Ponso is a 40-year-old chimp who was dumped on an abandoned island many years ago, after he was done being used for medical testing.
He is one of dozens of chimpanzees that were left stranded on a string of abandoned islands after the New York Blood Center (NYBC) finished years of painful testing on them. NYBC kept them alive for a few years by dropping off supplies and vaccinating them, but eventually, that stopped.
Sadly, all of Ponso’s family has died, which includes his mate and their two children.
Ponso currently lives all alone on the small island, which has no source on food on water. He relies on the kindness of a nearby villager, Germain, who feeds him bananas and bread.
But, despite all of the unkindness and neglect that Ponso has received in his life, that didn’t stop him from giving a warm embrace to a woman named Estelle Raballand, who is the director of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center.
He wrapped his arms around her in a huge hug, showing that he is grateful to see life on the island.
Sadly, Ponso still spends his life trapped on the empty island, and he relies on the kindness of others and donations. Ponso’s supporters have also fought to hold NYBC responsible for the animals it abandoned, but there is no update on that.
To help Ponso directly, you can donate to his food and supplies click here, and to contribute to a fund for the other abandoned chimps click here.
Watch this video of Ponzo below and please SHARE his story with your friends and family on Facebook to spread awareness.
[Featured Image Credit: Facebook- Estelle Raballand]