Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2019

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Primate Behavior

Committee Chair

Jessica Hope Amason

Second Committee Member

Jessica A. Mayhew

Third Committee Member

Jennifer Dechaine-Berkas

Abstract

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is a small primate sanctuary in Cle Elum, Washington, and is presently home to seven chimpanzees who were retired from biomedical research. I used this sanctuary as a case study to find out how a closed-to-the-public sanctuary can engage in educational outreach without compromising the welfare of the residents. I employed a combination of semi-structured interviews of sanctuary personnel, ethnographic participant-observation as a volunteer caregiver, and an online survey offered to the local community to help me understand the goals and limitations of sanctuaries. I also designed and conducted two educational programs for local area schools as beta tests for educational outreach program design. My research revealed that resource limitations like staffing and funding often prohibit sanctuaries from making educational outreach a priority. I also found that the demand for educational outreach from sanctuaries is low, and that this actually allows sanctuaries to have some flexibility in how they can provide outreach. My research confirmed that animal welfare is the main concern and priority for a sanctuary, and uncovered how distinctive and essential the level of caregiving in a sanctuary is compared to other captive animal facilities. The data I gathered through multiple modes of investigation have shed light on why there is a paucity of literature on educational outreach from sanctuaries in North America. It has also enabled me to ascertain how a model may be developed to make facilitating educational outreach more feasible for sanctuaries.

Language

English

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