Comments From Two Early IPPL Employees

December 2003

Kathy Crawford, now Kathy Crawford Gilbert, was IPPL’s first employee. She joined us in 1981, soon after Arun Rangsi’s arrival. Betty Brescia joined us in 1988 and managed the office for ten years before retiring in 1998.

Being IPPL’s first employee - by Kathy Gilbert

Twenty one years ago I had placed a "Job Wanted" ad in the Charleston-area newspapers looking for a job working with animals. To my surprise, I received a call from Shirley McGreal, who was looking for help with the IPPL sanctuary. I was so excited: this was more than I had hoped for.

Kathy with IPPL Gibbon Tong

The first gibbon I met was Arun Rangsi ("Roo"). He was a scared, small, wide-eyed gibbon who always needed to cling to something. Shirley let me offer Roo a grape, which he took with caution. The nervous Roo proceeded to bang his head while rocking back and forth. Roo had worn the hair off his head by banging on the bars of his cage. My heart just ached with sorrow and compassion when Shirley told me the history of Roo’s life and the mission of IPPL.

After meeting Roo I was introduced to Durgie, Brownie, Tong and Sapphire. They were all interested in the new person that had come to meet them. Tong talked softly to me as if she had known me for years. I was blessed to be offered the job of caretaker/secretary of IPPL.

I worked for IPPL for about four years and loved every minute of it. Every day was a new and exciting experience working with my furry family. Safety was always a top issue at the sanctuary when it came to the gibbons. I had to laugh when Shirley forgot her own rules and got too close to an adult gibbon named Brownie I turned around to see Shirley lifted of the ground by her hair and Brownie talking as if to say "I finally got one!" Although we loved them we always had to remember they were wild primates!

As time went on, the IPPL gibbon family began to grow. Shirley had arranged to help two young gibbons escape their fate at a research laboratory. Peppy and Helen came to live with us at IPPL. Helen was the mischievous gibbon while Peppy was the quiet thumb sucking gibbon. Peppy had been inoculated with a cancer virus, but that God it did not take. They both adjusted to their new home immediately.

The last gibbon I was able to help relocate was Shanti. Shirley and I drove to New York to free one more gibbon. When we arrived at the laboratory we walked through part of the research lab to where Shanti was housed. We passed cages of research chimpanzees and I was shocked at how small the cages were. Although the cages were clean, they were tiny with very little room to swing. That image will always be imprinted in my mind and it encourages me to fight for my furry friends.

The laboratory veterinarian was very kind in helping us move Shanti to IPPL. He helped us load her into the car and we headed back to South Carolina. You could tell Shanti was scared, but she sat quietly in her carrier. In the hotel room later that night, we offered Shanti grapes and bananas. Her first choice was the banana! When we got back home to Summerville, Shanti was placed into an enclosure across from Peppy and Helen. We knew she would be just fine when she tried to sing with the other gibbons.

My love for the gibbons goes beyond words. They are like my children, but I must remember that they are wild primates taken from their natural environment. In an ideal world they would be swinging through the trees and singing with their family instead of being captured and caged by poachers.

Congratulations to IPPL and Shirley on your anniversary and may you continue to have many years of success protecting our primate friends.

Being mistaken for Shirley McGreal be a primate smuggler’s henchman - by Betty Brescia

It was a pleasant September day in 1988 when I started my IPPL employment. The gate and parking area were guarded by Annapurna, a marvelous St. Bernard, who was as gentle as a lamb while playing with the gibbons.

Betty enjoying her retirement party

Ten years of memories include:

• A request of a large number of IPPL T-shirts for the Gibbon family reunion in Summerville,
• Hurricane Hugo hitting our area, creating havoc in his wake but sparing the gibbons and otters,
• The gibbons’ beautiful songs and calls heard during the day.
• Laura Mattera’s shock when Blackie grabbed her sun glasses. No one ever believed the speed and agility of the gibbons!
• Shirley’s struggle to provide a safe environment for primates around the world.

During her lengthy battle with animal smuggler Mathew Block, I had a confrontation with a process server who was trying to deliver a subpoena to Shirley to force her to go and testify in an orangutan smuggling trial in Miami-on behalf of the defendant! He had followed me by car from IPPL Headquarters to downtown Summerville. As I left the vehicle, he shouted. "Shirley McGreal" a few times. Ignoring him. I walked toward the supermarket. He quickly ran in front of me and called "Shirley McGreal" again. What a surprise when he discovered me instead of her. But then working at IPPL was always full of surprises!