A video has captured the heartwarming moment that a rescued chimpanzee sees the open sky for the first time after living inside for 28 years.
Vanilla the chimpanzee grew up in a medical laboratory in New York, where scientists experimented with new medicine and surgery on animals to see if the techniques were safe enough to be used on humans.
Because of this, she had lived in a small cage where she couldn’t roam about for the first two years of her life. She was then moved to a refuge with other rescued chimps in California where she lived in a larger enclosure, about the size of a garage.
Last year, Save the Chimps arranged for her and her group of chimps to be flown to the foundation’s 150 acre sanctuary in Florida.
She now lives in a refuge that is home to 226 other rescued chimpanzees – many of whom had been experimented on by scientists, held captive in roadside zoos or kept as pets.
The video shows Vanilla leaving her enclosure and seeing nature for the first time.
First, she gets a big hug from the Alpha male of her group, Dwight.
She then looks up at the sky and her face is full of wonder and joy. After that, she goes and explores the green grass of the open sanctuary.
The chimpanzee's adorable reaction was captured on camera. Pictur: Save the Chimps
Vanilla looked amazed and happy. Picture: Save the Chimps
Save the Chimps’ primatologist Dr. Andrew Halloran said the open green fields, trees and climbing platforms of her new home are very different to the small enclosures she was kept in before being rescued.
“In California, Vanilla lived with a handful of chimps inside a chain-link fence cage with no grass,” Halloran told The New York Post.
He said Vanilla was settling in to her new home very well and liked to explore with her chimp friends or sit up high on a three-storey climbing platform and look at the views.
He gets to know what each new chimp that arrives at the sanctuary is like to figure out which of the 12 chimp island communities will be the best match.
It turns out Vanilla has found a happy home.
“She gets along with all of the other 18 chimps on her island,” Halloran said, “and has a particularly playful relationship with the Alpha male Dwight — from whom she steals food.”
please add: Headline, an Image, a Drop-in Quote and a Sub-Heading.
Headline: Rescued Chimpanzee Experiences Freedom and Joy as She Sees the Sky for the First Time
Image: [Insert Image of Vanilla the chimpanzee looking up at the sky]
Drop-in Quote: "Vanilla lived with a handful of chimps inside a chain-link fence cage with no grass. Seeing her experiencing the open sanctuary for the first time was truly heartwarming." - Dr. Andrew Halloran, Primatologist at Save the Chimps
Sub-heading: Vanilla, a chimpanzee rescued from a medical laboratory, finally gets to explore nature and find a loving community at a sanctuary in Florida.
Headline: Rescued Chimpanzee Experiences the Joy of Freedom, Seeing the Sky for the First Time in 28 Years
Image: [Insert an image of Vanilla the chimpanzee gazing up at the open sky with wonder and excitement]
Drop-in Quote: "In California, Vanilla lived with a handful of chimps inside a chain-link fence cage with no grass... Now, she gets to explore the open green fields and trees of her new sanctuary home." - Dr. Andrew Halloran, Save the Chimps' Primatologist
Sub-Heading: Vanilla the chimpanzee, held captive for years in a medical laboratory, embraces newfound freedom at a sanctuary in Florida, experiencing the beauty of the open sky and green surroundings for the first time.