Sopulu

Sopulu was born on June 23, 2002, and came to Project Chimps on November 30, 2016. He was one of seven male chimpanzees in a social group that includes Marlon, Arthur, Patrick, Josh, Quintin, and Taz.

The group was the second to come to Project Chimps through a cooperative agreement that will result in the transfer of more than 220 former research chimpanzees to Project Chimps’ forested, 236-acre sanctuary.

On January 16, 2018, Sopulu bravely went outdoors with his group mates on their first day in the sanctuary’s six-acre, open-air habitat. After that day, however, Sopulu seemed to prefer the indoors, spending most of his time inside with group mates Arthur and Quintin.

On May 15, 2018, Sopulu died of acute cardiac arrest. Cardiac problems are common in great apes, according to the Great Ape Heart Project, based at Zoo Atlanta. According to the Lincoln Park Zoo, the median life expectancy of a male chimpanzee in captivity is 31.7 years old.

Project Chimps’ caregivers remember Sopulu as an intelligent “goofball” who loved to interact with caregivers and play with his chimpanzee friends. Skilled at tool use, he was known to hide snacks inside the tubes of the indoor climbing structures to protect them from other chimpanzees, returning later to cleverly extract them with a stick.

Sopulu’s remains will be cremated and planted with a native tree or fruit tree on Project Chimps’ sanctuary grounds. The memorial site will be marked with a plaque with Sopulu’s name.

“Sopulu was beloved by caregivers and chimpanzees for his friendly and playful personality,” said Ali Crumpacker, executive director of Project Chimps, adding, “We are grateful to have been able to provide him with a year and half of love and care in our sanctuary.”