Omega

Male. DOB: 1998 (approximately), Africa (free life). He was captured as a puppy and, since he was a little boy, he was exploited by a restaurant owner who gave him cigarettes and forced him to serve hookah from table to table. As a teenager, he was transferred to a precarious zoo in Lebanon and lived there until 2010. As he was reputed to be the smoking chimpanzee, zoo keepers and visitors would throw cigarettes at him. After several complaints, he was rescued by an international NGO. On November 9, 2010, Omega’s life changed completely. He was welcomed into the sanctuary of the Anami Institute with open arms. He had a suffering and distrustful face, but little by little, he gained confidence, becoming a very cooperative and calm chimpanzee. Omega went through a period of abstinence from cigarettes. It was expressly forbidden for any employee to smoke near him. Little by little, he adapted. Another challenge was to integrate him with a chimpanzee, to reduce the deleterious effects of isolation. In the year 2012, Omega would leave loneliness behind and meet Judy, his faithful companion until today.