Born:05.22.1981
Family:Alice's Family
Mother:Nancie        Father:CH-114
Siblings:
Melissa can be very moody, but given all that she has been through in her life, it’s no surprise! During her 15 years at LEMSIP, she was anesthetized at least 225 times, a subject in at least 3 research studies, underwent 13 liver biopsies, 16 bone marrow biopsies, and had one child. At Coulston, she was also used in research and gave birth to a son, Elway, who she rejected, so he was taken from her and raised in the nursery. When she’s in a good mood, however, she is very sweet and loving to her chimp family and caregivers alike.

In 2004, Melissa and her son Elway, who was five years old at the time, were reunited. When the door between them was opened, Elways went into her arms and she engulfed him in a hug. Melissa’s favorite activity is eating, as evidenced by her fairly large waistline! After years of eating mostly dry monkey chow, she now gets to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, and she has lost some weight due to this healthier diet, and her life on her island in Florida, where she can climb hills and platforms with her friends Peggy and Thelma not far behind.