Betty, the chimpanzee that had been at the Dublin Zoo for the longest and the oldest living chimp under human care, passed away last week at the age of 62. She was one of the zoo’s most cherished and well-known inmates.
A zoo blog article claims that Betty had age-related ailments that were impairing her quality of life, and the tough choice to end her life was made to spare her from suffering in the future.
Although it is heartbreaking to lose Betty, she enjoyed a lengthy life that exceeded the average lifespan of a chimpanzee in captivity. According to the zoo, she was also the oldest chimpanzee in human care at the time of her death.
Team leader Helen Clarke Bennett of Dublin Zoo, who has worked as a zookeeper since 1987 and has known Betty for many years, paid tribute to her.
In 1964, a West African chimpanzee named Betty made her way to Dublin. Bennett notes that Betty participated in archaic practices like “Chimp Tea Parties” and that the Dublin Zoo continued to operate in the “style of the early Victorian era zoos” throughout that period.
Betty saw major advancements in zoo standards throughout her decades-long confinement. For example, in the 1990s, the chimp habitat was transformed from a metal-barred concrete “pit” to an island with trees.
Bennett claimed to have known Betty since the zoo’s early years since Michael Clarke, Betty’s father, was looking after her at the time. The chimp was “always strong-minded,” according to him, and would not give up on her goals.
After Wendy moved in 1964, Betty’s best friend, Wendy, became an integral part of her life for the majority of it. One of the cutest pairs in the zoo was formed by the two monkeys.
“Wendy had a cheeky side, but Betty could hold her accountable!” Bennett penned the piece. “When Wendy was obstinately refusing to go outside while the habitat was being cleaned, Betty putting her arm around her to encourage her to go outside with the rest of the troop will always be one of my favorite pictures.”
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Betty and Wendy celebrated their 50th birthdays together in 2012 at the zoo. The zoo workers believed that Betty, who was devastated by Wendy’s death in 2014, wouldn’t be far behind.
She even managed to live on for a further ten years, rising to the rank of dominating female chimpanzee and earning the title of longest-serving inhabitant of the zoo.
Bennett stated that Betty experienced reduced kidney function and chronic arthritis in her latter years, which affected her weight and mobility. She was also under continuous wellness management.
They had to make the tough but humane decision to end the beloved chimp’s life after all medicinal and surgical alternatives had been tried. Even though Betty is no longer with us, she will always be cherished as a unique original and a zoogoer’s favorite for many decades to come.
“Although I am really saddened to bid farewell to a friend I have known since I was a young child, I am sure that Betty’s euthanasia was the right choice, ensuring that she didn’t suffer needlessly and preserving her dignity to the very end. That gives me a great deal of comfort,” Bennett wrote.
“Everyone here at Dublin Zoo as well as the many generations of visitors who were fortunate enough to know her will miss Betty terribly; there will never be another like her.”
Peace be with you, Betty. You lived a very long life, and it’s obvious that your loved ones and caregivers cherished you.
She is the TV star who slept with over 700 men
The reality TV star, Belinda Love Rygier, says that her sex addiction “ruled her life” and led her to sleep with over 700 men.
She explained how she managed to overcome her addiction and have a normal life.
Belinda “Love” Rygier, who started her TV career by participating in the 2017 season of The Bachelor Australia, said that she is following a recovery program and has been out of a relationship for 15 months.
The 38-year-old woman shared that at one point in her life, she would go out six nights a week just to seek new sexual partners.
During the peak of her addiction, dating apps were not available as they are today, the Australian presenter confessed.
Confessions of a Former Sex Addict
Belinda was invited to a radio show and confessed that she “didn’t realize she had a problem until she healed from it,” according to Mirror.
“When I recovered, I was convinced that there was an unresolved trauma from my past that caused my sex addiction,” she said.
Although her sex addiction had taken over her life, the woman says she was a “functional addict,” with a successful career that operated smoothly, keeping her secrets hidden.
The TV Star says she has “lost count” of the number of men she has slept with over the years but is certain it has exceeded “the figure of 700.”
However, she said she is “not ashamed” of the number of sexual partners she has had and still has a “high sexual desire.”
“Men were very good at telling me what I wanted to hear; it was about feeling beautiful, validated, and loved, rather than making love,” she said.
Why she is now practicing sexual abstinence
Belinda continued, “Society has declined, and we use sex for the wrong reason, which is quick or momentary validation from others.”
She confessed that she can no longer engage in sexual activities without having a strong emotional connection. “I will have sex again, but with someone I have a connection with.”
The TV star is now a “love guru” on social media and often appears on media programs to offer words of wisdom to her thousands of followers.
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