Nakima

Nakima was captured as a baby in Tropical Africa around 1975 and smuggled into Belgium, where authorities confiscated her. She was raised in the home of a woman called Sonia for 29 years. When the law changed, Sonia could no longer keep her at home; Nakima was moved to Natuurhulpcentrum Wildlife Rescue, where she lived for two more years.

She came to Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary on 7 July 2006 via Heathrow because Freddie, one of our adult male chimps then in his thirties, had lost his companion Peter and could not be integrated with either of our other groups, both of which contained an alpha male. Pairing Nakima and Freddie gave both of them a chance.

She is petite, distinctive, and famous for wearing a blanket or her purple sweater. She has appeared in TV programmes and newspaper items around the world. After Freddie died, she joined the Twmi and Fergus group.