Taronga Zoo chimps grieve for Fifi
‘They share more than 90 per cent of human DNA. And like a family grieving one of its own, Taronga Zoo’s troupe of chimps have shown the most human qualities as they mourn the death 60-year-old matriarch, Fifi.
For about an hour after the primate passed away on Thursday, the 19 chimpanzees, who share the enclosure, virtually closed ranks, surrounding her body in a poignant gesture of shared heartache.
They each had their moment of closure; some patting and sniffing the fallen ape, while others simply sat in silence. [..]
Ms Beaven said the chimps spent the hours leading to her death filing in and out of the enclosure, as if paying their final respects.’
