With a very heavy heart we let you know that caregivers found Rachel unresponsive in the morning of January 7, 2024. Rachel was diabetic and had recently been diagnosed with fibroids. At this time we are uncertain of her cause of death. We do know that she will be missed deeply by everyone at Fauna. Rachel came to Fauna in 1997 from the biomedical lab, LEMSIP. She was 41 years old when she died.
Rachel was born November 30, 1982 at the Institute for Primate Studies in Oklahoma and was raised in a human home. She was treated like someone’s special girl… until she wasn’t anymore. When she was 3 years old she was brought to LEMSIP and became a research subject. She spent 15 years in research; alone most of the time. When she came to Fauna the emotional and physical scars were apparent. She had post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and had episodes of dysregulation where she injured herself. Her episodes were managed with medication, and her relationships with caregivers and chimpanzees provided much needed connection. Although she never completely healed, she was once again someone’s special girl, in fact many people’s special girl. She was very loved by caregivers and many volunteers. Now she is at peace.
Rachel always carried her stuffed baby gorillas with her. She was a champion cleaner and loved helping caregivers with this job. She learned to make chimpanzee friends and was close with the late Toby and more recently with Maya, her dear friend and half-sister.
Many primatologists deny the psychological suffering of chimpanzees in captivity. If there is one thing that we can learn from Rachel, is this just isn’t so. You can read more about Rachel’s diagnosis here.
Rest in Peace dear Rachel ❤️
