In brief
Once stars of the screen, Eli and Susie, two chimpanzees rescued from Hollywood, are learning to engage with their fellow primates at Lincoln Park Zoo, following a troubled past marred by human exploitation.
On a dreary morning at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, the sounds of a rambunctious crowd of children echoed around the chimpanzee exhibit, seemingly unnoticed by the resident apes, who were busy foraging for food and lounging contentedly. However, behind the scenes, two particular chimps, Eli and Susie, weren’t quite as relaxed; having spent their formative years in the limelight of Hollywood, the presence of unfamiliar faces stirred anxiety in them.Eli, a gentle young male chimp, cautiously approached the enclosure's edge, his fur bristling with tension. Meanwhile, Susie exhibited her no-nonsense personality by shrieking at a photographer, reflecting her unease in front of cameras—an all too familiar sight due to her history of stardom in commercials, TV shows, and music videos prior to her arrival at the zoo in 2020.Until 2015, captive chimpanzees were not protected under the Endangered Species Act, leading to a troubling trend where private ownership and exploitation of these primates as pets or entertainers remained largely unregulated. Tragically, many of these once-docile beings find themselves in dire conditions, as depicted in the recent HBO docuseries “Chimp Crazy.” The series sheds light on the harsh realities faced by former entertainment chimps, showing them confined in oppressive living situations that deny their natural instincts and social needs.Kate Dylewsky, assistant director of government affairs at the Animal Welfare Institute, highlighted the importance of "Chimp Crazy," emphasizing the urgency of preventing the cruel trade of nonhuman primates as pets. Experts at the Lincoln Park Zoo are dedicated to helping chimps like Eli and Susie unlearn their human-influenced behaviors and find their place within a community of their own kind, fostering a hopeful future where these intelligent creatures can thrive in a more natural setting.
