R.I.P. Bonnie
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:57 pm
Generally, the zoo IS interesting and no question that I love being there, even when the news is tragic and we're all thrown into grief because we've lost a beloved animal.
Today was a day like that. Our dear, sweet Bonnie, eldest of the chimps, was euthanized after suffering a string of strokes which left her seriously damaged! I can't tell you how sad this is--every chimp in our group of 13 has known Bonnie for all their life. She was a mother, grandmother, friend, mentor and generally quiet leader to everyone in the troop. She loved men and would flirt shamelessly with them from the exhibit.
When I first started doing research for the zoo, I was asked to spend time in front of the exhibit, to see if I could discover why Nan (one of Bonnie's daughters) refused to "lock up" for the night. If a keeper can't "lock up" the animals...that keeper can't clean the exhibit! It's not tragic for a day or so, but it's obviously necessary to get the animals inside eventually. In order to "transfer" chimps, this keeper would open the door to the night quarters late in the day, enticing everyone in with food. Nan would come in with all the others, but then she'd grab her food and scamper back out onto the exhibit. Bonnie would either sit in the door so the keeper couldn't close Nan in with the rest, or she'd wait outside until Nan came back out with her food.
This clever mom realized her daughter didn't want to spend the night in her "bedroom," so she devised a way to help her!
I couldn't see anything going on to cause Nan's actions and went back into the holding area to chat with the keeper and try to think of a solution to the problem. While I was there, the keeper left for a moment and I was alone with all the chimps as they sorted through their food. Both Nan and Bonnie were in the food area and the thought crossed my mind that I could close the door myself, and help the keeper that way.
QUICK AS A FLASH, I put out my hand to the lever and, turning to look at the door, I saw Bonnie sitting in it, with her foot against the threshold. She almost TWINKLED at me, looking directly into my eyes with an "AHA...thought you'd fool ME, did you?" expression.
I'll never forget the feeling of being completely outwitted by a chimpanzee!
Bonnie had a long and happy life with her family and she'd never have lived as long as she did in the wild. She'd had a series of small strokes about three years ago but made a fair recovery. But this time, it was just too late.
She was 53. The vets who euthanized her let the keepers who wanted to say goodbye come in to view the body and then they let the chimps come into the area. Chimps know about death and, whenever possible, a deceased member of the family is brought to them, so they can know what happened to their loved one.
I'm crying as I write this because, like everyone who knew her, I loved Bonnie, too.
Lots of people think they'd like to work in a zoo....but days like this one are really HARD!
Today was a day like that. Our dear, sweet Bonnie, eldest of the chimps, was euthanized after suffering a string of strokes which left her seriously damaged! I can't tell you how sad this is--every chimp in our group of 13 has known Bonnie for all their life. She was a mother, grandmother, friend, mentor and generally quiet leader to everyone in the troop. She loved men and would flirt shamelessly with them from the exhibit.
When I first started doing research for the zoo, I was asked to spend time in front of the exhibit, to see if I could discover why Nan (one of Bonnie's daughters) refused to "lock up" for the night. If a keeper can't "lock up" the animals...that keeper can't clean the exhibit! It's not tragic for a day or so, but it's obviously necessary to get the animals inside eventually. In order to "transfer" chimps, this keeper would open the door to the night quarters late in the day, enticing everyone in with food. Nan would come in with all the others, but then she'd grab her food and scamper back out onto the exhibit. Bonnie would either sit in the door so the keeper couldn't close Nan in with the rest, or she'd wait outside until Nan came back out with her food.
This clever mom realized her daughter didn't want to spend the night in her "bedroom," so she devised a way to help her!
I couldn't see anything going on to cause Nan's actions and went back into the holding area to chat with the keeper and try to think of a solution to the problem. While I was there, the keeper left for a moment and I was alone with all the chimps as they sorted through their food. Both Nan and Bonnie were in the food area and the thought crossed my mind that I could close the door myself, and help the keeper that way.
QUICK AS A FLASH, I put out my hand to the lever and, turning to look at the door, I saw Bonnie sitting in it, with her foot against the threshold. She almost TWINKLED at me, looking directly into my eyes with an "AHA...thought you'd fool ME, did you?" expression.
I'll never forget the feeling of being completely outwitted by a chimpanzee!
Bonnie had a long and happy life with her family and she'd never have lived as long as she did in the wild. She'd had a series of small strokes about three years ago but made a fair recovery. But this time, it was just too late.
She was 53. The vets who euthanized her let the keepers who wanted to say goodbye come in to view the body and then they let the chimps come into the area. Chimps know about death and, whenever possible, a deceased member of the family is brought to them, so they can know what happened to their loved one.
I'm crying as I write this because, like everyone who knew her, I loved Bonnie, too.
Lots of people think they'd like to work in a zoo....but days like this one are really HARD!