Pepe

Pepe
1975 - November 23, 2002

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Four weeks before his death, Pepe fell from a tree and broke his neck. Sheri consulted with a neurologist and tried valiantly to  give him every chance to recover. On November 23, it became clear that he was suffering hope was quickly vanishing. He passed away at 4:30 pm.

Photo by Leslie Kadane

When we met him, Pepe had endured unfathomable deprivation as a caged prisoner for 20 years. He symbolized the plight of orphaned chimpanzees everywhere. Pepe was the first male chimpanzee to show Sheri and I friendship in 1997. He reached out and touched our souls. IDA-Africa has lost a dear friend. A light has been extinguished in the world we are honored to share with our great ape cousins. But we must embrace this moment of grief with the conviction that Pepe is truly free at last. He inspired us to do more, try harder, strive for the

Pepe carrying Gabby on his back Photo by Mirjam Schot

impossible, and never give up. If we want to honor Pepe's memory, we can do no better than to remember this.

 

 

Memorial written by Edmund Stone, co-founder IDA-Africa