"Priceless Moment": Chimpanzee reunites with former caretaker before passing away

A heart-touching reaction of a Chimpanzee is making rounds over social media as it meets its owner on the deathbed. This 59-year-old dying chimpanzee was seen sharing the lost joy of its life as it met its beloved after years. 

The incident is reported from the Royal Burgers Zoo, Netherlands and the old man is Professor Jan Van Hoff, who used to take care of the Chimpanzee long ago. The professor heard the news and came back to meet his beloved friend as the animal was nearing its death. 

The chimpanzee at first didn’t recognise the professor, but when it did, the expression was truly priceless and worth watching as the animal totally cheered up. The Chimpanzee started gently touching the man like if it was asking the reason for its absence.

The chimpanzee and the professor have known each other since 1972 and they formed a special bond over the time. As it got energised with the old man’s coming, it didn’t stop hugging him and smiled watching him. 

The animal also started eating when the professor fed him. As the professor was feeding him, they both talked, hugged, and cared for each other like what humans do when they meet their old friend. They both seemed to be sharing the memories they got over time. 

The professor as immediately approached his friend who was at its deathbed, said a sweet goodbye to his friend. The video showed that nothing would have been better for the Chimpanzee than its friend visiting him during its final days. 

As the video was shot, the chimpanzee then died after a week, but this seemed out to be a great moment for the animal that helped it end its life peacefully. 

The video is creating a buzz all over social media garnering immense views and comments. With over 2.2 million plays, 2.3K comments and 114K reactions on Facebook, the video is stated as heartwarming by the social media users. 

One of the users named Dinia Santos stated how she watches the video again and again and can’t resist herself from watching more. She stated that the video makes her teary eyed as many times she watches it. 

“I have watched this video twice before and I watched it again this time. Like what I felt before, this video made me teary-eyed again. I felt the chimpanzee’s hopelessness that she just wanted her life to end. Seeing her long-time human friend again after so many years made her happy that she accepted the food offered to her by her friend. I do not know what happened to this chimp after her friend’s visit. I hope that this professor had stayed by her side to comfort her until her last day,” she wrote in her comment. 

Another user highlighted that the animals do also have souls and humans should respect and protect them, “Wow! This is beautiful! and proof that animals have a soul!! We humans need to respect and protect our furry friends.”

However, many users in the comment section highlighted that the animals should not be put in the cage, but to end the rumours, one of the users named Ness Michot stated that the animal was not kept in cage. 

She started her statement as she wrote that the Netherlands is famous for keeping animals differently in open wildlife reserves. She added that the Chimpanzee was very young when she was captured by a German Zoo. 

She then added that the professor was the one who brought the animal here in the Netherlands and placed it along with other female Chimps at the wildlife resort. She highlighted that the chimpanzee and its friends were among the first chimps that were kept in the resort along with big trees, ponds, and bushes. 

She added that the Chimpanzee had a strong personality and was an excellent mediator. The animal was strict but fair and could keep the peace. Once the males were introduced in the colony, the chimpanzee outshined them all. 

The Chimpanzee also had several babies and lived a life more than normal for chimpanzees. Its prowess runs in its genes, as its granddaughter is now the leader of the colony. The man or the professor looked after the chimpanzee in the zoo for decades until he retired. 

He also paid visits to the chimpanzee regularly from outside, however he didn’t go inside as he was not its caretaker anymore. 

The user on social media ended her statement stating that one should not judge someone from just one clip. 

“So before you judge someone from one clip, this man gave her (and many other chimpanzees) the best and most natural life she could have had ever since she was captured. He got her out of a cage and into green pastures, large lavish trees and a big family,” she wrote. 

The tale of the Chimpanzee and the professor is a strong example of how humans should treat animals and in turn animals cherish them forever. The incident emerges out to be a powerful example of loyalty in relationships.