning and developing physically. Unfortunately, we’re now concerned about their safety in the forest. The beautiful free-living chimpanzees are coming close to our camp and enclosures more frequently, and they have occasionally exhibited threatening behavior that has driven the caregivers and babies out of the forest. The babies are terrified of them.

Sadly, a recent logging concession just outside of the Reserve is pushing other wild chimps toward us and causing the ones we’ve seen for years to come ever closer for safety. While we’re happy that our sanctuary is helping keep these magnificent chimps safe, it’s vital that we also thoroughly protect our rescued chimps from them.

We currently have three babies, Ndem, 2 years old, and Tamara and Kolbi, both about 2.5 years old. For their protection and to assure that we can safely care for other rescued youngsters in the coming years, we need to build a forested enclosure specifically for them. Due to the increasing threats, we need it urgently – a place where babies can safely learn and grow in their natural forest habitat.

An enclosure for our three babies, and those we will rescue in the future, would cost $25,000. To honor our virtual guests and give you an opportunity to participate in our Fund-a-Need, we have a Virtual Guest Kick-Off! Before our auctioneer begins the paddle raise, she will announce how much money our virtual guests have raised already! Our hope is this will inspire our in-person guests to generously participate. If you would like to help by donating, please click the button below. Any and all amounts will make a wonderful difference for our current babies and those who will need us in the future! Please email karin@sanaga-yong.org with any questions you may have. Thank you! And Ndem, Tamara and Kolbi thank you!

Your Tiki Tea Tini Cocktail Kit is on the way! We look forward to a toast together at our Sanaga-Yong Soiree 2022! Cheers!