Saying Goodbye

Note: This video may be difficult to watch, especially for those of you who have known and loved Jody either in person or virtually, but we hope you can find a time when you feel able to share in our experience of saying goodbye to Jody.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that chimps react to the death of a loved one in different ways. Some are scared or anxious, while others are accepting. Some are even empathetic enough to comfort the humans around them, as you'll see. It is a unique privilege to witness-and even participate in-what is essentially a chimpanzee wake. The Cle Elum Seven had been a family for 17 years, and some of their relationships go back even longer. Jody's death is a profound loss for them.
The rituals look familiar. They kiss, hold, groom, and caress. These are the mechanisms of bonding and the expressions of affection that held them together in life. Perhaps in death they are just a continued expression of love. Or perhaps they are an attempt to hold on for one more moment to something they know is slipping away. If you had watched the humans spend time with Jody upon her death, you would have seen the same kinds of things.
Note: go to the blog or website to communicate with the sanctuary! We turned off commenting on our RUclips videos. Foxie Chimpanzee loves troll dolls, but her human caregivers don't love internet trolls.
Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is against the use of chimpanzees in the entertainment, pet, and biomedical industries. We do not believe chimpanzees belong in captivity. The reality is that there are many chimpanzees in captivity who could never live a life in the wild. We, along with other accredited, true sanctuaries, provide a home for these chimpanzees and allow their individual personalities to shine. Learn more about the chimpanzees, the sanctuary, and our philosophy on our website and daily blog. linktr.ee/chim... ChimpsNW.org