We’re happy to announce a few new volunteers who have recently been added to the PRC On-Site Animal Care Volunteer Program!

Michelle Davis, a medical animator living in Lexington became a volunteer with us in September 2014, and so far has volunteered a total of 57 hours. Michelle comes to the sanctuary most Sunday mornings and helps the care staff clean the chimp playroom and prepare breakfast and lunch for the chimps and monkeys.

 

Brian Brown is our newest volunteer recruit, joining the team in January 2015. Brian works for Wild Turkey Distillery as a packaging engineer, and travels to the sanctuary on Saturday afternoons to help with sorting and storing produce, cleaning monkey and chimp areas, and helping prepare the chimp’s dinner. So far, Brian has volunteered 14 hours.

We are very thankful to all of our volunteers for the many hours they dedicate to helping us care for the primates who call the PRC home, and we are glad that Michelle and Brian have become a part of this amazing team.

In addition to our new volunteers, we have a couple of special birthdays that we’re happy to announce this month. Longtime volunteer Cheryl Parson and our alpha female chimp Hazel will celebrate their birthdays on February 24th.

Over the past 8 years, Cheryl has developed a very special bond with Hazel. Whether she’s singing “Good morning beautiful” to Hazel when she arrives in the morning for her volunteer shift, bringing Hazel a special stuffed animal to carry around for the day, or receiving that wonderful “kiss” from Hazel through the playroom window when we let the chimps in for their breakfast, we can tell that Hazel feels very loved by Cheryl and that these two girls are true friends. 

Being a volunteer at the PRC is a unique opportunity to develop this type of amazing relationship with one of our chimps or monkeys, and we hope that all of our volunteers know just how important they are to us and the sanctuary residents. Love truly is a universal feeling that can be shared between species, and is something we see happen here everyday.

For more information on becoming a PRC volunteer, visit our Volunteer Webpage and check out the many options within our volunteer program. We are currently accepting applications for all types of volunteers, and encourage you to consider getting involved today in this rewarding opportunity.