ASTA
HER STORY
Asta arrived at Abijan Zoo because her owner couldn't cope any more, and had to tie her up with a chain, the mark of which Asta has kept; the Zoo entrusted her to us in May 2021, so she came to Dominique at that time; she was then around 5 to 6 years old and showed signs of stereotypies due to long-term isolation, no longer behaving well with other chimpanzees. On her arrival at Akatia, integration with her fellow chimpanzees had not been possible.
She also regularly had a swollen posterior, which led us to conclude that she was indeed more than 6 years old, despite her small size. We had to spend a lot of time with her, initially to restore her confidence and zest for life. This meant providing her with the right food, a variety of enrichments and a carer who was with her from 8am to 6pm. Her state of health was also checked before she was integrated into the chimpanzee camp.
While Asta was doing well, in December 2022, the teams had a big scare after she contracted malaria with a fever of up to 41.2. We took it in turns to cool her down as best we could and give her the appropriate treatment. To our great relief, she pulled through.
Asta is a gentle chimpanzee with a strong character due to her age. She loves to play, is mischievous and will always try to test her handler. She has grown into a beautiful chimpanzee of around 8 years of age. She joined the chimpanzee camp when it moved to the final sanctuary in mid-January 2023.
Fun fact about d’Asta: she's the queen of grimaces and mimicry, yawning when you yawn and sticking out your tongue when you stick it out...
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Some photos of Asta
*Asta laughs at tickling
⚠ Chimpanzees are not pets!
These chimpanzees are orphans who have fallen victim to the illegal bushmeat and pet trade. They are being rehabilitated at the Akatia sanctuary.