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Chimp Eden wins hearts in the US
Visitors to New York are seeing life-size
cardboard cut-outs of our chimps climbing trees
and lamp posts! This is all part of the Animal
Planet’s marketing activities for Escape to
Chimp Eden, the new reality show starring our
Sanctuary. So popular are the chimps, however,
that most of them have already been stolen!
The show started in the US
on February 8 to wide acclaim. Sanctuary MD
Eugene Cussons has been interviewed by several
of the US’s top talk show hosts, including Jay
Leno, Martha Stewart and Ellen DeGeneris.
(Click
here
to see Eugene teaching Ellen how to speak
chimp!)
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Eugene and baby Sally. (Photograph by
Francois Theron) |
Every day sees up to 1000
hits on the Jane Goodall Institute SA Web site (www.janegoodall.co.za),
while emails about the show continue to pour
in. Eugene and Sanctuary Manager, Phillip
Cronje, also man an online chat room on the site
between 4:40 and 5:00 every day during which
they’re asked for information and opinions.
(See
http://www.janegoodall.co.za/chat/default.asp.)
The
series, filmed by SA company Triosphere for
Discovery/Animal Planet, initially comprised 13
parts. So successful has this first series
been, however, that the second one has already
been commissioned. Filming at the Sanctuary is
therefore continuing without a break.
South Africans will only get to see the series
on DSTV if it is bought by Animal Planet Europe.
In the meantime, catch a
sneak preview
here.
"The
show has evoked a phenomenal response,” says
Eugene. “Now we need to turn this success into
funds for ongoing rescues and rehabilitation.”
Praise pours in
A
sample of the overwhelming feedback we’ve been
inundated with since the start of the series:
· “I
am simply amazed at what I witnessed on the
premiere of Escape to Chimp Eden. I am truly in
awe of Eugene Cussons and his passion for
rescuing chimpanzees! …I someday hope to travel
to South Africa and assist Chimp Eden in the
rescue and caring of neglected and abused
chimpanzees. “ - Jeff Hoyt.
U.S.A.
· “Thank
you for putting on such a fabulous, informative
and touching t.v. show that will hopefully bring
in much more money to help these poor
defenseless animals.” - Stacie
Lehfeldt
· “I
was completely touched by watching "Escape to
Chimp Eden", I want to do my part to help these
animals the best I can.” -
Tiffany Rhoades
· “WOW!
Thank you all for this magnificent, eye-opening
look into a world that not many of us humans
know exists ... both the bad and the good of it…
Kudos to Eugene…He is doing something that I
have always wanted to do. And he appears to do
it without much self regard or concern with his
own safety.” - Laura
Stevens, Florida, USA
· “Yesterday
I watched the premier of "Escape to Chimp Eden"
on Animal Planet and like all animal lovers felt
compelled to help in some way… I thank you sooo
much for all the hard work you all do for the
well being of these precious creatures” -
Irma Page, California
“I watch the show
with my kids while explaining to them the
importance of animals living free and how people
have to fight for the animals right to do so.
I'm trying to teach them, as I'm sure is the
point of the sanctuary, that not all animals are
supposed to be domestic… Again thank you for all
you do and my family greatly appreciates your
efforts to save the worlds beautiful creatures.”
- Melyn Johnson, Utah
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