Heartwarming Video: Rescued Baby Chimpanzee Welcomed by Other Apes with Hugs
Animal cruelty is not only uncalled for, it’s downright despicable. Thankfully, many abused animals are rescued every day all over the world.
One of those animals is a sweet little chimp named “Leo.” Though he’s been neglected and mistreated, the fur ball hasn’t lost his sense of joy.
And it’s all thanks to Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection. Together, Jenny and Jimmy Desmond have made it their mission to “improve the lives of chimpanzees, both wild and orphaned, in Liberia.”
Over the years, LCRP has rescued many chimpanzees and is currently “home to the second largest population of western chimpanzees,” according to their website.
While every chimp they rescue matters, there has never perhaps been one as adorable as little Leo who was being held captive illegally outside a Liberian national park.
“We first received a report he was at a bar, but he was no longer there when authorities investigated,” Jenny Desmond told The New York Post. “We thought we’d lost him.”
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all. The chimp was soon discovered and rescued. His new life at LCRP sanctuary was intimidating at first but would eventually become home.
“Leo is an amazing survivor of trauma and an inspiration to us about how one can overcome such tragedy and begin a new life,” Jenny Desmond said, according to KSMP-TV.
“In his previous situation I’m sure he was sad and lonely,” she went on. “He had watched his mom and family killed, been kidnapped and then tied up with a rope so he couldn’t move freely.”
Now, however, Leo is free as can be. It took no time at all for the little guy to quickly become a part of the LCRP family.
A darling video of Leo being welcomed by his new brothers and sisters has gone viral. “He’s beyond excited and overwhelmed …” an LCRP Facebook post says.
“Everyone vying for his or her chance to get or give him m a hug! You can see that some of the chimps are even trying to help calm him.”
“I’m crying watching it now!” she said, according to KSMP-TV. “It’s everything we hope for these little people — to find a new family and find new hope … to find acceptance so they can begin again.”
“That reception really sealed the deal for him and started him on a journey toward recovery,” Jenny Desmond told Good Morning America.
And a sweet reception it was, indeed. It is so heartwarming to see Leo recovering and protected among his own. To learn more about LCRP and all they do, visit their Facebook page.
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