Arriving in Wauchula a few days before Thanksgiving, 36-year-old Denyse is one of the oldest chimpanzees at the Center.
When she was
a tiny infant, she was
purchased by a man & woman from a road-side zoo and had lived with her human "parents" her entire
life. One of her owners passed away a few years ago, and the
other owner, now in his eighties, needed a home for Denyse.
Before she came to the Center, she had been fed a diet which
included not only fruit, but also marshmallows, canned pie
filling, and beer. She was raised as a member of the human
family in a small backyard cage and had not experienced
chimpanzees before her arrival at the sanctuary.
Denyse is adjusting very well to sanctuary life and also to her new diet of fresh leaves and browse, fruits and vegetables, primate chow biscuits, and healthy treats.
Denyse is being introduced to other chimpanzees at the Center, and will soon live with a social group. Because she identifies more with humans than with chimpanzees, the introductions are being done gradually and carefully.