Moving Day for the Bonobos

It was moving day, March 8th, 1998, and the six bonobos were being shipped to Holland. I am taking blood from bonobo Zuani (to accompany the shipment so that the animals would not be subjected to another anesthesia upon arrival). Ria, the keeper from the Apenheul Primate Park is trying to sooth baby Liboso that is seen as a black blob on the sleeping Zuani's belly.

The airline officials thought that the mother would get stressed and injure or kill the baby. Their recommendation was that we separate the two within a crate. I refused, saying the devoted ape mother would hurt her baby trying to pull it through to her. The Apenhuel officials signed a paper accepting the risk and the two were crated together. As we predicted, they both arrived in Europe in great shape.