When Joe the chimpanzee was young, a famous Hollywood animal trainer taught him tricks that landed him a role in the 1997 film Buddy. Two years later, he was transported to a roadside zoo in Alabama where he lived for 17 years.
"He was confined to a tiny, rusted cage, isolated and alone," says PETA, which stepped in to save Joe.
The organization filed a lawsuit against the Mobile Zoo where Joe was held. It was dropped once the zoo agreed to release Joe. At the age of 29, the chimp was finally free. (This was possible after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "announced that it was eliminating a loophole that excluded captive chimpanzees from the protections of the Endangered Species Act" in 2015.)
Joe was placed in the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Fort Pierce, FL, where he will live out the rest of his life in peace. The sanctuary is also home to Terry, who went viral for a video showing his beautiful bond with another chimpanzee.
At his new home, Joe will get to jump and climb around at his own discretion and interact with others of his kind.
Watch below to see Joe transported from the zoo to his new home, and the moment he meets famed British primatologist Jane Goodall.
And please SHARE if you're glad Joe the chimp was rescued!
