Conservationists Mourn the Death of Africa’s Oldest Chimp

The staff members of the Jane Goodall Institute have loved and cared for Gregoire since 1997. The chimpanzee, believed to be the oldest known chimp in Africa, was 66 years old when he passed away peacefully in his sleep at the Institute’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo. Gregoire had become a symbol for the conservation of animals who have suffered abuse from humans prior to being rescued.

Before being rescued, Gregoire had lived in solitary confinement for 40 years in an empty cage at the Brazzaville Zoo, in the Congo’s capital city. Jane Goodall learned about Gregoire’s situation from a colleague, conservationist Aliette Jamar. Jamar had been horrified when she saw the chimp’s living conditions, and she knew Goodall was the one to help.

"I gazed at this strange being, alone in his bleak, cement-floored cage," Goodall later said. "His pale, almost hairless skin was stretched tightly over his emaciated body so that every bone could be seen. His eyes were dull as he reached out with a thin, bony hand for a proffered morsel of food. Was this really a chimpanzee?"

Goodall arranged for Gregoire to be cared for and given a healthier diet. But in 1997, when the civil war in the Congo became more violent, fighting spread to just a half a mile away from the zoo. Every time Gregoire heard a shell explode, he would dive underneath his sleeping shelf, and his back was scraped raw. So Goodall arranged for Gregoire and the other chimps at the zoo to be airlifted to the Thimpounga sanctuary, where they all were placed in roomy natural habitats, cared for, and given proper nutrition. Gregoire’s personality blossomed under the care of the center’s staff.

Claire Jones, a spokesperson for the Goodall Institute, said that people often bring home "cute and cuddly baby chimps, only to learn later that they grow to become strong and powerful beings that they cannot handle." As a result, many primates are brought to the Tshimpounga center after they become adults that their owners cannot care for. The center also houses orphaned chimps whose parents have been killed due to the bushmeat trade.

Many chimps and other primates continue to suffer in Africa and Asia, living in squalor in poorly run zoos. They are fed cigarettes and given soft drinks, and not given proper veterinary care. Shirley McGreal, chairwoman of the International Primate Protection League, explained why much of the world is unaware of the mistreatment that goes on. "Keep in mind that zoos are more of a western concept often established by expatriates in countries where it's otherwise believed animals should exist in a more natural, free environment." McGreal hopes that conservation groups such as hers will help to increase awareness and improve living conditions for all animals in captivity around the world.

Gregoire leaves behind a host of fond memories for his caretakers. One story deals with the woman in his life, a female chimpanzee named Clara. A privacy wall between his nest with Clara and a nest where two other females were located needed to be removed temporarily. Missing his privacy with Clara, Gregoire sulked for days until the wall was erected again. Staffers were convinced that he was in love with Clara, and the two were inseparable for many years. Clara was sleeping right beside him when he passed away.

"Gregoire was an incredibly resilient being," said Lisa Pharoah, JGI Africa Program manager for West and Central Africa. "Particularly for our Congolese staff, he served as a symbol for how we can all overcome adversity. There was such a gentleness about him."