Betty, Dublin Zoo’s longest resident and oldest chimp in human care, dead at 62 — rest in peace

Betty, the chimpanzee that had been at the Dublin Zoo for the longest and the oldest living chimp under human care, passed away last week at the age of 62. She was one of the zoo’s most cherished and well-known inmates.

A zoo blog article claims that Betty had age-related ailments that were impairing her quality of life, and the tough choice to end her life was made to spare her from suffering in the future.

Although it is heartbreaking to lose Betty, she enjoyed a lengthy life that exceeded the average lifespan of a chimpanzee in captivity. According to the zoo, she was also the oldest chimpanzee in human care at the time of her death.

Team leader Helen Clarke Bennett of Dublin Zoo, who has worked as a zookeeper since 1987 and has known Betty for many years, paid tribute to her.

In 1964, a West African chimpanzee named Betty made her way to Dublin. Bennett notes that Betty participated in archaic practices like “Chimp Tea Parties” and that the Dublin Zoo continued to operate in the “style of the early Victorian era zoos” throughout that period.

Betty saw major advancements in zoo standards throughout her decades-long confinement. For example, in the 1990s, the chimp habitat was transformed from a metal-barred concrete “pit” to an island with trees.

Bennett claimed to have known Betty since the zoo’s early years since Michael Clarke, Betty’s father, was looking after her at the time. The chimp was “always strong-minded,” according to him, and would not give up on her goals.

After Wendy moved in 1964, Betty’s best friend, Wendy, became an integral part of her life for the majority of it. One of the cutest pairs in the zoo was formed by the two monkeys.

“Wendy had a cheeky side, but Betty could hold her accountable!” Bennett penned the piece. “When Wendy was obstinately refusing to go outside while the habitat was being cleaned, Betty putting her arm around her to encourage her to go outside with the rest of the troop will always be one of my favorite pictures.”

Betty and Wendy celebrated their 50th birthdays together in 2012 at the zoo. The zoo workers believed that Betty, who was devastated by Wendy’s death in 2014, wouldn’t be far behind.

She even managed to live on for a further ten years, rising to the rank of dominating female chimpanzee and earning the title of longest-serving inhabitant of the zoo.

Bennett stated that Betty experienced reduced kidney function and chronic arthritis in her latter years, which affected her weight and mobility. She was also under continuous wellness management.

They had to make the tough but humane decision to end the beloved chimp’s life after all medicinal and surgical alternatives had been tried. Even though Betty is no longer with us, she will always be cherished as a unique original and a zoogoer’s favorite for many decades to come.

“Although I am really saddened to bid farewell to a friend I have known since I was a young child, I am sure that Betty’s euthanasia was the right choice, ensuring that she didn’t suffer needlessly and preserving her dignity to the very end. That gives me a great deal of comfort,” Bennett wrote.

“Everyone here at Dublin Zoo as well as the many generations of visitors who were fortunate enough to know her will miss Betty terribly; there will never be another like her.”

Peace be with you, Betty. You lived a very long life, and it’s obvious that your loved ones and caregivers cherished you.

Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly’s granddaughter is all grown up and has inherited her grandmother’s beauty

Grace Kelly was a Hollywood film star who never left the spotlight in the 1950s. She didn’t last longer than six years in the industry, but those years she spent were legendary.

She got into the world of acting at the age of 20 and became a bomb.

She starred in adventure romance Mogambo alongside Clark Gable and Ava Gardner which earned her a Golden Globe for best-supporting actress.

We thought that was all until she gave a show the following year. She won yet another award for Best supporting actress in The Country Girl.

During her career, her movies were majorly comedy musical High Society starring alongside Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and three Alfred Hitchcock movies Dial M for Murder; To Catch a Thief with Cary Grant, and Rear window.

At the age of 26, Grace left the spotlight because of her marriage to Prince Rainier III and become Princess of Monaco.

We all knew if she remained in the industry she could have been among the top as within six years she had two Golden Globes and Academy Award to her name and 11 successful movies.

She retired from the spotlight because of her marriage to the prince and went on to have three wonderful children, Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Albert II.

Kelly tragically passed away at the age of 52 after a car accident. She had a stroke and lost control of the vehicle. Stephanie, her youngest daughter was with her at that moment, and luckily she was able to survive the accident.

Kelly is said to have a total of 11 grandchildren and they so much remind us of the Philadelphia-born.

Camille Gottlieb is one of the grandchildren of Kelly born by Grace Kelly’s youngest child Princess Stephanie of Monaco and Jean-Raymond Gottlieb.

The 20-year-old has two older half-siblings, Pauline Ducruet and they look so much like their grandmother.

Camille seems to be a better replica of her grandmother as she has blond hair and blue eyes.

Going through her Instagram account with over 70,000 followers, we can’t help but see her grandmother’s piercing blue eyes. She looks so beautiful and reminds us of the legendary Grace Kelly. May her soul rest in peace.

The report says she’s not quite eligible for the throne as she was born when her parents weren’t married and her birth was a secret.

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