In loving memory of
Marc

About Me

In Loving Memory of Marc

1973-2024

Born free in 1973, Marc was captured as a young chimpanzee in the wild in Africa. He was then sent to the U.S. for biomedical research, eventually ending up at the infamous Coulston lab in New Mexico. In 2002, he was rescued by Save the Chimps, where he enjoyed two decades of loving care on a three-acre island with other chimpanzees, including his daughter, Tyra.

Calm Marc played the role of observer during chimp disputes and got most excited during meal times. It took quite a bit of work for care staff to earn Marc’s affection, but once you did, you couldn’t walk by without him wiggling his fingers through the mesh to you and asking for extra food.

Recently, he struck up a friendship with Shake, one of the Sunrise 7 and they were frequently seen grooming together. He was also close friends with Ridge, a chimpanzee who was introduced to the group in 2019. They ate every meal together in room 5. Marc particularly loved greens and was often seen walking out onto the island with lettuce in both hands and feet.

At first, Marc was very apprehensive about operant conditioning training, a program that encourages chimpanzees to participate in their healthcare, but with lots of patience and meeting Marc where he was comfortable, he began to enjoy training with care staff, seeking them out when he saw them with their training materials.

Marc loved parties and would gather up popsicles and head out onto the island to find a quiet spot to enjoy them. He was a cherished member of the group, with the high-ranking males, specifically the alpha Dwight, often seen protecting him during altercations. Marc’s absence has been noticed within the group, as they have been more subdued and seen grooming with one another in the days that followed.

The care staff and all of us at Save the Chimps miss Marc but are happy he had such a peaceful 22 years at Save the Chimps, since his first three decades were so traumatic.