Chimp Who Was Once Scared of Being Touched Now Loves Hugs From Best Friend

An infant chimpanzee whose mother was killed by an animal trafficker planning to sell him has come a long way since he was rescued by The Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA) on September 8.The chimpanzee called Farah – named after Mo Farah – was too scared to accept any kind of human contact after his rescue. In a short clip, Farah can be seen attempting to push and scare his carers away from him during his first night free from the trafficker.A video shared by Ape Action Africa shows Farah’s progress in Mefou Sanctuary as he bonded with other chimpanzees the same age and began to accept some tactile contact with them. The progress video of Farah was used by Ape Action Africa on Facebook to encourage donations towards his and other orphan chimpanzees’ care.When first rescued, Farah had been found tied to a wall with a chain by the animal trafficker, who had been seen carrying the chimpanzee around in a bag during the day in an attempt to make a sale. When he was brought to Mefou Sanctuary, he had to be treated for tapeworm and "had to have the hair around his backside trimmed and cleaned as he had been forced to sit in his own excrement and it had hardened. " Ape Action Africa told Storyful that Farah also had suffered wounds on either side of his waist because the metal chain had cut into his skin. After three weeks at Mefou Sanctuary, Farah was given a clean bill of health. Credit: Ape Action Africa/Ian Bickerstaff via Storyful