| ozron |
09-17-2009 09:02 PM |
I didn't know where else to post this...
Today we lost Charlie.
Charlie was 39 years old and the alpha male of our chimpanzee group. He was a character who recognized zoo staff and even some regular visitors, and had a strong bond with his keepers. Raised in a time when zoo animals were often involved with research, Charlie had a rudimentary sign language vocabulary, and would engage some of his favorite staff in conversation. He would often sign "chase" when he wanted to play his favorite game, which involved running from one end of the exhibit to the other.
The AZA annual conference was in Portland this week, and the keynote speaker on Tuesday was Jane Goodall, who has known Charlie all his life. Today was "zoo day", the final day of the conference, when the delegates visit the hosting zoo. 1500 zoo professionals were on grounds.
Charlie was active and engaged this morning, on exhibit and interacting with the rest of the group normally. Early in the afternoon, the chimps became very vocal and agitated. Charlie had simply died.
I spoke with Dave, Charlie's keeper and friend of 30 years, a short time later (in fact, he's the one who told me). He was holding it together, but this will be a tough time for him. This is the toughest part of a zookeeper's profession. Earlier this year, Dave had expressed concern over Charlie's reaction to his imminent retirement. A newspaper article about them described the two of them as "two old men, sitting together just enjoying each other's company."
Please keep Dave and the rest of the keeper staff in your thoughts. They are dedicated, caring professionals for whom love is a tool of the trade. And grief comes with the territory.
Goodbye, Charlie.
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