The story behind the "Do chimps grieve?" National Geo photo

By at 1:08 pm Thursday, Oct 29

About the image I blogged earlier this week, shot by Monica Szczupider who was a volunteer at the chimp rescue center where the scene took place. If the story of "Dorothy," the deceased chimp in the photo, doesn't break your heart -- man, you don't have one. Szczupider recalls:
chimp.jpgHer presence, and loss, was palpable, and resonated throughout the group. The management at Sanaga-Yong opted to let Dorothy's chimpanzee family witness her burial, so that perhaps they would understand, in their own capacity, that Dorothy would not return. Some chimps displayed aggression while others barked in frustration. But perhaps the most stunning reaction was a recurring, almost tangible silence. If one knows chimpanzees, then one knows that [they] are not [usually] silent creatures."
The Story Behind Our Photo of Grieving Chimps (via Laughing Squid)

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Xeni Jardin

Boing Boing partner, Boing Boing Video host and executive producer. Xeni.net, Twitter, Google+. Email: xeni@xeni.net.

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