Gail Gillespie-Fox

Her Name Is Missy Gail Gillespie-Fox

In 2013, Gail Gillespie-Fox left her comfortable life in South Africa to join her fiancé in Liberia. It was the start of a new adventure. She soon slipped into the carefree expat way of life in West Africa, discovering new friends and exotic new experiences. Then one day she met a woman carrying a baby orphaned chimpanzee. The tiny creature had been captured by bushmeat hunters who had murdered her mother and family. The orphan's name was Missy. Overnight, Gail's life was changed. She vowed to find Missy a sanctuary where she could live with her own kind. Then, just as she was about to get Missy a new life in a sanctuary, Ebola struck and no animals were allowed out of Liberia. Gail refused to give up, despite massive bureaucratic and personal obstacles continuously placed in her way. She was hounded from her apartment and forced to hide Missy from fearful people who believed chimpanzees were responsible for the Ebola killer virus. For weeks, she and Missy lived like criminals on the run. This is a story of true courage and determination. Of a woman's love for a defenseless animal whose specie's existence is being threatened through ignorance and greed. It is a story of roots conservation. And how one woman's iron resolve made a difference. REVIEW by Phillip Cronje: Sanctuary Manager - Primate Care, Chimp Eden . Her name is Missy tells the story of one little chimp that needed to find a sanctuary and also the heartbreak of the bushmeat trade in Africa. The story of Missy reflects the story of many chimps in Africa and their sad stories. I would recommend to anybody who cares about wildlife to read this story to gain insight into what is happening in Africa to our Great Apes and to see what difference a person can make to the life of one small chimp, like the chimp whose name is Missy.