11 Raring2go! PLACES TO GO Chocolat the disabled Chimp flies to a sweet new home at Monkey World DHL Express and Monkey World announced that they have successfully relocated Chocolat, a female chimpanzee and orphan of the illegal bushmeat trade in the Republic of Congo, to her new long-term home in Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre, Dorset, UK. Chocolat was an infant when her family were hunted which left her with many injuries. After spending the past twenty years in Kenya being looked after by her original rescuer, Chocolat has now found a long-term home at Monkey World, which provides specialist care for chimpanzees that have been smuggled from the wild and/or suffered abuse or neglect. To accommodate her needs, her new enclosure has been treated to upgrades such as lower platforms, new nesting areas, and cargo nets, all designed to make Chocolat’s new home as accessible as possible. Throughout the journey DHL Express provided Chocolat with VIP service, transporting her in a custom-built crate supported by a team of specialist keepers, aircraft engineers, cargo handlers, security personnel, and pilots. Throughout the trip Chocolat snacked on fresh fruit, nuts and sweet potato. Her journey, which was carefully planned to reduce the amount of time she spent in transit, began at Nairobi Airport on August 15th, included a brief stop in Bahrain, and concluded with a seven-hour flight to East Midlands Airport, where she arrived on the morning of August 16th. From there, she was transported by road to her new home at Monkey World. At her new home Chocolat is being gradually introduced to six other chimpanzees who will become her adopted family. Monkey World is home to chimpanzees rescued from 16 different countries. Chocolat’s new family were rescued from Mexico, Argentina, Cyprus, and Thailand, and also have various disabilities as a result of their tragic backgrounds. She has already made friendly contact with Bryan, the dominant male in her group, reaching out to him and for the first time in over 20 years, touching a fellow chimp. She is getting used to a diet with a larger variety of vegetables than she has been accustomed to. As she learns how to be a chimp again, Chocolat is expected to live out the rest of her days in peace at Monkey World. Chimps like Chocolat have an average life expectancy of 50 years.
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