My heart is breaking. Cinder wasn't only a favorite zoo friend, she was one of my favorite photo subjects. She was so beautiful. My most popular photo, The Thinker is of her.
-Shelley P.
St. Louis, MO
Dear Cinder in Heaven,
You were and still are my favorite chimp. I remember every time I saw the chimps you were the first one I looked for. I think even though you were different I think thats what made you famous in St. Louis. We were all lucky to have you as our naked chimp. Here's to you Cinder.
-Nick U.
Crestwood, MO
I won't forget the last time we went to the zoo and Cinder was in the outdoor area of the Fragile Forest. Our youngest son, who was about 12 months at the time, was standing next to the glass where Cinder was laying. She would put her hand on the glass where his hand was, trying to reach out and touch him. She also picked up pieces of the food inside the enclosure and tried to hand them to him, almost as if she realized he was a baby and needed to be taken care of. It was the sweetest thing that I have ever seen. She will truly be missed as she was a beautiful (and rare) sight.
-Bridget S.
St. Louis, MO
I just want to say that I'm sorry for the loss. I remember when she first arrived when I was a kid. Even though she is gone, her spirit will be with us forever. Goodbye, sweet Cinder.
-Allex W.
Kirkwood, MO
I learned about Cinder at a chimpanzee conference in 1999 and got to meet her a couple of years later. What an amazing -- and feisty -- little girl she was. My thoughts are with the staff and volunteers at this sad time.
-Gerry L.
Beaverton, Oregon
Oregon ZooGuide
My name is Jake. I am only 4 years old. My daddy brings me to the zoo all the time. I will miss Cinder. I like to watch the chimps play. I like to watch them swing on the ropes and in the trees. They are so friendly to each other. I think that they remind me of my mom and dad. They like to hold me, too. I will miss Cinder, the one with no hair. I always watched for her. God will take care of her now.
-Jake F.
Brighton, IL
Dear Cinder & the St. Louis Zoo Staff,
My condolences on a huge loss for our zoo. She was an awesome attraction at the zoo, and she was so much fun to watch! My boyfriend did a great photo tribute to her in a contest, showing everyone that even though you are different, you still can be accepted. She will be greatly missed. Peace & Love Cinder!
Love,
-Debbie M.
Pacific, MO
From the first moment I saw Cinder I thought she was the cutest chimp I've ever seen. I will truly miss her a lot.
-Tina C.
St. Louis, MO
I was an intern with the Jungle of the Apes in the summer of 2006 and I remember Cinder very well. She was one of my favorites and will always be. I remember always getting questions about her whenever I walked out to watch the chimps from the visitors side of the enclosures. Cinder had her own quirky personality and I will always remember being able to work with her. We'll miss you Cinder.
-Jessica P.
Warrenton, MO
I am just so sad to hear about Cinder's death. On my many visits to the zoo I always made it a point to look her up. I have loved watching her through the years. She was beautiful!! It will really be hard to replace her. It must be very hard on the staff and keepers who had such a close relationship with her. My condolences and keep up the wonderful work that you do.
-Madeline H.
St. Louis, MO
Cinder was a sweet chimp. We will all miss you. RIP.
-Linda A.
St. Louis, MO
I have lived in St. Louis and going to the Saint Louis Zoo for my whole life. Cinder was always the most unique chimp, I would always look for her whenever I would visit them. She always seemed so happy and was so entertaining to watch. When I was little I thought it was so cool that my Zoo had such a special chimp. Cinder will always be in my heart.
-Shannon K.
St. Louis, MO
When my children where teenagers they used to sit and blow bubbles with their gum. Cinder always reacted dramatically, making faces and bobbing her head.
-Laura A.
House Springs, MO
Our family truly enjoys seeing all the exhibits at the Saint Louis Zoo, but it was especially nice to see that no matter what differences there may have been all the Chimpanzees could live and play together. People could really learn something from them. We will miss seeing the one and only Cinder!
-Freeman Family
Fenton, MO
Cinder was wonderful. Every time my aunt took my younger brother and I to the zoo, we would say hi to Cinder and laugh while she danced and stuck up her belly. I am sorry about Cinder. I bet she is happy now in heaven, watching over the other chimps and animals.
-Kelly W.
St. Louis, MO
I can recall being about 11 or 12 yrs visiting the St. Louis Zoo for about the hundreth time in my life. I was there with my girl scout troop for a special event the zoo was hosting for girl scouts only. I remember walking through the ape exhibit and thinking that monkey has no hair! Quickly it caught on between all the girls that the monkey was hairless. We thought it was very interesting and Cinder must have thought we were interesting as well. Cinder than preceeded to climb up a nearby tree, swing down on a rope, and smack the glass with her feet directly in front of our faces. It was the most hysterical thing I have ever witnessed, and she didn't stop there, she continued to do this same sequence over and over again. Cinder must have known she was entertaining us little girls. I was pretty young and that point and didn't mind Cinder's hairless body I thought she was so adorable and small. I remember going back to the zoo some years later and reading about Cinder's condition I thought it was very interesting and it made me happy that the zoo kept her even though she was different. I am now 21 years old and have been itching to go back to the zoo for the past couple years. It saddens me that Cinder won't be there, but I will never forget the story of how I met her for the first time all those years ago.
-Staci B.
Crystal City, MO
Such sad news to hear that Cinder passed away, especially at such a young age. She was always the highlight of my frequent visits to the Saint Louis Zoo. Thank you, Cinder for bringing so many smiles to so many people.
-Doug C.
St. Louis, MO
Dear Cinder, you are my princess. I really will miss you when I visit the zoo next time.
-Anna K.
Columbia, MO
Cinder was a unique chimp. She was my favorite. Every visit to the Zoo, I made sure I went to see the chimps. I always enjoyed watching Cinder. The first time I saw her, she caught my eye. She is such an interesting chimp. As soon as I heard about her passing, I went through my pictures from various Zoo trips because I knew that I had taken some of her. She will be terribly missed and the St. Louis Zoo has lost a huge asset. R.I.P. Cinder We Love You!!
-Cassi H.
Troy, IL
I will always remember Cinder's story, and her beautiful face. It won't be the same at the Forest without her, but we were blessed to see her grow up and life a happy life with her extended family. We miss you Cinder.
-Erin B.
St. Louis, MO
We are saddened by the sudden loss of Cinder. I remember the first time my daughter (age 3 at the time, now 5) and I saw Cinder we didn't see her as anything but special and unique. When I told my daughter the news about Cinder she remembered her because she was the hairless chimp. St. Louis Zoo made the right decision by keeping her in public view. It was a perfect example of being proud of who you are, that it's okay to be different and refusing to believe ANYONE who says you are not good enough.....for public viewing. Saint Louis Zoo is amazing and I thank you all for your dedication to caring for and loving your residents (including the bugs...eek!)
-Denise B.
Bridgeton, MO
I'm very sad about Cinder's untimely death. I always visited the chimps and she was a favorite. She always seemed lively, fun and had such enjoyment of her surroundings. Our Zoo is such a great place and gives all of the animals a fantastic home. My condolences to all. Goodbye, Cinder. You will be missed.
-Linda B.
St. Louis, MO
From a fellow alopecian, Cinder has always been an inspiration and a friend to many, including members of NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation). Many of us got to meet her several years ago when we held a conference there. She is a real sweetheart and will be remembered by many.
-Jennifer G.
Annapolis, Maryland
Cinder was our favorite animal in the zoo!!! She was always happy to come close to the glass, especially for small children. I recall one time, when I took my then 3 yr old son to first meet Cinder and the other chimps. I didn't know if she was able to really see through the glass of the enclosure or not, but when she came down to the glass my son put his hand up to the glass and she put hers on the glass right on his. It brought tears to my eyes....frankly it was so amazing that instead of taking a picture (which I wish now I had) I found myself just staring at what was happening. I wish you could have seen the precious smile on my son's face when he turned around and said, "she gave me 5!!" I feel so very sorry for all the caregivers' loss. Best to all of you and my prayers are with you. RIP Cinder sweetheart....you will be missed terribly by all....human and animal alike.
-Babby W.
Monroe City MO 63456
My three granddaughters all loved to visit the Zoo and visiting the primates and seeing Cinder was always on the top of the list, especially after the chimps were allowed to go outside. I will never forget the first time I saw her when she just starting to lose her hair, as such a sweet and adorable little baby. In my many subsequent visits to the Zoo over the years, I never failed to go by and check out how she was doing. I know how deeply sadden all of you are at the Zoo with this very unexpected loss...deep condolences from our family to the Saint Louis Zoo family. Cinder may be gone but she will always be remembered by those of us who knew her.
-Judy M.
Florissant, MO
Our family was deeply saddened to hear of Cinder's passing. We do have fond memories of watching her antics. She had a personality all her own. Every trip to the zoo, one of the first places we headed was to see our Cinder..... we'll truly miss her.
-Donna L.
St. Charles, MO
I am deeply saddened over the lost of Cinder. I can remember when I moved back to St. Louis and visiting the zoo and my first time seeing Cinder, she had to be about four. She caught my eye and I couldn't help but ask what was wrong with her. After I found out that she had Alopecia I said to my children she can be part of our family because it runs in my family. The kids laughed, but everytime we went to the zoo we always looked forward to see Cinder. I think everyone who lives in Missouri and Illinois will miss her very much!!!
-Jo L.
St. Louis, MO
My deepest sympathies to you in the loss of Cinder. She was by far my favorite of all the chimps. When we last saw Cinder in 2007, I talked to her for about 5 minutes and she responded to me with various gestures, faces and sounds. She was sweet and intelligent. I will miss her.
-Scott T.
St. Louis, MO
I first came in contact with Cinder in 1998, when I did a research project for one of my college classes. I spent hours every weekend for a month studying and observing the behaviors of all the chimpanzees, taking notes and pictures. The more I watched Cinder, the more fascinated I became - she was beautiful to watch and I was able to appreciate her muscle structure and the absolute strength she possessed. It's something you tend to overlook when they're covered with hair. She was the typical baby sister - antagonizing her "brothers" and Mlinzi and then running behind Mollie and Smoke for protection when the others fought back or started chasing her. When she wasn't doing that, she loved entertaining those of us on the other side of the windows, swinging on the ropes through the trees, chasing her siblings, or climbing the walls along the window frames. I have since had the joy of introducing my children to Cinder, explaining how I first came to know about her, and how special of an animal she was. We have come back to visit for each of the last five years, and they have always been fascinated to see her. She was always the first animal they wanted to see. We were all saddened to hear the news of her death and express our condolences to the caretakers and everyone who loved this truly unique animal.
-Lisa M.
St. Charles, MO
Cinder was always a joy to watch. She seemed to have a calming affect on the others in Fragile Forest. Once my boyfriend and I were visiting the zoo and she was sitting in the crook of a tree and had her hand on her head as if in deep thought. Some of the others were running around crazy and there was Cinder...calm, reflective, taking note of all the other animals on the other side of the glass/wall. She was a favorite of ours at the zoo and my sympathies go out to her family and her extended family as well. She will be missed.
-Laurie K.
St. Louis, MO
My heart aches for Cinder's families. What a sad moment in time. I send my prayer's to all of Cinder's Family and hope their hearts will heal in time, but understand there will always be a hole there. Cinder was always such a sweet face in the crowd and one that made us all take a step back and realize we are all different but we are all the same. Cinder will truly be missed by all.
-Jan O.
St. Louis, MO
I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Cinder's death. I loved growing up with her and sharing her story and experience with the youth groups I taught. She was an amazing animal and I know just how much her current and former keepers love and cared for her dearly. She will be greatly missed.
-Lisa L.
St. Louis, MO
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