Cecilia (Argentina)

She arrived at the Sanctuary in 2017 and her story became a milestone in the history of animal rights, as she was the first chimpanzee in the world to be released from a zoo and transferred to the Sanctuary through a Habeas Corpus. Cecilia lived for many years at the Mendoza Zoo in Argentina, where, after the death of her two companions, she remained in a precarious enclosure, very lonely and sad for years. As soon as she arrived at the Sanctuary, Cecília quickly adapted and in a few months she had the opportunity to meet the chimpanzee Marcelino, a young male who was also looking for a companion. When Cecilia arrived at Sanctuary, she was apathetic and very introspective, without facial expressions or vocalizations typical of her species. Today, she is completely different, she is very expressive and active, as chimpanzees are. She likes to watch her neighbors, especially Luke, and lives in harmony with her partner Marcelino.