The fight lasted nine years. On Saturday, April 5, the Lebanon court ordered the confiscation of chimpanzee Charlie from a zoo and his delivery to the NGO Animals Lebanon, which has rescued some other primates and sent them to GAP Sanctuary in Paraná, Brazil.

Charlie is 9 years old, was smuggled from Africa to Lebanon in 2005 and sold to a pet shop, ending at the city zoo. In 2006, the Ministry of Agriculture said that Charlie had entered Lebanon illegally. A rescue attempt in 2006 failed when the Zoo hid him by transferring  him to another destination the day before the arrest warrant.

The Ministry of Agriculture endorsed the NGO Animals Lebanon to take charge of the future of Charlie to a sanctuary.

Doug Cress, GRASP Project coordinator, the UN to protect the great apes, supported the action of the Ministry of Agriculture, as he considers that living alone increases Charlie’s suffering. “According to international standards, a chimp could never be incarcerated alone for long, as he or she will suffer serious mental and physical consequences,” said Doug.

Jason Mier, executive director of Animals Lebanon, stated that “Charlie was safely taken from the wild, and his murdered mother was the last chimpanzee whom he saw in his life”. He added: “This action is not against the Zoo, but in favor of Charlie.” Jason also confirmed that Charlie will be transferred to a sanctuary as fast as possible, before the damage is permanent in his mind.

Veterinary Rosa Garriga, who anesthetized him for the removal from the Zoo, confirmed that the muscles of his right leg are atrophied. It’s something he should be suffering for years and which may have caused a lot of pain. The conditions under which he was maintained possibly caused this damage.

According to Animals Lebanon, Charlie should be the last chimp that still exists in Lebanon, after a series of rescues that in recent years has occupied a good part of the time of this remarkable animal protection organization.

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President , GAP Project International