Chimps We Know

Grégoire, the most famous chimpanzee of Tchimpounga

(1942-2008)

In December 2008, one of the animal world's most incredible stories of resilience and happy endings came to a quiet close: Grégoire, Africa's oldest known chimpanzee and a national hero in the Republic of Congo, died in his sleep.

Grégoire lived at the Tchimpounga Sanctuary for 11 years. He was a resilient, gentle chimpanzee who had survived more than 40 years of solitary display in a barren cage at a zoo and then an airlift during a civil war. His twilight years were peaceful and content thanks largely to the care of doting sanctuary staff members and the initial intervention of Jane Goodall. When Jane met Grégoire in 1990, he was emaciated, hairless and suffering intensely from loneliness and boredom.

Petit Prince

Petit Prince lives up to his name – he is handsome and has a somewhat dignified air. When he arrived at JGI’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in Congo on March 1, 2000, he was only 2 or 3 months old, dehydrated and barely alive. He was found in a lorry, tied up in a bag, with his right leg almost severed by what was most likely a snare. At the age of 2 months, he was one of the youngest chimpanzees to arrive at the sanctuary. He grew to enjoy the company of humans more than that of his peers. Today he is a quiet, young chimpanzee who seems to have no desire to be dominant. He is one of the Tchimpounga chimps who has a very good chance of being reintroduced into the wild in the near future.

Timi

Timi arrived at Tchimpounga in 2002 and was approximately 3 years old. While his origins are unknown, his mother was most likely killed for bushmeat and he was probably sold to local villagers for a few francs. Arriving at the sanctuary weak and dehydrated, Timi recovered quickly with the care and medical attention he received from Tchimpounga staff. Not only he is easy-going and sociable, but Timi is also very gentle and affectionate and acts as a mentor, friend and protector to all the younger chimps introduced to his group. Timi loves to play with water, washes himself meticulously, and even fetching leaves to substitute as his washcloth!

Kudia

In the fall of 2006, the JGI Congo team, backed by the Congolese police, confiscated a very young female chimpanzee held by an unscrupulous roadside seller. The little orphan was being held captive in order to be sold as a pet.About 2 years of age, she was seriously traumatized by the loss of her mother who had been killed by traffickers, and had been mistreated. She was also malnourished and her skin was covered with wounds. It didn’t take long for Kudia to start enjoying life again thanks to the affection and healthy diet she received from the Tchimpounga caregivers. Kudia is now a playful little chimp who is always looking for more food.