Sandy

This summer, Chimp Haven mourns the loss of one of its oldest residents, 64-year-old Sandy. As more of the sanctuary’s nearly 300 retirees enter their geriatric years, the team is dedicated to ensuring they continue to live a life of freedom, choice, and exploration well into their golden years.

One of the first things we learn as caregivers is how to identify each chimpanzee in our care. Sandy was among the first I learned. Her misshapen ears, hunched posture, and feisty spirit made her easy to distinguish. These features were also a testament to her years and experiences, which were plentiful. While I could identify Sandy immediately, I didn’t feel like I truly knew her until more recently. It took time for us to warm up to each other. She certainly made me work for the relationship we built. Eventually, we grew closer and I became her trainer. I taught her a few new things, but in the end, she taught me much more than I could have ever taught her.

I won’t be able to write about all the things I learned from her. I don’t possess the skill to sum up the two years we spent together. Not to mention, I’m sure I’ll keep learning from her as I grieve this loss. However, I’ll try to share a few of her greatest attributes, knowing that words on a page could never do justice to the chimpanzee she was or the incredible life she led.

First, Sandy taught me so much about friendship. I had the first-hand experience of building my own hard-earned friendship with her. I definitely judged her by her rough exterior when we met, but when I put in the time to get to know her, I found a sweet, playful lady at her center. I also witnessed her remarkable friendships with her group mates. The Oldies set a beautiful example for friendships (chimp and beyond). Watching them support each other through aging, grief, and day to day life has been one of the greatest experiences of my career thus far. They wait for each other through every doorway and down every staircase no matter how slow their friends have become, which leads me to Sandy’s next virtue: patience.

Sandy was patient with me from the very beginning. As I’ve mentioned, we did not hit it off immediately. However, over weeks and months, I would come back and try again. I would try to figure out her style of play and her favorite snacks. As I figured those things out, she continued to show me patience. She would come back time and time again to see what I had to offer and I’m grateful she was willing to put the same effort into our friendship that I was. She was also patient with her group mates. When her friend Phyllis developed vision loss, she was patient with her as they navigated their environment together. She routinely waited for her friends, as they sometimes waited for her. She was also patient when Lil Rose was greedy with their snacks and would routinely allow her to get her fill before gathering her own. Finally, what inspired me most about Sandy was her patience with herself. As she aged, she climbed slower and she walked slower. Sometimes it took her multiple tries to stand up or pick something up from the ground, but she gave herself grace. She didn’t give up and she was always willing to try again. She was resilient.

Sandy demonstrated her strength and determination every day. She was 64 years old, which is incredible for a chimpanzee. Born in the wild, used in research, and retired to sanctuary (where she spent many years meeting new chimps, moving to new habitats, and meeting new caregivers), she survived a lot of change. I think if you asked anyone who knew Sandy to describe her, it would be very similar to opening the thesaurus to “resilient” and reading all the synonyms listed there. That toughness was one of her greatest qualities and I strive to emulate it in my own life. However, I’ll be remembering her for a whole lot more than that. She was a force of nature, larger than life, and unabashedly herself. I was incredibly lucky to play a small role in her time on earth. She’s certainly played a big one in mine.

Taryn Hohenbary

Animal Care Specialist