Tumalo chimp sanctuary mourns Maggie’s passing

One of Chimps Inc.’s eight beloved chimpanzees, Maggie, has died at the age of 23 of unknown causes, the sanctuary announced Wednesday,

The facility’s team of board members, staff and volunteers announced that Maggie passed away peacefully on Tuesday afternoon.

“She was surrounded by her sisters, Thiele and Patti, who stayed with her and together mourned her passing,” the statement said.

It continued:

Maggie, who began her retirement at Chimps Inc. in August 2005, was a great family member to the other chimpanzees and was often seen playing with the kids, Jackson and Emma.

We would often see Maggie wearing a sock on her hand as if it were a glove, or walking through the aerial tunnels with a favorite blanket draped around her, looking for the sunniest spot for a nap. Staff and volunteers gathered to say farewell as Maggie left the sanctuary with a sock on her hand placed by our amazing team member Karen T.

The life expectancy of chimpanzees in the wild is typically 35-40 years, but they can live up to 60 years in captivity. We are unsure of what caused Maggie’s premature death, but we hope to have answers in the following days.

Chimps Inc. will hold a private memorial for Maggie in the near future. The public, and especially our Chimps Inc. family of supporters, are invited to send in cards which will be displayed at her memorial and on a wall in the Playhouse habitat for the chimps to enjoy.

Chimps Inc. has also established a fund in Maggie’s memory, to assist the remaining seven chimps with a quality captive life. Cards and gifts may be sent to Chimps Inc. PO 6973 Bend, OR 97708.

Learn more at http://www.chimps-inc.org/