Chimpanzee
Linda

Chimpanzee Linda has been locked up for no less than 30 years. In 2014, a rescue effort by AAP ended her solitary confinement.

Linda’s situation was terribly sad: as a baby she was separated from her mother and sold to a couple in Lanzarote. They bundled her up in cramping clothes and used her as a photo prop. When she became too big and strong for this, she was locked up in a bare, concrete shed, all alone, for thirty years. Only when her owner came to feed her did Linda have contact with the outside world. The rest of the time she had to entertain herself with a piece of rope, the only form of enrichment in her shed.

When the owners wanted to sell their house, they needed to get rid of her and contacted the Spanish animal welfare organization Mona. However, Linda was infected with the hepatitis B virus, so they could not take her in. AAP – as one of the few rescue centers in Europe – does have the right facilities to receive infected animals. Several monkeys with hepatitis B live permanently in Almere, such as Fiffy and Regina.

Because of her long incarceration, Linda had a long way to go when it came to social skills. But you are never too old to learn! Under careful supervision, Linda returned to a social life and so, after thirty years, she can still enjoy a beautiful old age.