By [email protected]
Scott Kubisch is a man with a very noble mission. His
mission, to provide a
peaceful life for baboons released from research labs, entertainment
forums
such as roadside zoos, and from people who realized that primates do not
make good pets. Achieving that mission, however, is a very complicated
endeavor. Scott must obtain the resources to build and maintain a baboon
sanctuary.
Despite the enormity of this challenge, Scott has made a
great deal of prog-
ress. "Peaceable Primate Sanctuary," the name Scott created for his sanc-
tuary, has incorporated status with the State of Illinois, a set of
written by-
laws and a board of directors in place, and is in the process of gaining
non-
profit status. Scott is a member of TAOS, the organization responsible
for
regulating sanctuaries to ensure the animals are not bred, sold or
displayed
for entertainment purposes. Scott has made a great deal of contacts
throughout the U.S. in an effort to educate himself on the necessities
of main-
taining an animal sanctuary. Most importantly, through his experience
with
primates at Brookfield Zoo near Chicago, Scott has firsthand knowledge
of
the particular needs of baboons.
Why has Scott chosen to protect baboons specifically? In
his experience
working with animals, Scott began to realize that while there are many
sanctu-
aries for primates in the world, there are very few specifically for
baboons.
Baboons, like most primates, must live and interact with a family group
in
order to remain physically and mentally healthy. Because Peaceable
Primate
Sanctuary will be rescuing animals from laboratories and other
institutions,
socializing them into this type of a group may not always come
naturally. In
these situations, Scott's experience with baboons will be crucial. While
Scott
does hope to eventually be able to take in many different kinds of needy
animals, "Peaceable Primate Sanctuary" will be one of the world's only
sanctuaries equipped to cater to baboons' long-term needs.
Scott has made a great deal of progress on his own.
Obtaining the land and
monetary resources to make "Peaceable Primate Sanctuary" a reality,
however, will require enormous support from others. Scott is greatly in
need
of help with fundraising and land acquisition. The sanctuary will
require at
least 100 acres and a supportive community is key to success. While
Scott
has been targeting areas such as Southern Illinois and Northwest
Indiana, he
is hopeful that land donors may be able to provide a suitable location.
In the words of the great primate protector Jane Goodall,
"Only if we can
understand can we care; only if we care will we help; only if we help
shall all
be saved." In her spirit, please search your souls for any support you
may
be able to lend Scott Kubisch in his selfless campaign to save baboons.
If
you have experience with sanctuaries, are willing to raise funds or help
find
land donors or land sales, please call Scott at (773) 267-1455. Any
support
you may be able to lend, no matter how small, will be greatly
appreciated.
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Stuffed Shells
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