Hello, my name is
Shellie

About Me

I was born August 22, 1987, at The Coulston Foundation research lab in Alamogordo, NM to my parents Tanya and Tarzan. Tanya unfortunately did not know how to properly care for me, so I was raised in the laboratory nursery. When I was 3½ years old, I was loaned to a laboratory in Maryland known as SEMA where I was used for studying respiratory diseases. There are no records in my file from 1992-1996. My records pick back up in 1997, by which time I was back at The Coulston Foundation. There is no indication that I was ever used in any additional biomedical research protocols, but I did appear to suffer long-term effects from my experiences as a toddler. My records indicate that I was known for screaming intermittently without an obvious cause, and for screaming all day following anesthesia for a physical.

My life changed for the better in 2002 when Save the Chimps rescued 266 chimpanzees from The Coulston Foundation, including me. I joined Lou’s Family and moved to a beautiful three-acre island built at Save the Chimps’ permanent sanctuary in Florida. I fell in love with the hills, trees, and wide-open spaces of the island. They have never observed me screaming without provocation. I am rarely found inside, instead preferring to enjoy the Florida sunshine and breezes.