Here’s a heartwarming story that proves that heroes come in all shapes and sizes: When his zookeeper started chemo treatments, this amazing chimpanzee pissed in his own mouth and chewed on a head of lettuce.
Incredible. What a beautiful display of solidarity from this chimp to his cancer-stricken caretaker.
When Brett Allen arrived to work at the Saint Louis Zoo the weekend after starting chemotherapy, he was feeling alone and scared—so it was truly beautiful to see one of the chimpanzees under Brett’s care spraying piss onto his own face to let Brett know that he wasn’t fighting cancer alone. By grabbing a dirty head of lettuce off the ground in his enclosure and proceeding to smack his lips on leaf after leaf, the kind-hearted ape sent a clear message to Brett: I stand with you.
Just amazing. Animals possess a capacity for empathy that is truly remarkable.
Brett has a long battle ahead as he faces several more rounds of chemotherapy to fight his disease. But every step of the way, this amazing chimp will be running back and forth in his cage, grabbing at ropes and making hooting noises right there with him. The next time Brett has to head into the hospital for a cancer treatment, the weight of his struggle will feel a little lighter knowing that his chimpanzee ally is back at the zoo, compassionately messing with his own genitals and flinging straw all over the place.
Simply beautiful. Battling cancer is a harrowing experience that can leave you feeling isolated and defeated, so anyone who’s gone through that fight will know how lucky Brett is to have this chimp smearing shit on his enclosure walls in solidarity with him. And we’ve all got your back, too, Brett! Now go give cancer hell!
