As we continue our Valentine’s series, we could never forget our dear friend Jody. When I think about sanctuary, Jo embodies what sanctuaries are made for.
Jody was born in 1975, we don’t know her exact birthday, we believe Jody may have been captured in the wild. However, we honor Jody on Mother’s Day, because she took on the role of “Den Mother.” She was the glue of the group. Jody was a protector, she fiercely loved her family and would do anything to ensure their safety, even if it meant that she involved herself in conflict taking on the burden to protect others. In her absence, we have noticed how much she was helping her group navigate conflict and how much she stepped in and took the brunt of it. Losing Jo definitely effected the balance of peace in the group. Jamie’s group has adjusted since, but it is impossible to fill the hole that Jody left, showing us another parallel to human lives. Though someone has passed, we have to figure out how to walk on this earth without them, acknowledging that it won’t be the same, but you rebuild, slowly.
Jody like many other chimp stories, is a heartbreaking one, she was used primarily for breeding during her years in the labs, over her time there she had 9 children and 2 miscarriages. Chimps that were used for breeding in biomedical labs had their children taken away and sadly, Jody was no exception. In between her many pregnancies, the industry managed to also use Jody in hepatitis vaccine research. If you ever met Jody, you know she was born to me a mother, it is a tragedy she was not able to be a mother to her children, but regardless she became the den mother to her group. We do know that 4 of her children made it to sanctuary.
This is Jody when she arrived to the sanctuary.
And Jody after 15 years in sanctuary, almost aging in reverse.
Jody was resilient, deeply loyal, a mediator, and the heart and soul of her group. She was a serious chimp. She did not open up quickly, but once she did, you were apart of her world.
Jojo was best known for her dinosaur food grunts. You would hear these sounds when she was extremely pleased with the food being served.
Jody was known for her elaborate nest building. She was the only chimp to help us get blankets out of the doors and most likely the one who left the pile of blankets in the door!
We often described Jo as more of a serious chimp, but she loved to have fun with her friends too!
Jo was an extremely protective friend. If anyone in her group was out on the Hill and hadn’t come back yet, she would wait at the end of the raceway until they returned.
Jody could also be found in the happy baby pose.
She was an incredibly supportive friend. My favorite story is when Jody would go out every morning with Foxie to climb the Twister, a structure out on Young’s Hill. Jody would go out and climb with Foxie, going only as far as Foxie was comfortable, but always encouraging her to push a little further. Eventually, one day Foxie got to the top and Jody was right there with her the whole time. I think about that moment often. It speaks to who Jody was as a person, supportive, protective, and encouraging.
I think about Jody all the time. I feel a pang of grief every time I do a produce order. I always come across a food or leafy green that Jody would totally get excited for! Jody was so expressive with food. It was so exciting and she was so vocal. Because of this, Jody was an avid forager, aka Farmer Jo, whether that be foliage on the Hill or foraging for produce. She would walk back in with a haul- hands, toes, and mouth full! And if you have ever wondered where the nickname Farmer Jo came from, I think the pictures speak for themselves.
Oh! I almost forgot that Jody once foraged a whole rose bush, fast forward to 7:26!
Let’s not forget the great pumpkin heist! Jamieween is one of our biggest celebrations and every year we put out a big pumpkin on Young’s Hill. The pumpkin heist is something many of us looked forward to every year. To see how Jody would steal or try to stealthily get the whole pumpkin, even though, eventually she would share her winning with Neggie.
She had the cutest nubby toes and a very stabby toenail.
But I miss her heart-shaped browridge the most. Jody had the most captivating eyes, it felt like she could see your soul.
However, something I miss deeply is every night when we would close up the chimp house, we would say “Goodnight”. Jody would give a “Goodnight-grunt” and then everyone else would harmonize after. It was a sweet quiet moment. We don’t hear them do it as often without Jo, but when they do, I feel her presence.
It was an honor to care for Jody and watch her flourish in everything our sanctuary had to offer her. She was provided dignity, choice, and safety. She is deeply missed by her family and her human friends. To gain her trust as a human friend of hers is the greatest privilege you could ever ask for.
Jody currently has 12 pals (in memorial). If you would like to honor sweet Jojo you can donate or become her Chimpanzee Pals (in memorial).
