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. Pumuckl is a talented "singer". He has a wide variety of chirping sounds in his repertoire. His peculiarities also include making sounds of rapture while eating. He has a very special way of maintaining physical contact. He loves to spend minutes patting the ladies' feet or heads. We were amazed when he took his breakfast outside and ate it there on the first day the outdoor enclosure was opened. He has a soft spot for all kinds of objects and play utensils and carries them around with pride. Pumuckl makes his sleeping nests particularly beautiful and elaborate. Grooming together is very important to him. It took him a long time to overcome his fear of this closeness. Today he is one of the most affectionate male chimpanzees. Carmen, Pumuckl and Dorli have even developed their own language with each other. This was a long process of personality development and resocialization.
