We recently had the chance to connect with Arianna Shaprow and have shared our conversation below.
Arianna , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
First, I’m so grateful you are taking the time to interview me. It really means a lot! I’ll describe a normal school day at home, when I’m not surrounded by the adorable chatter of monkeys and towering tree canopies at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary.
My interest in helping primates developed organically, and ultimately led to my engagement with this primate sanctuary. When I was 12 years old, I started publishing poetry about social justice issues. At the time, my dogs were two years old. Overtime, I became more and more connected to the emotions of animals, as I cared for my own animals over the years. This led to my desire to connect more with nature, engage in the fight for conservation, and to form an emotional bond with primates.
My “day in the life” looks something like this since I’m currently in highschool. I wake up at 6am because that is the time my dogs wake up. I have four Cavelier King Charles Spaniels, who feel like family to me. First, I take them outside for fresh air and to run around. Then, I cut up green beans and apples, give them their breakfast and probiotics, and turn on their morning cartoons. My dogs love watching the show “Bluey.” Dogs see a spectrum that includes blues and yellows, so they enjoy this show’s color palette, because it uses blues and yellows, along with dynamic motion.
After caring for my dogs, I start planning my day. I make a to-do list, to prioritize my tasks for the day. Then, I get to school early, and have breakfast there. Typically, I order an omelet, and they have really fresh food. I attend boarding school as a day student.
When the school day is done, I have tennis practice, and then I get home and complete my writing and math assignments for the day. After I’m finished with homework, I usually engage in an artistic project to calm my mind, like working on my book or a painting. Art really relaxes me. I call my friends, hang out with my mom, do volunteer work with the primate sanctuary virtually, and go to sleep around 11pm.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a human and animal activist; I advocate for the rights and welfare of both humans and animals. I got this amazing opportunity to work directly with the founder of Jungle Friends Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization that provides care for monkeys who have been rescued from a life of abuse or neglect. The founder, Kari Bagnall is mentoring me, and it’s an honor to receive guidance from her, as she was mentored by Jane Goodall.
Kari is truly an inspiration to me! She commits her life to taking care of almost 200 monkeys; she provides them with nurturance, healthy food, veterinary care, and an environment where they can thrive. Monkeys need to live in groups, since they travel in packs.
Thanksgiving morning, I was working in Kari’s office on her social media campaign and fundraising, and I came across an old letter that Jane Goodall wrote to Kari in the early nineties. Goodall acknowledged all the positive things Kari was doing to raise public awareness and enhance the lives of primates. Goodall wrote this letter when she was on a flight, traveling globally, for one of her speaking engagements.
It’s incredible to know that I am in the unique position to receive knowledge and mentorship from Kari, a visionary, and one of the leading primate activists. She corresponds with me regularly, sharing her insights and teaching me how I can one day run a sanctuary to rescue abused primates.
Each year, a hundred thousand primates are traumatized from laboratory experiments. Baby monkeys are separated from their mothers and forced to endure the unimaginable. In laboratories, some die from dehydration, exposure to chemicals, or surgical errors. I need to do whatever I can to help.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I have always been deeply connected to the natural world and animals. This is my core essence.
I’ve spent time with horses, and studies show there is a correspondence between horse and human heart rate, as well as heart rate variability. Researchers identified this idea of “heart coupling” to show the extent to which a human’s emotions can influence the emotions of a horse.
There is also a large amount of research showing that dogs reduce stress in people by lowering cortisol and increasing levels of oxytocin, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter.
Animals have brought me a sense of calm. I met my first dog, “Jackpot,” when I was 10 years old, and I fell in love with him. Over the next four years, I brought three more dogs into my home and heart. Caring for them and connecting with them has been the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced.
The love I feel for animals is indescribable. It’s an unconditional and natural love that provides me with comfort and pure joy.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of rejection used to hold me back a lot. I was able to overcome this by facing my fears head-on, taking immediate action inspite of my fears, focusing on the process rather than the outcome, and fostering self-confidence from within.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I admire Jane Goodall because she tirelessly fought for the welfare of animals, especially chimpanzees. She formed an emotional bond with chimpanzees, allowing got a much deeper understanding of their behavior.
Up until the day she died, she traveled around the world advocating for animal welfare and the preservation of our planet. I will always admire her vision of hope for the future of animals and the environment.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I feel like I am definitely doing what I was born to do when I work with animals. In this way, my connectedness to animals grounds me.
Sometimes society encourages us to pursue certain professions, like being a lawyer or a doctor. Other times, society endorses a heightened degree of materialism. At times, we are made to feel scared of being judged.
But in the end, we have to look at our own reflection in the mirror. It is important to know who we are, and love who we are.
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