This is Mama. She’s the matriarch of the widely known chimp colony at the Royal Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands. Unfortunately, the 59 year-old chimpanzee was very ill and nearing her death April of last year. Before she’d let go though, she had to say goodbye to her lifelong, human friend.
Recently, footage of this goodbye between Mama and her friend has surfaced, and it is a rare look into the complex, and deep bonds that can form between animals and humans.
Trust us, you’re going to want to have the tissues ready for this one.
Jan van Hooff is a professor of behavioral biology at Utrecht University and is also one of the cofounders of the Burgers chimpanzee colony.
Van Hoof has known Mama since 1972. He’s been studying and loving Mama for over 40 years.
It breaks your heart to see this beautiful creature suffering. She’s so ill that she’s curled up, unresponsive to everyone and everything around her. She won’t even drink or eat.
Upon hearing the details of the condition Mama was in, van Hooff knew that he had to go in to say his goodbyes.
You won’t believe Mama’s reaction to van Hooff entering the room. Once she realizes that he’s there, her whole demeanor changes. She musters up the energy to visit with her friend one last time. The reunion is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking.
It’s clear just how deep Mama and van Hooff’s special bond was. Her smile says it all.
With their final goodbye bringing comfort to her, Mama was finally able to let go. She passed away just a week after this video was taken.
Mama was born in the wild in 1957 and was the longest living chimpanzee at the zoo at the time of her death.
The average lifespan of a chimpanzee is 40 to 50 years, so it’s pretty incredible to think of the long, healthy life that Mama lived. She took care of her colony as the matriarch, and helped scientists better understand her species. One thing that behavioralists understood from studying her colony is that chimpanzees mourn in ways that are very similar to humans.
Those emotional similarities are obvious when you watch the van Hooff and Mama reunion.
Mama was famous among her colony and those studying her for having a dominant nature and being the undisputed matriarch of her family. The name Mama was definitely a fitting one.
Mama’s legacy will definitely live on thanks to this moving video.
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