59-year-old dying chimpanzee rejects food, but then she recognizes her old caretaker’s voice

Professor Jan van Hooff, an emeritus professor of behavioral biology at Utrecht University, has known Mama the chimpanzee since 1972. He was actually the one who co-founded the colony she was a matriarch to. It was the first colony raised in a zoo and was at the same time a subject of research on primate behavior that has been described in “Chimpanzee Politics” by Frans de Waal, who studied the colony since 1974.

But now, at the age of 59, Mama was about to leave this world and she refused the food and the water the people from the zoo offered to her. It seemed like she could sense the end was near. The employees of the Royal Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands, where Mama was located, made a call that changed the last week of the chimps’ life. They contacted her caretaker, professor Van Hooff who didn’t hesitate to come and say one last goodbye to his long time friend. The encounter turned out to be one of the sweetest and most heart-warming interactions between a human and an animal.

When Mr. Van Hooff arrived at the zoo he saw Mama laying curled up in a ball unable to lift her head. At first she wasn’t aware of the professor’s presence, but once she recognized his voice she regained her strength for a short time and the result of the meeting is something unbelievably moving.

Mama passed away one week after she got to say goodbye to her friend, but before she met her end she taught us a valuable lesson about love and emotions. If you ever doubted animals’ ability to feel sadness, affection, and devotion this touching moment caught on this video will put those doubts to rest.

Please SHARE this touching story with your family and friends on Facebook!

Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

Charlie Kirk’s final words before being assassinated

Charlie Kirk, CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was assassinated during a university event in Utah. The 31-year-old commentator...

Arnold Schwarzenegger hospitalized

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a legendary figure whose achievements span bodybuilding, acting, and global fame. With multiple Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles, he became...

Tragedy as teen drowns rescuing four children – his family reveals his legacy

16-year-old Bryce Brooks from Atlanta was vacationing with his family in Pensacola when an imaginable tragedy took place. Bryce and a group of friends "witnessed...

Coach is furious when players disrespect the National Anthem: Now watch the veterans on the left

Parents, as well as teachers, should educate children to be compassionate and to always pay respect to everyone around them even from very little...

I discovered my husband’s secret before our gender reveal – what happened next shocked everyone

Just the thought of becoming a mom filled my heart and soul with a strange feeling of warmth. And as I was preparing our...

9-year-old boy with stage 4 cancer had one final wish — and it will break your heart

Bailey Cooper, a nine-year-old boy, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2016. It was news no parent should ever hear and a diagnosis...