Born in captivity, the female chimpanzee Vanilla hesitated to step outside, but eventually showed excitement for her new environment.
Chimpanzee Vanilla steps into the open for the first time. (Video: Save the Chimps).
Dr. Andrew Halloran, a primatologist at the nonprofit organization Save the Chimps, shared a video capturing the moment 28-year-old chimpanzee Vanilla gazed at the sky for the first time in an open space, as reported by Live Science on June 29.
Vanilla was born in the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) in New York. Here, she, along with dozens of other chimpanzees, was kept in small cages, each about 1.5 meters wide, suspended like birdcages.
In 1997, when Vanilla was 2 years old, the laboratory closed. She was transferred to a larger enclosure at the Wildlife Waystation in California. However, this enclosure still had a roof, separating her from the outside world. “In California, Vanilla lived with a few other chimpanzees in a cage with mesh fencing, without grass and very poor conditions”, Halloran noted.
Chimpanzee Vanilla jumps out of the door despite initial hesitation.
The Wildlife Waystation ceased operations in 2019. Subsequently, Vanilla and other members of her group were flown to Save the Chimps in Florida via FedEx as part of the FedEx Cares program and eventually arrived at the organization’s sanctuary in a truck. After undergoing a standard isolation period at the sanctuary, they were gradually integrated into one of the larger troops there.
In the newly released video, Vanilla jumps out of the door despite initially hesitating. Dwight, the dominant male chimp, welcomes her with a hug. She continuously looks up at the sky while exploring her new, open, and grassy habitat.
Save the Chimps is located on a former polluted orange grove that has now been transformed into a “chimpanzee paradise,” featuring 12 artificial islands spread over an area of more than 600,000 square meters. The islands are surrounded by water, eliminating the need for animal enclosures. This sanctuary is home to 226 chimpanzees.
