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Natalia, a grieving mother chimpanzee living at the Bioparc Zoo in Valencia, has finally released the corpse of her dead baby to staff. Although Natalia’s offspring sadly died of natural causes back in February, workers could not coax her into parting with her young, and she has carried it around with her every minute of every day, for seven months.

 

The sight of the heartbroken mother cradling her dead infant has made headlines throughout Spain, and the staff at the zoo have been praised for their patient and understanding handling of the situation. Realising that Natalia wouldn’t be parted from her baby until she was ready, they gave the chimp space and allowed the grieving process to follow its natural course.

 

As a park spokesperson explained, “this is a species where social ties and group cohesion are essential, so all members are affected by these sad events".

 

“They need a period of 'grieving' and gradually accept the reality and the loss, although the mother may still need some time to even part with the lifeless body.”

 

The Bioparcs of Fuengirola and Valencia are home to the largest group of chimpanzees of the subspecies Pan troglodytes verus in Spain, which is critically endangered according to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

 

 

Image: Bioparc de Valencia