Kategori: Husdjur

Nu har det gått en tid sedan jag fick veta hur det gick för Cheeta, (mer om Cheeta finns här att läsa) hur det faktiskt per idag fortfarande går för Herman och jag känner bara en otrolig glädje. När jag först fick kontakt och även besked om hur landet faktiskt låg till gjorde det ondare än jag någonsin kunnat föreställa mig. Mailet med infot kom på en fredag morgon och hela den helgen var jag i ett mentalt kaotiskt och emotionellt instabilt läge. Tårarna flödade och tankarna for, runt, drömmande, längtande och allt annat omtumlande. Sedan så liksom förlikade jag mig känslomässigt med allt och kunde sedan känna eufori över hur fint både Cheeta och Herman faktiskt fick det tillsammans i USA ända tills Cheeta gick bort 1987. I alla fall så är det så här.

Familjen som Herman levde med heter Schultz och pappan i den familjen heter Ed även kallad Uncle Eddie eller tillika Tomten som kom på flotten. Familjen tog hand om Cheeta och när dom skulle resa hem till Ohio i USA 1971 följde givetvis Cheeta, Herman, Rudy och en till liten chimpans med dom. Deras liv där började med det jag kallar utopi fast det var just ingen sådan. Dom var med i familjen och levde som små barn. Under vintern använde dom vinteroveraller och lekte som vilket barn som helt ute i snön. När det var väder för det satt Cheeta och Herman med på traktorn och for runt och grejade i åkern.

Åren gick och dom blev lite för stora och starka för att kunna leva i en familj på det viset. Uncle Eddie förhandlade med guvernören för Tampa i Florida för att Cheeta och Herman skulle få det bra på deras zoo och att dom skulle vara tillsammans osv. Ed krävde mycket men det var för att familjemedlemmerna skulle få ett bra liv utanför familjen Schultz. Årtalet vet jag inte när Cheeta (nambytt till Birgita och förkortat till Gita med tanke på Tarzans apa Cheeta) och Herman flyttade till Lowry Park Zoo i Tampa Florida. Jag vet iaf att Cheeta gick bort 1987 och det var ett par tre veckor innan det nya habitatet skulle invigas med Jane Goodall, allas vår chimpansräddare. Cheeta och Herman var tillsammans ända in det sista och ja, jag klistrar in orden Uncel Eddie skrev om när Cheeta dog och för mig är detta smärtsamt men samtidigt så fint.

—— Gita usually came out of the nightbox and layed on top of it in the morning. Now I will tell you what was told to me by the chimp keeper who was a good man. For about two days she lost her appetite, and ate very little. Now this is a fact, Herman would take a handfull of food to her and put it in her lap, then she ate a small amount. then Herman took a handfull of grapes, which as you know the chimps are wild about. and put them again in her lap. She ate a few but not much. The management then called the vet that afternoon. Well the next morning the keeper seen her lying on her nightbox, which was not unusual as she looked like she was sleeping. but after an hour they realized that something was wrong. So they had to give herman a sleeping pill (this is put in an apple or bannana) and when he went to sleep they took Gitta out and found out that she had passed away.. Later in the day they called me and I went to the vets hospital and they brought her to me. I just kept looking at her for a long time, remembering all the fun times we all had together.

Herman lever och har det bra på ”sitt” habitat på Lowry Park Zoo i Tampa Florida. Han och dom övriga chimpanser i habitatet har klarat orkanen väl trots att Tampa drabbats hårt av dessa. Han är en 40 årig herre som njuter av livet ff. Uncle Eddie kommer ff varje vecka och ger Herman det obligatoriska äpplet. Deras möten sker i dag på utsidan och en bit ifrån varandra men jag har fått se hur Herman reagerar när Ed kommer och ropar på honom och det är värme och ömhet mellan vänner. Herman reser sig upp och går mot kanten där han kommer närmast Ed och där står han redo att svinga sin näve för att fånga det bästa han vet, äpplet från Ed hans ”pappa”. En liten parantes, Ed är en vis man som blir 80 år nästa år. Han har lärt sig datorn för att kunna kommunicera även nätledes.

(mail från Uncle Eddie skickat den 23 april 2004 04:41 )
Well Carina you can see I still remember the Swedesh greeting.
Thank you very much for the four pictures, the reason I seen then was that my son Roger, in his travels came through Tampa yesterday and stayed with me for a few hours. From his instructions I may be able to download pictures myself, if I havent forgetten how to do that. Now the picture with your mother holding the two chinps, Herman on the left and Gita on the right Is just great. Now the little girl on the left is no other than my daughter Sandy. Its great that you are writing to the Zoo, let me know what answeres they give you.

Now Carina, if they dont answer your questions, then address your letter to the president of the Zoo. His name is Lex Sallesbery. He is from Austrailia, and has been with the Zoo for about 17 years. He started in charge of the Aviary and worked his way up to the presidency. In fact Lex is the one who introduced me to Jane Goodall when she was here for a while. In fact Jane was in love with Herman, he was so differint from all the other chimps she has met and asked about his history and that is how I got to meet her. Believe me she is a nice sweet lady. Have some pictures with Jane and I and Kicki will see them when she comes.

Yes, now I see your mother holding the chimps in one picture, and I remember her very well. And your Dad too. We used to drink together now and then and had some good times together. Does Your dad have an email address? If so please send it to me. And be sure to tell him we are in contact. Am sending this email to about eight other people, am learning more each day about this computor business. Gita died in the late 80s about 2-3 weeks before we opened up the great addition to the zoo which included the chimp island. (thats when Jane Goodall came) anyway Herman is by far the oldest resident of the Zoo animals and people too.

Am sorry to say Carina that no one (outside of Lex) knew Gita. Gita usually came out of the nightbox and layed on top of it in the morning. Now I will tell you what was told to me by the chimp keeper who was a good man. For about two days she lost her appetite, and ate very little. Now this is a fact, Herman would take a handfull of food to her and put it in her lap, then she ate a small amount. then Herman took a handfull of grapes, which as you know the chimps are wild about. and put them again in her lap. She ate a few but not much. The management then called the vet that afternoon. Well the next morning the keeper seen her lying on her nightbox, which was not unusual as she looked like she was sleeping. but after an hour they realized that something was wrong. So they had to give herman a sleeping pill (this is put in an apple or bannana) and when he went to sleep they took Gitta out and found out that she had passed away..
Later in the day they called me and I went to the vets hospital and they brought her to me. I just kept looking at her for a long time, remembering all the fun times we all had together.

Its hard to remember all the things we had together in life, she was a full grown chimpanzee, and looked nothing like she was when she was young. When I donated them to the Zoo we had a written agreement signed by the mayor of tampa that the city of tampa would keep them forever ( I was offered $5000.00 for the pair from a medical firm and I told them to get lost)

From the first day in the zoo to the end never has a zoo employee ever gone in the cage with them. I went every week with apples fruit and cookies in my pockets, and of course had my own key to the cage and went in and played with them till about 1980, then after that common sense must prevail, ……..and no more. but however always fed them through the bars. There is a sharp line of definition between bravado and stupidity and common sense should prevail. Regardless of how much I played with the chimps I still have my ten fingers.

Well Carina one day we will meet and talk some more about chimps. Tell your Mother and Dad I said hello. And by the way tell your Dad that I still remember the way to make a scandinavian toast the way that he taught me to take a drink. (wonder if he remembers……I do) Will be looking forward to picking up Kicki at the airport at 5:35 May 7.

Love, Uncle Eddy Forgive any spelling errors, I dont use that computor benefit.
(Utdrag ur nästa mail också detta om Cheeta och Herman, skickat den 24 april 2004)
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It sure broungt back memories, thinking about Birgita (cheeta) Looking at her on the table, and thinking of the good times we had together, when we came back from Africa we went back to Ohio where we came from, and bought a small farm with two nice houses on it, it came with a tractor & everything. We lived in one house and rented the other one out to a nice couple. On week-ends I used to take the tractor out and cut the high grass, and of course both chimps were on the tractor with me, they just loved it, Also in the winter time we made a snow man and dressed the chimps up in childrens winter clothes with boots on. (I have pictures of them running through the snow) and of course at x-mass time we have a nice picture of Liz and I and both children with both chimps on out laps in front of our x-mass tree.