Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 6, 2016

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 6, 2016 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS 11HEALTHY LIFESTYLES 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 6, 2016 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS 11HEALTHY LIFESTYLES 
Happy Tails
MODERN DAY JANE 
TELLS HER STORY 

by Chris Leclerc

“I WAS RAISED BY MONKEYS” 

Every now and then, an internet news headlinewill pop up that really catches my attention andI am compelled to drill down and delve into thefull story before I continue on with whatever elseneeds doing. One day I was checking my e-mailwhen I noticed a trending news link that read,
“Woman Raised by Monkeys”. Clearly I couldn’tpass that one up!

I rather expected to be disappointed when Igot to the news page, assuming the story wouldbe a hoax or a joke, but much to my surprisethe article was written about a real woman who 
claims to have been raised by wild monkeys forseveral of her childhood years, in the jungles ofColumbia. 

In the 1950s, Marina Chapman (a name shegained later in life) was a small child livingwith her birth family near the city of Cucuta,
Colombia when at 5 years old, according to herbest recollection, she was abducted from her home 
for ransom money. As it turned out, however thekidnapping must have gone wrong, because shewas later left for dead in a remote jungle area closeto the Venezuelan border. 

Chapman says it wasn’t long before she was takenin by a family of about 20 Capuchin monkeys, andspent 5 years being cared for and coddled by theentire pack. After her 5-year experience livingwith the monkeys and having no interaction withhumans, she was discovered by hunters who soldher to a brothel in exchange for a parrot. Now 
that’s a headline news-worthy story!

In time she was able to escape from the brotheland lived in the streets for a while until she was 
offered a job as a house maid for a Columbianfamily who then took her in and treated her liketheir own. It was there that she gave herself thename Marina Luz, and had the opportunity towork on her speaking & social skills, and re-learnhow to live in a normal home with other human 
beings.

In 1977, Marina was invited 
to join her surrogate Columbianfamily on a business trip toBradford, England where she mether future husband John Chapmanwhile attending a church service.
John, a bacteriologist, and Marinanow have 3 grown children whohave are very proud of the fact 
that their mother can climb a 
tree better and faster than anyoneelse in the neighborhood. They’veenjoyed sharing the remarkable 

bed time stories their mother told them growingup, about her childhood being raised in the jungleby a family of monkeys.

Even aside from the amazing details of howMarina could possibly have managed to surviveall that she went through as a little girl, thisremarkable true story is one that I would call‘stranger than fiction‘. I mean, this lady is a truemodern day “Jane”, straight out of the Tarzanmovies. The fact that the wild monkeys werewilling to take her in and help her survive, teachher how to climb trees and catch prey, and allowher to live with them in their private space isnothing less than a mind-blower to me.

One would have to assume those monkeys, whoare better known for their aggressive response toan outsider, were receptive of that child becausethey knew she was vulnerable and presented nothreat to them. It indicates the sensitive nature of 
the species and it tells you something we may nototherwise have learned about the internal nature 
of those monkeys. Of course we all know monkeysare more human-like than most wild animals, but 
let’s face it, any animal living in the jungle wouldtypically be expected to attack a human whoinvades their personal space.

In addition to spending time with her familyand tending to typical daily tasks in the home,
Marina now spends a lot of her time helping at-
risk youth through the social services departmentin her town. I don’t know whether she is involved 
in working with animals at all, but I can’t helpthinking she would be great at it.

Chapman has shared her remarkable story 
with several journalists over the years, and 
with the help of her daughter, Vanessa she also 
wrote a book titled The Girl With No Name, 
The Incredible True Story of a Child Raised by 
Monkeys, published in April, 2014. There are also 
rumors of a Documentary in the works. 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND? 



Chessa is a serene and snuggly 2-year-old girllooking for a lap to call her own. Chessa is 
exceptionally sweet and seeks out the attentionof staff, volunteers, and guests in Meow Manor.
She approaches friends and strangers alike forpets and will settle in on a lap for cuddling. Andshe loves belly rubs! Her favorite play time ischasing the laser dot, but she’s also open to othergames with new toys. She gets along fine with theother cats in the Manor and will do well with 
another cat(s) in your home. If you are lookingfor a calm companion with a playful side, Chessawill be a great addition to your family. Pleasestop in and visit Chessa. Her forever home maybe with you.

Her adoption fee is $49 from July 29th throughAugust 14th along with all of her other felinecat and kitten friends at the San Gabriel ValleyHumane Society. This fee includes spay/neutersurgery, vaccinations, microchip and a freewellness exam at a participating veterinarian.
Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for moreinformation on Prim. She currently resides at theSan Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851

E. Grand Avenue in San Gabriel which is located 
off San Gabriel Blvd, north of Mission and south 
of Las Tunas Drive. To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’with Prim, please stop by any time from 10:30amto 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday.Website:www.
sgvhumane.org.

Go to smile.amazon.com and find the San 
Gabriel Valley Humane Society and every timeyou buy something 0.5% will be donated to theshelter! It’s easy to do and helps the shelter withevery purchase you make! Let your friends knowabout this simple way to make a difference! 

THE JOY OF YOGA 
YOGA FOR SLEEP 
I love how versatile 

and helpful yoga 

can be. There’s 

Yoga for Creativity,

Yoga for Emotional

Balance, Yoga forBack Pain and countless other applications. Thereare many remedies available to us from the yogictradition. In a way, we can use Yoga as Medicine.
I’d like to focus on one very common problem formany, sleep. Specifically, lack of sleep.

Getting the proper amount of sleep and restis vital for the body’s ability to repair, renewand release stress. You know this after a night ofinsomnia or broken sleep, it’s stressful to thinkabout the day ahead and garner the energy toface the day effectively. There’s a physiologicaland psychological state of restlessness that oftenaccompanies lack of sleep.

Yoga can offer some wonderful, effectivetools to help settle the system and release builtup tension. First, for the body, it’s important tobegin with dynamic movement to give the minda task and begin regulating our energy. It’s greatfor the practice to include simple forward bendsthat stretch and strengthen the low back. Allmovement should be done with steady, rhythmicbreath that links with movement. Gradually and 

gently, (after establishing equal breath) extendingexhale beyond the length of inhale (1 . to 2 timesthe length) can help enhance the calming effect.
We should move on to holding poses. Holdingfor about 6-8 breaths will make an impact onthe internal systems. As the practice progressesand you have extended exhale a bit, you canreturn to equal and even breath. Poses such asPyramid (Parsvottasana), Wide-legged forwardfold (Pasarita Paddottasana), and Child’s Poseare ideal choices. To end, make sure to include 
a forward-folding hip opener. Classic pigeonpose (kapotasana) and head-to-knee pose, (janusirsasana -a seated open hip forward fold) areexcellent for activating the parasympatheticnervous system and calming the mind. Alwaysend with a comfortable savasana that’s longenough. If your practice was 30 minutes long, dosavasana for at least 5 minutes. 

Of course in our reflection, we should examine 
other factors that may lead to restlessness andsleep deprivation. Practicing yoga reduces thepull of the senses and helps calm the mind.
Consider how you might weave in more yoga thatsupports healthy sleep habits and times of rest.

Be in the moment and take care! Namaste, 
friends. 

Love, Keely Totten 


Meet adorable 
kitten, 
VENUS, age 3months. Venus 
is a beautiful 
dilute calico, 
very soft. She is 
sweet, playful, 
athletic, and 
super-loving.
Your heart will 
melt when she 
gazes at you

with such love, 
and purrs instantly upon your caress on her silkyfur. See her video at https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=q2UtfnQ4sVo. Since Venus is currentlybeing fostered, please call 626-676-9505 to arrangefor a Meet & Greet. 

Lifeline for Pets is a small no-kill rescue 
organization. We show some of our cats most Sunday 

afternoons at 
Petsmart, 3347 E. 
Foothill Blvd. in 
Pasadena, 12:30


3:30. 
Adoption fee 
is $100, which 
includes spay/
neuter, microchip,
& vaccines. Our 
cats are negativeFELV/FIVunless otherwise 
indicated. 
Adoptionapplication, morepictures, and 


videos on our 
website, www.lifelineforpets.org.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifelineforpets.
pasadena Email: info@lifelineforpets.org 



County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control 

The Baldwin Park Animal Care Center Presents 

Summer of Love-a-Bulls 


A Celebration and Adoption Extravaganza for Pit Bulls 

Saturday August 6: 10am-4pm 

The Baldwin Park Animal Care Center 
4275 Elton St, Baldwin Park, CA 

Adopt-a-Bull 
Hug-a-Bull 
Adore-a-Bull Irresist-a-Bull 
Love-a-Bull 
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com