Paulina Bermudez is the director of GAP Project in Mexico. The news that Chapultepec Zoo gave on July 24 th , announcing the death of orangutan Jambi, was already predicted by her. She met him when she worked at the zoo, as well as his brother Toto. Since this time she has been struggling to get them out of that den of death, where they lived over 24 years without a future, sun or hopes.

On July 26 th, she held a demonstration in front of the zoo to denounce the attitude of the leadership of it, which denied the transfer of the two brothers to GAP Sanctuary in Brazil. These are her moving words, of a young fighter frustrated by not being able to save Jambi’s life and fearing the worst for Toto, now in complete solitude, and condemned to death:

“Greetings to all, thank you for being here in this very difficult time. My name is Paulina Bermudez, I am GAP Project Director in Mexico. As of today we are gathered here for a dear friend who lost his life on the 24th at Chapultepec Zoo. His name was Jambi, he was a clever orangutan, curious and was a person who never surrendered.

I met Jambi in 2013, had seen him before, but met him this year, when I started working at Chapultepec Zoo. I confess that when I entered it, had hope to find healthy animals, happy for being there, but the experience taught me that just happened around the contrary; animals were neither healthy nor happy when they stay behind bars. My biggest lesson of my passage through the Zoo came from the animals, with them I learned the importance of not letting no one ever be put into a cage, neither physically nor mentally.

Jambi and his brother Toto, who is still alive, but still a prisoner, taught me that. Seeing them every day for so long made me understand that their health was getting worse day after day, 7 days a week, but what impressed me most is that Jambi, despite being a prisoner, never lost interest in the world around them.

From its four concrete walls, through the glass he watched, he was still attached to the people who came to visit him, with the people who saw him and felt his pain, with the people who felt solidarity with him, no matter that most people who visit the zoo mock him, to make fun of his appearance.

When leaving the work in the zoo, I kept visiting him and was still pending with them. For a long time I was alone, until one day GAP Project gave a hope that Jambi needed, and that’s how I started a petition on change.org to save his life. I wanted he to go to one of the best sanctuaries in the world, the Sanctuary of the Great Apes of Brazil.

I made a promise to Jambi and told him that he would not be alone. I had a meeting with the General Director of Zoos and Wildlife, Juan Arturo Rivero Rebolledo, and biologist Adriana Fernandez, Director of Chapultepec Zoo,  and introduced them the proposal. I said that Toto and Jambi could not follow so another minute under that conditions and presented the offer to take them to the sanctuary, which would pay all the expenses of the shuttle and maintenance for life. Their answers were negative.

These are the consequences, Jambi died and I do not even know what will become of his body, if it will  go to taxidermy or be incinerated, but I know that Toto may be lucky enough to be transferred to the Sanctuary for his rehabilitation. The days pass and Toto will find that his brother will not come back. He will be confused and I am afraid this drops him to death.

Jambi not only lost his life on Friday, but lost it every minute, day, week and year he was prisoner. And worst of all, for nothing, absolutely nothing. It did not teach anything about science, only about the misery these animal live trapped in Zoos. This cannot continue. For years I saw animals die in absolute silence, when I worked there I lost Nanuka, the polar bear, lost Xiu Hua, a panda bear, lost Khartoum, the white rhino and this year I lost you, Jambi, and I feel deeply.

I wanted to help you, and would have saved you and maybe it was too late. But today we have a second chance to do things well, to stop treating animals as if they were things. Mr. Juan Arturo, animals are not collection of objects, animals are not things to view, animals are people, human beings are animals, orangutans are animals and have the same value and the same right to live free and in a dignified manner.

Jambi is the symptom of a sick society of ego, we feel that our interests are worth more than someone’s life because Jambi and all the animals that are trapped are people too. A non human person who deserves the right not to be treated as a property. Jambi was it. Jambi was a person and deserved better.

Toto still lives. Toto is our chance to make the death of Jambi is not in vain. Let us learn from our mistakes, we accept with humility. Toto has the open doors of the sanctuary, he is been waited in Brazil. I know they preferred to stay with Jambi because they thought the Zoo was the best option,  but today it is clear that it is not.

Mr. Juan Arturo Rivera, Ms. Adriana Fernandez,  I ask you sensibly,  ask you to make the best decision for Toto, when we still have time. You know where and how to find me, I’m ready to carry him to Brazil, we cannot lose more time.

And you who are here to pay homage to Jambi, remember that to open a cage you have to open your mind. : we do not want greater or cleaner cages, we want them empty.

In memory of Jambi, thank you all for your attention. ”

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