It was a busy Friday afternoon at the city zoo. Families and tour groups filled the pathways, and their chatter mixed with the sounds of the animals. However, the fun atmosphere changed quickly when a small puppy ran away from its owner and headed straight towards the chimpanzee enclosure.
The puppy, a little golden retriever mix, had taken off its collar because of all the excitement near the primate house. Before anyone could react, it squeezed through a small gap in the enclosure’s outer fence that had been there to allow for maintenance.
People started to panic. Inside the habitat, the chimpanzees stopped and stared, not knowing what to do. Zoo staff hurried, radios buzzing as they got ready for the worst.
But the old chimp, Lulu, was not aggressive. She stopped a few feet from the puppy, sat down, and made a soft, panting sound—a sign that everything was going to be all right. The puppy, thinking there was nothing to worry about, wagged its tail and carefully walked towards the cat.
Lulu picked up the puppy and held it close to her chest, just like she would a baby chimpanzee. She started to clean its fur, which is a clear sign that it likes her.
Just a month earlier, Lulu had also lost her baby to a sudden illness. The matriarch was deeply saddened and had been isolating herself from the rest of the troop, refusing to eat.
The tiny puppy had made her think about being a mum.
What they documented over the next two days was nothing short of a miracle.
Lulu and the puppy were always together. She carried him everywhere, shared her food with him, and protected him from the younger, more boisterous chimps. The puppy cuddled up next to her and went everywhere with her.
The story spread quickly online. News outlets around the world shared clips of the unlikely pair. But the public didn’t know the sad reason behind the bond until a zookeeper explained Lulu’s recent loss.
The sad chimp wasn’t just playing with a new friend; she was getting better. The puppy had given her a reason to look after others again, pulling her out of a deep depression.
After consulting with animal behaviorists, the zoo made an unusual decision. They took the puppy, now known as Ben, home and introduced him to the other animals in the enclosure, but they kept a close eye on him. He spends his days with Lulu, making the ageing chimp feel better and bringing happiness to the rest of the troop.
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