Foxie the chimp has not had an easy life.
The 40-year-old chimp was subjected to laboratory research on hepatitis vaccines, and was compelled to birth more chimps for research.
Sadly, all four of her babies were taken away from her straight after birth, leaving her bereft and wary of humans.
In fact, when she retired to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest eight years ago, staff member Diana Goodrich said she was “aloof for a time around people.”
“She would not play with or even touch any of the toys and other items we gave the chimps,” Diana told The Dodo.
But all that changed after she ‘adopted’ a troll.
Her first one had bright pink hair, but she now has a whole family of trolls. And touchingly, she is extremely attached to them. It’s almost as if they’re her babies.
As Diana said, she often carries them “on her back like a chimpanzee mom would do” with her infant.
“Foxie is still so intensely enamoured with these strange little dolls that she carries one everywhere,” Diana wrote on the sanctuary’s Facebook page.
“Today, she lay down to rest in the playroom and spent several minutes gazing at her doll before closing her eyes.”
Aww. The trolls are no substitute for her real babies, but at least they’re some comfort to her.
