Gala dinner for chimpanzees

Chimpanzee Blacky

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Blacky is one of the most traumatized chimpanzees in the male group. When stress arises in the group, he is still very scared - then he beats himself. When Blacky was one year old, he experienced the worst thing that can happen to a chimpanzee child. The loss of his mother and a murderous attack on his family. Stress, shock, pain. He still hurts today when his thoughts of the past catch up with him. He was kept in an experiment for 11 years without contact with other chimpanzees. He also has great difficulty learning chimpanzee language - all the consequences of years of isolation. In the meantime, we have noticed that he is already appeasing himself by grooming himself. Despite his weaknesses, he is accepted by the others. He is a very warm and loud laugh when playing. He is now the first one at the window to make contact when people come.

Chimpanzee Fips

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At the time when the world was becoming more and more exciting for a chimpanzee, around the age of two, he was captured in Africa and taken to an experimental laboratory in Austria. He had just been looking forward to life, but in one fell swoop it was all gone. When he finally returned to the company of other chimpanzees in 2002, we were particularly struck by his attachment to female animals. He is looking for his mother and certainly also for a partner. He has already found something, because Kathi clearly shows that she knows of no other chimpanzee that can groom so well. He is our "peeping Tom", because he looks at the ladies in the other living room at every opportunity. Fips has some catching up to do when it comes to his childhood and youth and is therefore extremely curious.

Chimpanzee Gabi

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Gabi was born in freedom in the African bush in 1979 and was not even a year old when she was captured by humans for research. She lost everything. You can read a lot in her eyes. In 1992, black and white photos were taken of her in her experimental laboratory cage (6 square meters). Today you can tell that Gabi thinks and observes a lot. She is the thinker and observer in the group. She thinks first and then acts. In research, she only accepted Renate Foidl. She was not accessible to all other people. Her movements are still somewhat awkward. It took her five long years to play and build a nest. In the meantime, she likes to be groomed by Pünktchen and is trying to win Clyde's favor. At around 56 kilograms, Gabi is the heaviest female and loves any extra food that is offered. She stockpiles curd cheese, muesli and rice and always wants to be first at every meal.

Chimpanzee Gogo

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His origins are described quite simply as "tomboy". That was in 1976, when he was just two years old. That's when he suffered the same fate as the other baby monkeys. Bullets flew through the air, a crate lid slammed shut - off to the laboratory. In 2002, he moved with the others from the animal experiment into the monkey house. 26 long years of his life were simply erased. His motor skills are limited - hence his difficulty in climbing. This makes the other chimpanzees in his group all the more cautious when dealing with him. He hardly climbs trees and has a strange gait on the ground. Gogo is learning to come out of his shell more and more, whether playing, making physical contact with others or arguing within the group.

Chimpanzee Ingrid

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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 great apes have been banned in Austria since 1997. 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. At that time, their fate was uncertain. In 2009, they were taken over by Gut Aiderbichl from a bankruptcy estate and have been under our protection ever since. Ingrid became a very reserved chimpanzee during research. For a very long time, she did not even allow herself to be touched by her fellow chimpanzees. She now loves to play and loves to laugh. She is still rather reserved and moody, and it takes her a long time to build up trust. Ingrid loves to use tools and is incredibly patient and persistent. When she is insecure, she retreats to the highest place in the living room. She doesn't want to see or hear anyone. That's why outdoor enclosures are so important. When she feels the air and the sun, Ingrid is sure to come full circle. In a way, she can go back to when she was still a child and lived with her mother.

Chimpanzee Isidor

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The childhood of chimpanzees follows a plan in nature, the imprinting phase is of the utmost importance. There is a lot to learn in the jungle, about animals, about heat and periods of rain, and much more. Isidor's development into a chimpanzee child had only just begun. Monkey hunters came into the forest. 1979 was the year of the apocalypse for him. He was put in a dark box and flown from Africa to Austria. He was then surrounded by bars for 23 years. In stressful situations, he chews his fingernails and has tremors. He has slowly overcome his fear of heights and now climbs around inside - but he always needs something to hold on to. Isidor's friendships often change and he has a rather inscrutable character. In the event of an argument, everyone tries to get him on their side. Isidor likes to join in to show that he can be a friend. He loves it when the nurses hand out salt sticks. Isidor gnaws down the salt first and then devotes himself to the cookies.

Chimpanzee Jelle

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Jelle lived in a Dutch zoo in a group of over 20 chimpanzees. Unfortunately, he killed some chimpanzee babies there and attacked the chimpanzee mothers, presumably due to power struggles. He would have been euthanized as a result. His last chance was with us in the male group. But here too, Jelle inflicted serious injuries on several chimpanzees, so we decided to keep him individually for the benefit of all. He is an extremely intelligent chimpanzee and a passionate nest builder. He comments on food with loud cries of delight and has developed a particular fondness for onions. When Jelle's hatch to the outdoor enclosure opened for the first time, there was no stopping him. He often likes to sit high up in the tree. If he feels unobserved, he tends to try out everything. He tries to loosen nuts and bolts and challenges our keepers, who have to check his enclosure very carefully every day.

Chimpanzee Kathi

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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 and in a very small space. Animal experiments on great apes have been banned in Austria since 1997. 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 bankruptcy estate and have been under our protection ever since. Kathi is an energetic playmate, especially for Fips. Kathi is wise, tolerant and displays a high level of social behavior - she tries to de-escalate arguments. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and used to lose her hair under stress. However, she now has a more beautiful coat - a sure sign that she suffers much less from stress and anxiety than before. She seems to have come to terms with her past. She is also a skillful and patient hive user, using tools to hollow out nuts, hide and collect honey. She often does this for Fips, who steals her hard-earned food, but she accepts this lovingly and calmly.

Chimpanzee Lingoa

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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 bankruptcy estate and have been under our protection ever since. Lingoa is blind in her left eye due to an obviously untreated injury. After several unsuccessful attempts to group her with Peter, she joined the Moritz group in 2006, where she immediately felt at home. Not least thanks to the help of Anton, who was her protector at the beginning and protected her from the others as a newcomer. Little by little, a friendship developed with Xsara. Lingoa also takes great care of Moritz and always tries to make physical contact with him. She is also at his side when conflicts arise and tries to redirect and resolve arguments within the group. Lingoa is a very close observer. She notices every change immediately and her quick perception impresses her carers every day. On the day when the hatches to the outside opened for the first time, she impressed them with her daring walks on the tree trunks.

Chimpanzee Martha

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For Michael Aufhauser, it was Martha who ultimately persuaded him to agree to the takeover. When he looked into Martha's eyes during his visit, he was deeply touched and recognized her grief. He already knew her biography. When she was less than a year old, she experienced the attack by ape traders in her home country in Africa. Every adult chimpanzee who tried to protect her was shot. In all probability, her mother was too. Martha's nature has changed in a very positive way. She has completely conquered the living space and maintains intensive social contact with Clyde. Martha even forces him to show her affection. She is sometimes jealous of Pünktchen. Her limited motor skills have also improved considerably. She has become braver, more active in the group, looks for friends on her own and has overcome her fears over time. Martha was the first to go to the outdoor area and enjoys being outside. She loves looking for food in the holes in the trees and thinks that she is undiscovered and unobserved.