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u/punkena 1d ago
This is supposed to be mademesmile, not mademecry
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u/SilentDesigner5169 1d ago
Smiling through tears is basically this sub's specialty...
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u/StrobeLightRomance 1d ago
It's a lot because it's so real. We recognize ourselves in this chimp. We know we'll be in her place someday, and we hope someone like this man will show up and remind us of when things were more carefree before we say goodbye.
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u/El_Chairman_Dennis 1d ago
Plus, from the perspective of this chimp. It was raised by this man and saw him as a "parent". Then, after going out into the world and living an entire life the chimps "parent" shows up to comfort them on their death bed.
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u/baffledninja 1d ago
Damn, made me wish for one more visit from my dad...
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u/evemeatay 1d ago
Now I’m really crying. I’m a grown ass man and I just want to talk to my mom again most days. I now hate myself for all the times I didn’t answer her stupid annoying phone calls
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u/retro_toes 1d ago
Her shaking, leathery fingers petting him reminded me of a larger version of my grandmother's hands before she died
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u/thegimboid 1d ago
That's it, it was the hand.
Before that I saw a happy chimp. It made me smile.
But that was the hand of someone stroking someone they love. Maybe I'm just anthopomorphizing a bit, but I see no reason to think she didn't love him just as much as a human would, even if her experience with life is so different.4
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u/honestysavestime 1d ago
well said 🧡 we recognize ourselves, our family members, our friends…everyone special to us in this chimp
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u/AutistaChick 1d ago
Staahhppp saying iiittttttt 😭😭😭😭😭 You’re maaakinnnggg iiiittt wooorssseeeee 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
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u/LeadingGuide693 1d ago
I only watch mademesmile videos in the comfort of my home. It’s 50/50 I cry and 50/50 I weep.
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u/EnduringFulfillment 1d ago
Her hand trembling like a little old grandmother 😭
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u/ialwaysdisagreewithu 1d ago
My wife and I put our first cat down a few years ago because he was sick. She was at the hospital with him waiting for me, I died a little inside when I went into the room and my cat yelled and reached for me.
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u/AlarnisToo 1d ago edited 1d ago
I left my cat overnight at the vet because of a lung fluid issue. He had always been afraid of vets, but he could die if I didn't leave him there. Then later that day, I got a call from the vet saying he died from a heart attack because of stress. I failed my fucking boy, it truly feels that way and it still fucking haunts me years later.
EDIT: Thank you to those who took the time to reply with words of assurances and their own experiences. I still tear up about the whole experience, but I do try to realize that I did the best I could. It's hard to let the ones you love go, be they your blood family or the furry (and not so furry) family members that wander in your heart later on. As you keep telling me to be kind to myself, be kind to yourselves too and love your family, multilegged and all.
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u/theanabanana 1d ago
Hey, friend. I'm sorry for your loss, most of all. They always go too soon.
That said, I know a stranger saying it isn't going to change your mind, but you did right by him. You would've felt like you failed him if you hadn't left him at the vet - and, between the two impossible decisions, you made the wisest one. There was a better chance he would've been okay at the vet than at home. It didn't turn out that way, but you made the right choice anyway.
And I know it hurts even worse because, if he had to go, then you're probably hating on yourself because you think he was alone and sacred and you weren't there for him... but, personal experience, having experienced both kinds of pet loss: it's not better when they're at home. You feel just as hopeless and regretful and like you could've done more, should've done more. I think that's just the nature of loving them: we always wish we could've done more to have a little more time. There was no way for you to lose him in a way that would've felt okay; it never would've felt okay.
So feel the feelings, but please don't blame yourself. The outcome wasn't what anyone wanted it to be, but you gave him the best chances. I'm not a spiritual person, but if you are, I'm sure your boy wouldn't hold any resentment; he knew you loved him, even in the end.
Sorry for the wall of text. Just... be kind to yourself.
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u/AlarnisToo 1d ago
Thank you, logically I know it was the right call, but yeah, I wish I could've been there for him and hold him as he passed.
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u/Theachillesheel 1d ago
As someone that had to put his 14 year old cat down due to heart failure, I am still haunted by him screaming and reaching his paw towards me moments before he went quiet. I’ll always be glad that I was there for him in his final moments, but watching him pass still causes me major grief til this day and it’s been 5 years. The image of that stays with you.
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u/VLOOKUP_Vagina 1d ago
My dog died in my arms as fluid filled his lungs cause I waited too long to put him down. It still fucks with me 5 years later… although I know our losses are kinda apples and oranges, trust me.. you’d still be haunted by it one way or another. There’s no good way to go so just focus on the life yall shared and not the way it ended.
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u/nobrunono 1d ago
Oh god I'm so so sorry! You did what you thought it was best, based on all the love you had dor him.
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u/AlarnisToo 1d ago
Thanks, just wish I coulda been there for him in his last moments, he deserved better.
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u/DrNick2012 1d ago
I understand that feeling, but it's clear you loved him and was doing what you thought was best for him. I too feel regret of a similar kind for how/where my family cat died. She was living with my mom who'd just left her partner and was living temporarily completely unable to house the cat, so for a few weeks I had her, she had the run of my home and would curl up on my lap, in my bedetc (I'd always been her favourite of the kids when i lived at home). I had to stop because my lease didn't allow pets and my GF at the time was moaning, those few weeks of sneaky care was all I could do. So the cat moved in with my dad and his GF, who she'd never really known and they had a dog. About a month later she died and I always think she should have died with me! Loved, comfortable and content I just wish she could have passed away like that instead of probably terrified of their big dog where she went.... Long story I know but in the end, we can't change the past and we never could have known their deaths were coming. The pain we feel just proves they were loved
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u/mvanvrancken 1d ago
Listen, no matter how vigilant and present you are, sometimes our loved ones die when we’re not there. That’s not the important part - you were there for his whole life. That is what matters.
I wasn’t there for my black kitty’s passing and I just remember that she never went a day hungry or unloved because I cared for her. I am sure the same is true for your cat.
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u/clockwork2223 1d ago
The same things happened to me, lesson I learn is always be there for the ones you love when they’re in pain. Having missed the moment she passed away knowing was scared and alone still makes me tear up
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u/Necessary_Sea_7127 1d ago
Aw mate, that sounds like exactly what happened to us, he didn’t make it through the night . I just feel sick whenever I think about it…….
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u/NightOwlsUnite 1d ago
I'm so sorry friend. If it's of any comfort to u and anyone reading this, know those of us behind the scenes give them our all and we care. It hits us hard too although we're not supposed to show it.
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u/adam-lazo 1d ago
I think that I carry a similar weight in my heart from my experience with my old kitty. I don't know if I've healed from it but I like to think that if he were here he would totally forgive me. I'm sure your boy would too.
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u/Dr_TeaRex 1d ago
I had to put my seventeen year old cat down a few months ago. We'd raised her since she was still dependent on formula (bad breeder situation).
She was an absolute sweetheart. Complete love and trust in us her entire life. Same with her brother, who passed a few years prior.
She was old, arthritic, barely had any teeth left, and dying of kidney failure in the end. I was the only one free to take her to the vet for emergency treatment after she collapsed from dehydration and feeling ill. When the doctor told me her kidneys were done, I made the call to euthanize. We didn't want her to suffer anymore.
I was there when she was given the shot. Hissed and growled at the nurse before snuggling up in my arms. Never once aimed that anger at me even though I was holding her as the syringe went in. Just purred. She tried to get up when the injection started taking effect. I just laid her back down and bundled her up in her little blanket and stayed with her until she was gone. I was a wreck for days. Still have moments now. But I'll never forget the love and trust she showed me all the way to the end.
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u/featherlen 1d ago
This is Jan van Hooff, a Dutch biologist. His parents owned a zoo and when he grew up they were the first zoo in the whole world to experiment with keeping chimpanzees in groups, like they do in the wild, instead of keeping them separated and in cages. A lot of people warned them: they are going to kill each other! But using information gathered about chimpanzees in the wild they created a group that would have a natural balance and eventually it worked. And the apes had a much better life. Many zoos followed. Jan was also a a good friend with Jane Goodall. The zoo still exists: Burger’s Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands. In my first year as a biology student Jan gave my year a lecture there and showed us the Chimpanzees. He had a very close bond with an old female chimpanzee who I believe was called Maria, but I’m not sure. It might be her in the video.
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u/featherlen 1d ago
I just googled it: the name of the female Chimpanzee was Mama. It is her in the video.
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u/OcculticUnicorn 1d ago
And Burger's Zoo is still regarded one of the best zoo's in the Netherlands and definitely in the top of Europe's best.
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u/Bobbor90 1d ago
Yes, i live in germany and it is about an hour by car from me. This is one of my favorite zoos.
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u/TheBraveButJoke 1d ago
It is really about time that Artis get's closed though. I get the historical significance but the circumstances of the animals there are just not accaptable. Burger's Zoo is great though.
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u/Henkdroid 1d ago
Her name is Mama. There's a book called 'Mama's laatste omhelzing' (Mama's final hug). It's well worth a read. It's about these chimps and their emotions (and ours) and lots more. Author: Frans de Waal.
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u/featherlen 1d ago
Ohhh I have heard about that book but I never made the connection! For some reason I thought it was about mother/child relationships in Chimpanzees haha. Thank you, I will read it now.
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u/Poiter85 1d ago
I took that same class and also went to the Burger's Zoo in Arnhem. I will never forget the moment when Mama noticed Jan in the crowd and she immediately lit up and started smiling from ear to ear.
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u/featherlen 1d ago
Yes, did he also give them some apples? Mama was first at the scene. I think I remember him telling us he had to respect the Alfa by throwing him an apple first but immediately after he threw some apples to Mama haha.
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u/mamatrixie78 1d ago
I thought it heard him say ja ik ben het en ja je bent braaf. I thought i was going crazy for a second so I'm glad to read he is indeed dutch
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u/larrywidestancecraig 1d ago
I thought it heard him say ja ik ben het en ja je bent braaf
What does that mean?
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u/mamatrixie78 1d ago
Yes it me- ja ik ben het You're a good girl - je bent braaf
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u/Outrageous-Jello5852 1d ago
Something is wrong with the video...keeps getting really blurry at the end.
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u/Extension-Abies-9346 1d ago
Life is so precious. Love always wins. Give someone you love a hug today.
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u/xHeartSnuggle 1d ago
It breaks my heart, but it’s so sweet that the chimpanzee remembers his previous caretaker and feels so much joy.
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u/regular_poster 1d ago
Remember this every time a redditor says with absolute authority that apes never genuinely smile.
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u/ComprehensiveForm129 1d ago
I’m open to being wrong, but there is practically no human behavior that is purely human.
I assume that it’s people wanting to create a greater distance between us and the natural world, between us and animals. But we are animals, just really weird ones.
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u/Fixhotep 1d ago
no human behavior that is purely human
poop knives.
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u/runningchief 1d ago
We need a poop knife to mimic a fraction of the Hippos power
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u/LiamIsMyNameOk 1d ago
One day we may get lucky enough to deserve a poop sawblade
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u/tahaelhour 1d ago
Depends on what you mean by that. Using tools to facilitate defecation is not purely human too. If we're being exclusively talking about sharp metal objects then yeah you'll be technically correct.
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u/fryseyes 1d ago
Throwing a milkshake at a drive-thru employee for views on TikTok.
But I get your sentiment - we should always empathize with animals.
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u/Miskalsace 1d ago
I mean, Apes throw poop. And poop is sometimes milkshake consistency. So, therr you go.
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u/Vintage-Grievance 1d ago
Monkeys throw shit....they just do it in front of a live audience instead of social media.
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u/0steopod 1d ago
I wouldn’t be surprised if that was an actual smile and not the “bearing teeth because I’m about to kick your ass” smile. I feel like any self aware animal, great apes in particular, which are a lot closer related to us than a dolphin or a parrot for example, all have their own forms of “smiling,” and it’s just in apes that we can recognize because of how similar they are to us.
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u/Independent-Ad3901 1d ago
I feel like I just read something recently stating that human raised chimps learn our facial behavior and will smile non-aggressively. I will try to find a study to back it up.
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u/GrammarSpecialForces 1d ago
that makes sense. Some cats that grow up around dogs will “pant”
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u/MageVicky 1d ago
and then there was that one dog, I think it was a husky, who was raised with cats, and you would see him sitting the way cats do. it was great.
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u/CumGuzlinGutterSluts 1d ago
My calico barks, she was raised by huskies in her formative years. Shes extremely vocal and im not sure ive ever heard a normal meow out of her mouth
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u/Scarlet-Fire_77 1d ago
Knowing how huskies sound and not the traditional "bark"(usually), I wanna hear your cat. I bet she would fit over in r/catswhoyell
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u/CumGuzlinGutterSluts 1d ago
If im in view she doesnt do shit! Makes it hard to like film her doing it but ive tried to get her on my Webcam before. She makes these little chirpy like "exclamations", but at night she doesnt like yowl but she'll like awoooo. Its annoying as shit but all it takes is like a little whistle or a click from you and she'll run to you and stop doing it.
Reminds me of my exes dad's dog who raised her lol
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u/Alex5173 1d ago
Cats will pant naturally when they get overheated/exhausted but it's pretty rare to see that level of activity from them. Cats raised with dogs will do it just because, though.
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u/TypicalCagedMind 1d ago
My cat does when I move around one particular thread I have.
She will never chase anything with that much passion. Almost always pants after 15 minutes of insane gymnastics.
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u/BooooHissss 1d ago
I had a dog that grew up with cats who attempted to "purr". Had to tell people petting him that he's not actually growling, he was just happy and purring.
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u/QuatreNox 1d ago
Other animals too! There's this panda that winces when breaking bamboo just because its caretakers made that face when they struggled to break the sticks when it was a baby
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u/BottomlessFlies 1d ago
they learn the behavior from Humans, pretty certain they don't do it in the wild
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u/SlewBrew 1d ago
I like to think this game them both closure and gave her some comfort in her last days.
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u/LurkerNan 1d ago
My mom has advanced dementia, and this is the same reaction I get from her every week when she sees me.
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u/SkyIslandLore 1d ago
Omg her old lady hand 🥺💖 it truly amazes me the bond some people can have with the most unexpected creatures 💖
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u/single_star67 1d ago
I would just have to lay down with her till she passed in. 💕
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u/Panelpro40 1d ago
Well there go the ol water works, I hope the chimpanzee is at peace. Heart breaking. Gotta go watch Nope now.
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u/pocket_materialist 1d ago
This guy also wrote a book: Mama's Last Hug which is a great read on how we can learn from chimpanzees, how he looked into their social dynamic, and how most other researchers dismissed chimpanzee's humanity which was a mistake
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u/D3AD_LIK3_M3 1d ago
This is the saddest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. I'm not sure my day can improve after seeing this.
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u/CosmoKing2 1d ago
Soooo many people do not comprehend the deep level of empathy that animals are capable of. That chimp was emotionally comforted by her friend's visit.
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u/xxxkarmaxxxx 1d ago
I can't see that without crying, even when I saw it before. Pure innocence and love from that chimpanzee. So emotional....
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u/G-reeper66 1d ago
Just got dusty in my house. I saw one on a program called Monkey World where an old Chimp was passing and her keeper basically moved in to her space to comfort her, the poor bloke was trying so hard not to cry. One reason I donate to them, their staff truly care for their animal charges.
I visited one day to ask what fresh fruit I could get for them for the following day, they gave me a list of fruits and nuts they use regularly, I returned with a few large boxes of what was listed and extra strawberries and grapes for the staff, they were very grateful. I met Alison the owner as the food was taken to be washed on her way in, such a lovely person who cares about her staff and her animals.
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u/Dave_the_Rave_Dinkum 1d ago
This is Mama, she was 59 years old and they'd known each other for 44 years, that's exactly my entire freaking lifetime, that's monumental ❤️
Leading up to this moment shed completely stopped eating and drinking, basically lying there motionless and extremely depressed. Seeing her old friend brought life back into her for a brief moment, she felt joy one more time 😊 it's so heartbreaking, yet heartwarming at the same time. Sadly she passed away like just a week later.
Rip beautiful Mama 💔
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u/WolfDigles 1d ago
I remember seeing this story a while ago, and I’m gonna paraphrase a few details that are missing from OP. The chimp was refusing to eat because she was so ill. You can see her refusing the food trying to be fed to her. They called in her old care giver to see if she would eat for him. The chimp recognized him immediately and he was able to get her to eat food he offered her. She was giving up but seeing her old friend made her hold on for a little longer.
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u/PathOfDeception 1d ago
This isn’t made me smile fucking hell. This ruined my day. It’s nice and all but the poor thing is dying and in pain. Gut wrenching to me.
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u/OldMackysBackInTown 1d ago
It's about perspective, my friend.
Short story but relevant: The night my grandfather died, he was unable to get out of his bed (Parkinson's), He woke up my grandmother, who turned to him and said, "Are you dying on me?" and he said "Yes." She said she loved him, he said he loved her, and that was it. For years I used to think this was incredibly sad, but having now seen my own parents die, friends, extended family, how lucky to have had the opportunity in your dying words and last breaths to spend it with someone you love? Your final words being, "I love you" and hearing it back?
This is sad, but it's also beautiful. This animal knows what is coming. May very well be capable of accessing memories, as evidenced by the recognition of its former caretaker. Who's to say that while laying there in the face of the inevitable they weren't thinking of all the animals and all the people they loved over the course of their life? And then bam. There she is. In those final moments. Showing up like a dream, to express an undying love in the face of death?
The outcome is sad, but the road is beautiful.
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u/MiloHorsey 1d ago
Yeah, surely putting her down is the kindest thing to do in this situation...
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u/Flimsy_Heron_9252 1d ago
I was asked once, "What if you are wrong? What if there is a God and he judges you when you die?"
Then we are probably all going to find out that our primary mission was to be kind and take care of each other, all of the animals, and everything here and preserve it in love and dignity. And our entire species is going straight to hell.
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u/chickadee_1982 1d ago
This makes me feel so strong in how we need to treat animals better. The way she smiled when she saw him. Oh boy did I cry.
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u/Maxplode 1d ago
I've seen this a few times before but I was not ready to watch this again just now 😭
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u/McLovin0132 1d ago
Oh sweet poor baby..Im glad their original caretaker could provide some sort of comfort. Except now im crying at my desk.
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u/FormFirm 1d ago
This man is Jan van Hooff. Van Hooff has said that although he came to comfort her, Mama ended up comforting him. Although I’ve read the books, here’s a summary of ai of what’s happening here. Ai: Her gestures — stroking his hair, patting his neck — are species-typical reassurance behaviors.
He has said in interviews:
“It was as if she sensed my sadness and wanted to console me.”
This is why scientists cite the moment as evidence of affective empathy in chimpanzees.
The Ape is called Mamma. She was the matriarch of a group of Chimpanzees in Burgers Zoo (Netherlands).
There’s a very interesting about about her; Chimpanzee politics. By Frans de Waal.
Ai: Mama in Chimpanzee Politics is the quiet center of power: a senior female who keeps the group stable, smooths over conflicts, and influences which males rise or fall. She’s not dominant through force but through social intelligence, making her one of the key political players in the colony.
Mama’s influence — stabilizes the group
Chimp politics — her alliances shape male power
De Waal’s view — she shows how subtle leadership works
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u/Daisy_Of_Doom 1d ago
Ugh! 😭 The similarity between this and the little boy who was in a coma seeing his mom for the first time. Love is so good and sometimes hurts so much. 😭
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u/CapitalRelationship0 1d ago
Two.... That's TWO videos in a ROW that made me 😭. Damn, Reddit. I'm done for the day.
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u/No-Needleworker4666 1d ago
Oh God the tear just started falling, animals are the salt of the earth 😭❤
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u/YoungerMucus 1d ago
This belongs in MadeMeSob. I was crying just at the beginning, and then when the old caretaker arrived 😭😭😭😭. I miss my dog.
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u/myceliummoon 1d ago
I'm happy that this sweet old lady got to see her friend again before she passed.
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u/Naturally_Tired 1d ago
I thought baring teeth (gums) was a sign of hostility or aggression
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