Twenty-five years ago Linda Koebner saved this chimp, and one other from an animal research facility. Koebner, who is now an animal behaviorist, went to visit the chimps, named Swing and Doll. She helped these animals escape a hepatitis research facility all of those years ago.
The animals had been stuck in the facility for six years, and she helped them reintegrate into the wild.
Koebner founded an animal sanctuary in Louisiana after she rescued them. She spent four years helping them learn to live outside again.
They were afraid to leave their cages when she brought them to her sanctuary. Now, they live in Florida.
This emotional reunion was captured in the PBS documentary, The Wisdom of the Wild. When she came back to visit the chimpanzees, they remembered her and hugged her.
Ms. Koebner was a graduate student at the time. She helped these rescued animals gradually get adjusted to living outside again.
She came up to them asking “Do you remember me?” Well, obviously they did. Linda was tearful during their reunion.
The facility the chimps live at now contains over 30 chimpanzees. Some of them were former research chimps. One was crippled from being subject to polio trials. Others were pets who were gotten rid of when they grew too strong for their owners.
Koebner said in the film:
“Chimpanzees have provided us so much in this world. So much knowledge about ourselves, about our social lives, about our dispositions, because they are so much like us as beings. These chimpanzees have taught me about resilience. All of these have gone through such tremendous adversity, and yet they’re forgiving, and they’re whole again.”
In 2004, Koebner founded Chimp Haven, which houses over 300 rescued chimps.
These animals were rescued from various research institutions or the entertainment industry. Watch the emotional reunion in the video below; it might make you cry.
Featured image Screenshot Of Argofilms Video via YouTube.
