A Last Goodbye to Cheetah the Chimp

People may forever question whether Cheetah the chimp was really in his 80s or if he really appeared in Tarzan movies, but one thing is for sure; Cheetah will be missed by many.

More than 50 people turned out on New Year's Eve to say goodbye to the longtime resident of the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, one week after the 82 year-old died from kidney failure on Christmas Eve.

One by one, volunteers at the sanctuary stood in front of the crowd and shared their memories of Cheetah. Some were tearful as they recalled the chimp who they loved like a member of their own family. 

"There was a bonding, a comradery… we had a connection," said Mindy Bickney, a nine-year veteran of the sanctuary. "Cheetah's going to be missed and he was our friend," she said, her voice cracking as she fought back tears.

"He just touch our lives… they know us," said Tina Ercolano who's been a volunteer for 12 years and remembers when the sanctuary was known as the "Chimp Farm".

Others shared endearing recollections of Cheetah, revealing his unique personality.

"He was always the first one to say good morning to me… and he would always be the last one to say goodnight," said Debbie Cobb, Outreach Coordinator at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary. Cobb had known Cheetah for most of her life.  Her grandparents owned the sanctuary and brought Cheetah to live there in the 1960s.   

"He was the first chimp I ever saw visibly have tears," Cobb said, recalling how Cheetah reacted when another chimp at the sanctuary died.

There were some lighthearted moments, too. Volunteer, Mindy Brickey also told the crowd how talented Cheetah was, when it came to throwing poop.

People of all ages turned out to say goodbye to Cheetah during the casual memorial. For some kids, it was a time to also have a bit of fun. One boy found a large live tortoise to give him a ride. Other kids surrounded Evie Rios, a former sanctuary volunteer who brought a stroller to the memorial. Inside the stroller were three pet monkeys. One of which was named "Gucci" and wore a bright yellow diaper as she hopped from the shoulder of one stranger to another. 

No doubt, it was a memorial Cheetah would have loved.