Mungo

Pan troglodytes ellioti
Estimated Birth – Unknown, believed to be prior to 1985

In August 2017, dealers were attempting to smuggle adult female Mungo and her friend Utah to Asia when authorities confiscated them at the airport in Cameroon. Before their fateful trip to the airport, Mungo and Utah suffered for many years, perhaps decades, in tiny separate cages, undernourished and lonely.

As Sanaga-Yong staff integrated the two females with other chimpanzees, Mungo played and groomed with her new group mates and her stereotypical swaying behavior decreased. Staff fell in love with Mungo and rejoiced at her amazing resilience! Sadly, when she soon developed symptoms of advanced heart disease, the veterinary team realized that the many years of stress and malnutrition had taken a terrible toll on her body. It was a heartbreaking turn of events. Mungo is taking several medications that are absolutely necessary for her to continue living. On those medications though she is doing well. She spends more time relaxing now than playing, but she still loves to groom with her chimpanzee family and engage with her loving caregivers.