Genius Products Inc. (GNPR)

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Captivating And Bittersweet Series About Chimpanzee Rescue And Rehabilitation Swings Onto Two-Disc DVD February 3 From Animal Planet and Genius Products

SANTA MONICA, CA – Journey into the depths of South Africa and experience the fascinating events at Chimp Eden when “Escape To Chimp Eden” Season One arrives as a two-disc DVD for the first time on February 3 from Genius Products and Animal Planet. Heartfelt series follows conservationist Eugene Cussons, a South African rescue director for the Jane Goodall Institute’s Chimp Eden, as he travels throughout war-torn African countries to rescue neglected and abused chimps. Once brought to the sanctuary of Chimp Eden, Eugene works hands-on with these challenging chimps, sometimes putting his own safety on the line to teach them basic skills such as climbing trees and foraging for food. “Escape To Chimp Eden” Season One provides viewers with compelling stories that are both educational and adventurous. Timed with the Season Two premiere on Animal Planet in January, the two-disc DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.95.

Episode Synopses:

Angolan Rescue Part 1 – Episode One

The clock is ticking. Caged in an abandoned warehouse in Luanda, Angola, Josephine lives under a death sentence. If Eugene can’t get her out by the end of the month, her owner will put her down. Eugene travels to Angola to save Josephine. While waiting for final permission to take her out of the country, Eugene goes undercover to search for other chimps. He finds two chimps kept in the worst conditions Eugene has ever seen. The chimps are abused and hungry, and they mistrust humans. The youngest appears blind in one eye and has had his teeth pulled because he was biting tourists. He needs medical attention. Eugene plans for their rescue on the fly, scrambling to organize their ESCAPE TO CHIMP EDEN.

Angolan Rescue Part 2 – Episode Two

The rescue of Josephine has gone well, but Eugene is now faced with a much more daunting task – rescuing two chimps from a foreign country. Eugene is told by the local authorities that he can try and confiscate the chimps. But how is he going to do it with no legitimate authority and limited resources all before his time runs out and he’s forced to get Josephine out of Angola?

Jao – Episode Three

As the beta male of the infant enclosure, Eugene must ask permission from Jao, the alpha male, to enter and work with the younger chimps. But when Eugene must fend off Jao with pepper spray, Eugene’s access to the chimps is threatened.

Xena – Episode Four

She may be the smallest chimp, but Xena is a very feisty infant. She stirs up trouble for Eugene and the rest of the group. But, when Eugene puts her in her place, Xena protests by escaping the enclosure. She soon realizes that she has reached the edge of the adult enclosure, and if she falls in, the situation would be very dire.

Angolan Girls – Episode Five

Rescued from a decade spent in tiny cages in Angola, Mimi, Lika and Gida are about to taste freedom for the first time. And, Eugene soon enjoys the fruits of his efforts as the girls will have open spaces, sunshine and trees to climb. But, his girls must share the space with three tough males who have never met a female before. It’s likely to be a tough introduction, and there’s hardly anything Eugene can do to protect them.

The Three Amigos – Episode Six

Nicky is from Liberia, and Abu and Amadeus hail from from Angola, yet they ended up together in the Johannesburg Zoo in the early 90’s. Fifteen years later, all three are living at Chimp Eden. But all is not well in the enclosure. Abu and Amadeus have formed an alliance, taking turns as the bullies of the enclosure. Nicky, the more unassuming and sensitive one, is not taking his isolation sitting down. He’s using his superior intelligence to impress the girls with his tool-making abilities. He’s wooing the girls right under the nose of the larger males. Abu and Amadeus are catching on to Nicky’s game. As Nicky continues his exploits, is it possible that he pushes luck too far?


Bonobos: Zac Part 1 – Episode Seven

Zac and Ginga were rescued with the three others Angolan chimps five months ago. But, there’s something different about these two. Eugene thinks they’re not chimps at all but a subspecies called Bonobos. If they are Bonobos, Eugene finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Bonobos are not covered under the sanctuary’s charter and will have to be sent away. Yet, Eugene promised the Angolan government these chimps would remain at Chimp Eden. Blood tests prove they are, in fact, chimps, but now Eugene must determine into which enclosure these two chimps will go. Zac, the timid one, is placed in the infant enclosure. He begins to find his confidence with the infants and starts upsetting the long-standing hierarchy. Ginga, on the other hand, is tough as nails and is placed in with the larger, scarier adults. Ginga quickly finds herself atop the female pecking order. But, what happens to Ginga when she faces off against the males?

Bonobos: Ginga Part 2 – Episode Eight

The abuse Ginga received at the hands of the adult males forces her to make a run for it. She was somehow able to scale a wall, pass through the electrified fence and get away. Eugene confronts her, trying to coax her back into the enclosure. Miraculously, Ginga follows Eugene back to the enclosure she and Zac shared before their release. She knows it as a safe place. But, Ginga cannot remain alone. Eugene reintroduces her with the adults. Another beating ensues and, again, Ginga escapes! Eugene leads her back into her old enclosure. Now, Eugene faces the tough decision: Does he try again or accept the fact that Ginga never may be integrated into the group?

Sudan Rescue – Episode Nine

Eugene travels to Sudan to rescue five infant chimps, fulfilling the fundamental mission of Chimp Eden—saving chimps. When Eugene gets there, he finds seven baby chimps, but he only has five permits. He’s torn as he decides which to leave behind. Can he risk bringing the one seriously ill baby back to the sanctuary, or does he leave him in Sudan likely to die? And it’s here in Sudan that Eugene faces for the first time the horrors of the bushmeat trade.

Sudan Babies Rescue – Episode Ten

What happens when you release five infant chimps into an organized, established enclosure? The Sudan babies have been waiting five months for their turn to be released from their caged housing. Now, with the chimp family settled in after Zac’s introduction, Eugene will have to deal with five more infants integrated with Xena, Cozi, Zac and the rest of the infant enclosure.

Gadgets – Episode Eleven

How do you teach a chimp to forage for water? At the heart Chimp Eden’s mission is giving the chimps the tools they’ll need to survive in the wild. Chimps normally learn from their parents to fish for termites with a stick and use moss as a sponge to gather water. But, these chimps were rescued from captivity and never learned these vital life lessons. Eugene creates gadgets to teach his chimps these tricks of the trade. He fashions a contraption from a huge stump that will only grant the chimps access to water if they learn to use bread as a sponge. Eugene also builds a feeder with honey hidden inside tiny holes. The chimps can only get to sweet center by using a twig. Eugene quickly realizes that building these contraptions is one thing; getting the chimps to use them is an entirely different matter.

Cozi and the Kids – Episode Twelve

Cozi is one of the original four on the infant enclosure. Now, with the introduction of Zac and the five Sudanese chimps, he’s part of a mob—a group of chimps each vying for position. At first, the youngsters harass Cozi, driving him to distraction. He’s falling lower and lower in the pecking order, all under the reign of “King” Jao. However, the normally docile Jao is becoming more and more aggravated, lashing out at the relentless distractions of the youngsters. Eugene tries to maintain some sense of order, but it’s too much for him to manage on his own. And now, Cozi comes to the rescue, acting as the peacemaker between the generations and forming alliances with many of his family members.

Sally and the Future – Episode Thirteen

Sally is the chimp that changed Eugene’s life. When he saw the infant Sally held captive in Angola, he set out to free her along with as many other chimps as he could. According to Eugene, Sally symbolizes Chimp Eden’s grand vision. He wants to build the perfect chimp family around Sally so she and the others can one day return to the wild. But, Sally’s not helping the cause. She refuses to come down from her private perch high atop her tree. Eugene and Philip are concerned she’s not integrating with the newcomers Zac and the Sudanese infants – something she must do if she’s to make the journey back one day. Can Eugene use his special connection with Sally to bring her back to the family and maintain the dream that she’ll return to the wild?

Source: http://www.thecampusbuzz.com/2009/01/ae-escape-to-chimp-eden.html