59-year-old chimpanzee ‘Mama’

[goater555]

Mama, 59 years old and the oldest chimpanzee and the matriarch of the famous chimpanzee colony of the Royal Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands, was gravely ill. Jan van Hooff (emeritus professor behavioural biology at Utrecht University and co-founder of the Burgers colony) who has known Mama since 1972, visited her in the week before she died of old age in April 2016. It took a while before she became aware of Jan's presence. Her reaction was extremely emotional and heart-breaking. Mama played an important social role in the colony. This has been described in "Chimpanzee Politics" by Frans de Waal, who studied the colony since 1974.

didn't realise I'd added the read more crap sorry

 

[MellowJoe]

There are many behavioural tests that have been carried out with many animals. Animals exhibit grief, fear, pain, panic.. etc. To deny the evidence is to bury your head in the sand.. (bird brains eh?) https://www.upc-online.org/thinking/pain_and_suffering.html

 

[DelToro]

Tears in my eyes watching that

 

[Mancitydoogle]

didn't realise I'd added the read more crap sorry

Very sad and poignant watch,these animals have a lot of human characteristics.Twelve years ago I was lucky enough to go to Uganda
to track Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas, the highlight of the trip being a stay on Ngamba island,which is off the coast of Entebbe.
This island is a sanctuary for Orphan Chimpanzees and you get to handle young Chimps and they as interested in you as you them.
They older Chimps are too violent to be trusted near visitors ,another trait they share with us.
It was the most memorable experience of my life and hopefully one day I'll be able to go back.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Saddest thing I have seen in ages

 

[kaz7]

Really sad but i'm so happy she got to feel some love at the end if only for a few minutes