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How a monkey expresses grief

It's been 3 days since we lost our dear monkey friend Roosevelt, age 20, and his partner Oriole has alternated between looking for him all over the cage, to visiting the last spot they sat together, to calling for him, to going through her day in a pretty routine fashion (meals, some play). She was there when he died and I showed him to her when I removed him to make sure, but this is what monkeys do. It is especially hard in the evenings when she returns to where he had wanted to sleep his last days, the top of a sleeping cube, and looks around, contemplating, wondering. And expressing a call, but with no expectation of anything coming back. I will say to you Oriole, same. I am calling for him from my house, in my head, knowing that I won't hear anything but wanting to remember. Here is her contemplative wail -- a long call for her cagemate. You might watch and have a little cry with Oriole about someone lost to you. You have to be patient -- a first call is at 1:30 or so, but it's best to let it come to you.



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