Rachel's life

by John Mulcahy
September 2001 newsletter

Of all of the chimpanzee residents at Fauna, Rachel shows the most signs of the pain she has endured. A victim of both the pet trade and biomedical research, Rachel has had to deal with being abandoned by the only family she knew as well as years of invasive research.

Rachel — photo by Annie Guilbault

Rachel was born at the Institute for Primate Studies in Norman, Oklahoma in 1982. When she was five weeks old, she was sold to a couple in Florida for $10,000. Her owners cared for her as they would a human child, dressing her in diapers and giving her bubble baths. She had a toy rabbit, a security blanket, and her own crib, although she slept at night with her human foster parents.

Her owners thought that they were better prepared than most primate pet owners when they bought Rachel, having purchased a 5-acre farm and constructed a cage for her when she grew too big to control. But personal problems and financial instability led Rachel's owners to give her up. Like many other pet primates, Rachel traded in her blanket and baths for life in the laboratory.

Rachel entered the laboratory in 1986 when she was only 3 ½ years old. She spent the next 11 years living in isolation as a research subject. During this time she was anesthetized 235 times, 147 of these by dart. She endured 39 punch liver biopsies as a subject of Hepatitis research and underwent surgery for the testing of new artificial sweeteners for NutraSweet. She fell into an extended period of depression and was treated repeatedly for rashes and sores on her neck and wrists inflicted on herself during anxiety attacks.

Rachel's recovery from life in the laboratory has been slow and she still bears the physical and emotional scars from the suffering she endured. She continues to experience anxiety attacks, during which she stamps her feet and shakes her head violently for minutes at a time. When she is stressed she rubs her wrists on her neck, causing a rash on both. She occasionally attacks her hand as though it is not a part of her own body, screaming in terror while slapping and biting herself. In her quieter times, Rachel bites her nails and rubs them until there is nothing left. She gently shakes her head and often tosses objects onto her back. She spends the majority of her time alone and even locks others out of her room.

While Rachel's life is still filled with bad days, she continues to have more good ones. She has found a friend in Chance and the two enjoy playing with one another. She also loves her one-on-one time with her human caregivers. She enjoys being tickled and groomed, as well as the occasional game of chase. Unfortunately, even the best a sanctuary can offer is not enough, and Rachel will probably never fully recover. All we can hope for is that she will continue to enjoy her friends, good food, and some sunshine while the terrible memories fade away.