Akouba was rescued by Eagle Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan when she was only about three years old. Initially, the agents were there to save another baby chimpanzee but discovered Akouba, another orphan, living in horrendous conditions. She was locked in a dark room and suffering from severe malnutrition. Tragically, that wasn’t the extent of her trauma. Her captor also kept an adult monkey that regularly attacked her. When Akatia took her in, Akouba was covered in lacerations from these attacks and had a wrist injury, likely sustained during her mother’s tragic death. But Akouba is a fighter—a bundle of love and emotional intelligence, blending cleverness, clumsiness, and a touch of mischief.

And she’s a true foodie! She can never resist a papaya, mango, or cacao pod. Perhaps that’s why one of her favorite activities is playing with the skin and soft areas on her caregivers' bellies. Whenever she spots a bit of exposed skin, she eagerly rushes over to touch it, stroke it, knead it, slap it playfully, and press herself against it.

This deep need for skin-to-skin contact reflects her vital drive to form bonds and find comfort and reassurance.