In Memoriam: Gregoire 1942-2008

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

Caretakers found Gregoire dead in his bed of eucalyptus leaves yesterday morning at JGI's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center, a sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees, in the Republic of Congo. In notifying JGI staff members and volunteers around the world, Dr. Goodall's assistant Mary Lewis wrote: "We have some sad news from the Congo today. Early this morning our old friend Gregoire was found dead in his room. It appears that he died naturally in his sleep and he will be buried at the sanctuary which gave him a safe haven in his latter years."

As news of Gregoire's death circulated yesterday, messages of condolence and sympathy made their way to Jane and JGI from around the world.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• chimp
• chimpanzee
• Jane Goodall
• Sanctuary
• Gregoire
• the Jane Goodall Institute

[bookishfilly]

What a sweetheart. Now is he is truly free. RIP Gregoire.

[CelticSpiritWolf]

Though, I like Gregoire..among the other primitive creatures, i only like him! :') such a sad life he's had until he met that gal

[CelticSpiritWolf]

Gentle sou.. To the human eye. Just smile at him and have eye contact. Gentle no more.

[bobfari]

What happend to his right eye?

[aliveinsd]

Understood. But the video begs the question.....40-years in a cramped cage; starved, hairless, sick and yet the animal lived to be one of the oldest specimens of its species? I may be making light of the situation, but it seems that the caged apes live longer than the free-roaming, that is if longevity be a measure of quality of life.