I remember the Wildlife Waystation

 Remembering Martine Colette

1942 - 2022

The primate sanctuary community, including the Chimpanzees In Need rescue effort, is mourning the loss of animal advocacy pioneer and Wildlife Waystation founder Martine Colette, who dedicated more than 40 years of her life rescuing animals and changing the face of animal welfare.
 
It was Colette’s overwhelming love of animals that led her to leave a successful career as a Hollywood costume designer and establish the first wildlife sanctuary in the United States, taking in exotic animals from around the world, partnering with state agencies to safely house animals in need, and leading a cultural shift in animal welfare and sanctuary – including being one of the first to care for chimpanzees retired from biomedical laboratory research. By the time she retired in 2019, she had helped rescue and care for more than 77,000 animals who might not otherwise have had safe homes.
 
Following a series of fires and floods that contributed to financial hardships, the Wildlife Waystation closed shortly after Colette’s retirement was announced. The California Department of Fish & Wildlife, NAPSA, and sanctuaries across the country are collaborating to offer new homes to the 480 animals that were living there, including 41 chimpanzees.
 
Today, 23 of those chimpanzees have been rehomed but 18 remain at the closed refuge, where they are cared for by staff who worked at Colette’s side for decades. Our Chimpanzees In Need effort will continue raising the funds to move these remaining primates to accredited sanctuaries equipped to offer the loving care that Colette would want for the chimps.   

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