Gut Aiderbichl ´s Sanctuary for Traumatized Chimpanzees and other ...

Chimp MORITZ
The Moritz Group, aka Group of Ten. Outdoor Enclosure D.
Probably, Moritz was born free in 1983 in Sierra Leone (Africa). In 1986, he was
kept in captivity and isolation for animal research. All experiments on him were
stopped in 1997. In 2002, the doors of his cage were finally opened and he resettled
among the group living at Gänserndorf. Moritz remains traumatized to a
degree even now. He has the highest rank in his group and can be very dominant
and energetic. Anton and Susi are his best friends in the group. He treats them with
great sensitivity. He acts like a father to the young chimps and knows the games
that will thrill the entire group. During his first excursion to the 2000-sq.m. open-air
enclosure, it was as though he were embracing the world. He inspected every nook
and cranny and made an important discovery. When he gripped an electric wire, he
got a slight shock. But he was not in shock and, at first, just sat down and reflected.
His new world also had limits, but they were also for his own protection.
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