Henry's Home

Mon Feb 23, 2009

Henry, a pet chimpanzee rescued by the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was welcomed home to Chimp Haven today.  Last November, Henry was found emaciated and vomiting blood, living in the garage of a private home.   The story of Henry’s life is not unlike that of many privately-owned “pet” chimpanzees, which often end in neglect, abuse and suffering. 

 Henry’s History  
Henry is approximately 23 years old. He   was originally called “Fred” and was part of a drive thru exotic animal safari between Houston and Dallas.  The park closed in the 1980’s and Henry was sold to a dealer who was known to treat his animals inhumanely. This man drove around with Henry in his truck and beat him with chains if he was aggressive.  He tried selling him at a number of exotic animal auctions. The dealer finally sold him to another individual living in Spring, TX.  The story is all too familiar – the dealer told the potential buyer that he was gentle and could eat at the table with them.  The naïve person bought Henry, but he bit someone in the family.  Henry was returned to the dealer a year later due to a court ruling.  The dealer then sold Henry when he was 8 years old to another private citizen.  For the next 15 years, Henry was not heard of again… until the call to the Houston SPCA came.

Henry was found by the Houston SPCA in a rusty cage in a garage.  He was alone and surrounded by filth.  He was given soda in cans (which are all over the floor), fed coffee and given cigarettes.  When he arrived at the HSPCA he was vomiting and had bloody diarrhea.  Henry weighed only 66 pounds!  This is only about half the normal weight for an adult male chimpanzee.  His malnourishment was severe, and he has a hunched posture which may never go away. 

Recovery  
For the past several months, the Houston SPCA and Houston Zoo veterinarians have worked together to put Henry on the road to recovery.  He has gained weight, increased mobility and his bleeding ulcers are under control.  Henry is friendly and likes people, but needs to be resocialized with other chimpanzees so that he can finally know the comfort of gentle grooming and a hug from a friend.  He also needs large, spacious outdoor areas to encourage movement and build up his bones and muscles.  With Chimp Haven’s experience caring for elderly and sick chimpanzees, we can provide him the best possible home. 

Finally Home! 
Henry arrived at Chimp Haven, his new permanent home, on February 23, 2009.  We were not sure how he would react to the changes – a new home, new caregivers and chimpanzees.  Had he ever even seen other chimpanzees before?  We might never know.  But Henry amazed us all as he quickly checked out his new bedrooms and picked up a frozen treat to sample.  He explored every inch of his new home, and looked intently at some other chimpanzees across the hallway.  When the door was open to the outdoor courtyard, he ran out and climbed to the top of the structure immediately.  Henry seems to have settled into his new home easily.

              

 Henry comes outside for the first time.  Henry is climbing in his new outdoor courtyard & hooting to joyful onlookers!

Help Henry  
Chimp Haven initiated a Rescue Fund to help provide care for chimpanzees like Henry.  Any size donation helps!
Click Here to Donate to Henry's Rescue Fund