| My name is Damien | |||
| Birthday: May 6, 1994 - April 2011 | |||
| Family: Carlos' Family | |||
| Mother: Annie | |||
| Father: Tarzan | |||
| Siblings: Amber, Andrea, Angel, Bam Bam, CJ, Chance, Jeffrey, For other siblings read description. |
Damien, 17, passed away due to kidney failure that developed after being injured in a dispute days earlier. Damien received round-the-clock care and treatment by our veterinarians and caregivers, and we were all hopeful for his recovery. Sadly, his condition took a turn for the worse and he slipped away quickly but peacefully. We have been grieving the loss of this charming chimpanzee who loved hats (or perhaps it was the people wearing them?), roaming the island, and playing chase.
Damien was born at the Coulston Foundation to mother Annie and father Tarzan. He was taken from his mother after just one day, and raised by humans in the laboratory nursery. He was used in one biomedical research study when he was just four years old, but otherwise appears to have escaped the frequent experimentation so many of the other chimps suffered.
When we met Damien in 2002, he was just 8 years old, a “hoodlum” as Dr. Noon affectionately described him and his pals. He became a member of Carlos’ Group and moved to Florida in 2007. He grew into a magnificent adult, and was one of the few chimpanzees at Save the Chimps who spent more of his life in sanctuary than in a research lab.
