WATCH: Chimp named Vanilla sees sky for first time in viral video from Florida shelter

Updated: 10:51 PM EDT Jul 4, 2023

In a heartwarming moment, Vanilla the chimpanzee finally had the opportunity to witness the sky for the very first time after spending 28 years in captivity.The emotional encounter happened at a sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida, where Vanilla now enjoys a life filled with freedom and companionship.Vanilla's caregivers shared that she spent most of her life confined in small cages at a research laboratory in New York, which has since been closed down. It was her first time being outdoors with more than 10 feet of fence around her on all sides, according to the rescue organization Save The Chimps.Video below: See more images of Vanilla and hear from the CEO of the organization that rescued her As Vanilla stepped outside her enclosure, she received a heartwarming hug from her chimp buddy, Dwight. Vanilla seems to get along well with all 18 chimps on the sanctuary's island, especially Dwight. The two chimps share a playful relationship, and Vanilla has been known to playfully steal food from her friends.

The oldest male chimpanzee in US has died at the San Francisco zoo. He was 63 years old

Updated: 7:51 PM EDT Jun 7, 2021

The oldest male chimpanzee living in an accredited North American zoo died Saturday at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. He was 63.The chimpanzee, named Cobby, had been a hand-reared performing chimpanzee before he was brought to the San Francisco zoo in the 1960s. Although the zoo said in a news release that the chimpanzee's cause of death had not been determined, the animal had recently been ill and zoo officials believe old age was a factor.The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists chimpanzees as endangered, and they are considered among the most at-risk primates in Africa due to hunting, habitat loss and disease.The average life expectancy of the 100,000 to 200,000 chimpanzees living in the wild is 33 years, while it is between 50 and 60 years under human care, the zoo said.Cobby was integral in bringing together the San Francisco Zoo's chimpanzee population, officials said, and acted like the elder of the troop."Cobby was part of San Francisco," said Tanya M. Peterson, executive director of the San Francisco Zoological Society, in a statement. "He touched so many lives, and people have so many memories of him. He is irreplaceable, and our hearts are broken. We will all miss seeing his handsome grey beard watching over us from the top platform of the yard."