Chimpanzee Moritz

Most of the ex-laboratory chimpanzees were stolen from the jungle as baby monkeys and had to watch their families being killed. Once they arrived in Austria, they were kept in an experimental laboratory for 30 years, without contact with other apes in a very small space. Animal experiments on apes have been banned in Austria since 1997 and since then the chimpanzees have been reclaiming their lives. The management and care of the animals was handed over to the safari park in Gänserndorf, which finally went bankrupt in 2004. Since then, their fate has been uncertain. In 2009, they were taken over by Gut Aiderbichl from a bankrupt estate and have been under our protection ever since. Moritz is the highest-ranking chimpanzee in the group and a truly good boss. He is characterized by both softness and strength. He is like a father to the young chimpanzees and knows games that everyone likes. Moritz's best friend is Anton, with whom he grooms intensively for hours on end. You can see Moritz's excitement in his face: he blushes very easily. Whatever the weather, Moritz can be found in the outdoor enclosure and loves to eat all the exotic fruits there, especially bananas. When it rains, Moritz even catches the raindrops in his mouth.