Aug. 30, 2005 — Gregoire was born in about 1944 and arrived at the Brazzaville Zoo as a juvenile, after spending several years as a "pet." When Jane Goodall first saw him in 1991 he was a living skeleton, every bone in his body visible. He was almost naked from malnutrition and one eye seemed partially blind. JGI hired a keeper and organized a group of ex-patriots to help us feed Gregoire, several other chimpanzees and a variety of other primates. The Bridget Bardot foundations provided money to build him a small patio so that, for the first time in years, he could feel the sun on his back. He put on weight, most of his hair grew back, and his eye condition cleared up.

At that time he was joined by three youngsters, including Cherie, a two year old female, who became lie his adopted granddaughter. Her protected her when the two young males, Bobby and Emois, became too rough, and he slept with her in his arms at night. When Dr. Jane visited and saw him with his young companions, the first contact with others in countless years, she cried.

In 1997, the intermittent civil war flared up. The Brazzaville Zoo is only a half-mile from the airport and became the center of fierce fighting. Every time a shell exploded Gregoire dived under his wooden sleeping shelf, so that he scraped his back raw.

At that time the John Aspinall Gorilla Foundation was caring for a group of orphan gorillas at the zoo. Aspinall persuaded the French military to airlift them to Pointe Noire from whence they went to the JGI Tchimpounga Sanctuary, managed by Graziella Cotman. She agreed to temporarily house the gorillas provided Gregoire, the three youngsters, and the other two adult chimps were also rescued.

That is how Gregoire arrived in Tchimpounga. He was traumatized on arrival, and it took days for him to get over the terror he had known in Brazzaville, and during the transport by plane. Eventually he adjusted to his new surroundings. For a while he continued to live with his three young friends, but they became too rough for the old man. Also, for their own good, they needed to live with other youngsters. So Gregoire, today, lives with La Vielle, an adult female rescued from the so-called Pointe Noire Zoo.

Once again Bridget Bardot came through with a grant, and we have built the two old chimpanzees a small "garden" adjacent to the main sleeping area. Gregoire is surrounded by chimpanzees. He watches everything intently, interacts through the fence, and joins in the calling and displaying. We dare not let him out with the others — he is too old, too frail. But we hope, soon, to find other infants whom he can comfort.

When Dr. Jane visits, once a year, she always spends time sitting with the old chimpanzee. He grooms her hair and her eyes, and loves to undo the buttons on her shirt — to remain decent she must wear two shirts! Gregoire was featured in Return to Gombe first shown on Animal Planet in March 2004 and, prior to that, in a BBC documentary. He is one of the oldest zoo chimpanzees. That he remained alive during his years of starvation is a miracle. How fortunate that he clung to life long enough for Dr. Jane to find and rescue him!