This might be the most heart warming thing you’ll see all day.
The video below depicts a group of chimpanzees who were raised in a research lab where they have spent their entire lives. In some cases, that is upwards of 30 years. They were recently sent to live in a safari camp, where they were allowed to wander outside for the first time in their lives. While the video is in German, it’s still easy to understand what is going on and expressions on the faces of the chimps pretty much say it all.
Really great stuff.
Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.
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This was awesome! I wish I spoke German so I could understand what they're saying.
My hearing comprehension is a little rusty but here is the narration, generally:
Woman: For the first time in their lives, they see the sun. After decades in a research lab, these are the first steps of the chimpanzees in freedom.
Man: They hugged each other – as if to say, 'free at last!' – then they laughed. If you can imagine being trapped in an elevator for 30 years, and then the door opens… and you find yourself with friends. It's hard to grasp…
They had only seen people in clothes–protective clothing–who had [entered? spent time in the room?]. They had no contact whatsoever, and they learned [what?] because they were brought to the research lab as babies. And just like that, they were allowed to leave.
Woman: The most of the 38 unique [beasts of labour?/chimpanzees] have spent their entire lives behind bars. Since 2002, they have come to [this Austrian charity's compound], where they were slowly primed for a life of freedom. And this moment was, for both man and animal, one-of-a-kind.
Man: I saw a chimpazee who was completely fascinated by seeing a butterfly. They knew the butterflies when they were very young, in the jungle–and now, all at once, they see them again.
Woman: As for those who were born in the lab, they discover everything for the very first time. The air, the grass, and freedom.
Wow! Thanks for the interpretation. Much appreciated!