Spring 2013
Great Ape Research Decision
WIKIMEDIA, IKIWANER
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will finalize plans for what to do with its remaining research chimpanzees by the end of March, Wired Science reported. The decision follows years of arguments over the scientific value and ethical implications of using chimpanzees in the lab.
The agency will be deciding whether to follow recommendations from a report released earlier this year (January 22) by a working group of the Council of Councils, a federal advisory group, which recommended that the agency retire all but 50 of its approximately 450 research chimpanzees. The report is open for public comment until March 23.
Already this past September, after the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s New Iberia Research Center declared it would not apply for renewal of its NIH grant to house its 110 chimps, the agency declared the animals ineligible for further biomedical research, citing a decreased need for research chimpanzees.
In January, New Iberia began to transfer the first of its chimps to Chimp Haven, a sanctuary also in Louisiana. The chimps now live among a total of 219 retired NIH chimps. “We believe that ... it’s only fitting that we give back to [the chimps] and let them enjoy their retirement years in as close to a natural habitat as we can possibly create for them,” said Cathy Spraetz of Chimp Haven in a video created by the Human Society of the United States.
The NIH’s 50 remaining research chimps, which may be used in research into a hepatitis C vaccine or into developing new monoclonal antibodies, must be kept in naturalistic conditions, according to the Council of Councils’ report, with year-round outdoor access, foraging and nest-building materials, structures to climb, and a sufficient number of other chimpanzees to form social groups, as they would in the wild. But Wired Science said that no NIH facilities currently meet these standards.
The scientific community is split on the decision to retire the chimps. “Our culture has moved beyond this,” Daniel Povinelli, an anthropologist at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a former member of the Council of Councils, told Wired. “Chimps are too close to us to turn around and do experiments on them.” But Dan Geschwind, a neuroscientist at the University of California and head of the Council of Councils committee, told Wired that the reduction in the captive research chimpanzee population is sufficient for now. “We’re talking about an immediate, 90-percent reduction,” he said.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will finalize plans for what to do with its remaining research chimpanzees by the end of March, Wired Science reported. The decision follows years of arguments over the scientific value and ethical implications of using chimpanzees in the lab.
The agency will be deciding whether to follow recommendations from a report released earlier this year (January 22) by a working group of the Council of Councils, a federal advisory group, which recommended that the agency retire all but 50 of its approximately 450 research chimpanzees. The report is open for public comment until March 23.
Already this past September, after the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s New Iberia Research Center declared it would not apply for renewal of its NIH grant to house its 110 chimps, the agency declared the animals ineligible for further biomedical research, citing a decreased need for research chimpanzees.
In January, New Iberia began to transfer the first of its chimps to Chimp Haven, a sanctuary also in Louisiana. The chimps now live among a total of 219 retired NIH chimps. “We believe that ... it’s only fitting that we give back to [the chimps] and let them enjoy their retirement years in as close to a natural habitat as we can possibly create for them,” said Cathy Spraetz of Chimp Haven in a video created by the Human Society of the United States.
The NIH’s 50 remaining research chimps, which may be used in research into a hepatitis C vaccine or into developing new monoclonal antibodies, must be kept in naturalistic conditions, according to the Council of Councils’ report, with year-round outdoor access, foraging and nest-building materials, structures to climb, and a sufficient number of other chimpanzees to form social groups, as they would in the wild. But Wired Science said that no NIH facilities currently meet these standards.
The scientific community is split on the decision to retire the chimps. “Our culture has moved beyond this,” Daniel Povinelli, an anthropologist at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a former member of the Council of Councils, told Wired. “Chimps are too close to us to turn around and do experiments on them.” But Dan Geschwind, a neuroscientist at the University of California and head of the Council of Councils committee, told Wired that the reduction in the captive research chimpanzee population is sufficient for now. “We’re talking about an immediate, 90-percent reduction,” he said.
December 20, 2012
Federal judge upholds Ohio's new exotic-animal law
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge upheld Ohio's new restrictions on exotic animals on Thursday after several owners sued the state over the law, which was enacted after a man released dozens of his wild creatures including lions and tigers last year and then committed suicide.
U.S. District Court Judge George Smith in Columbus sided with the state, saying the court recognizes some businesses may be negatively affected and some owners may not be able to keep their beloved animals but the owners failed to prove constitutional rights were violated.
The court said the case came down to the public interest and protecting the public from potential dangers of exotic animals.
"While the named Plaintiffs may be responsible dangerous wild animal owners, there are some that are not," the ruling said.
More>
U.S. District Court Judge George Smith in Columbus sided with the state, saying the court recognizes some businesses may be negatively affected and some owners may not be able to keep their beloved animals but the owners failed to prove constitutional rights were violated.
The court said the case came down to the public interest and protecting the public from potential dangers of exotic animals.
"While the named Plaintiffs may be responsible dangerous wild animal owners, there are some that are not," the ruling said.
More>
December 19, 2012
Research Chimps to Retire to Louisiana Sanctuary
The NIH announced plans on Tuesday to move more than 100 chimpanzees from the New Iberia Research Center into retirement at Chimp Haven, a 200-acre chimpanzee sanctuary in Louisiana. It’s the latest in a series of moves to put the practice of chimp testing to an end — for good.
At Chimp Haven, they’re frantically preparing to expand. They’ll be able to take about half the New Iberia chimps in the next few months, but will need to build $2.3 million worth of enclosures to accommodate the rest, said Chimp Haven president Linda Brent.
“I see this as a big game changer,” she told me. “All of the events in the last year have changed the outlook for research chimps.”
NIH lacks the funding to contribute to construction, so the Humane Society of the United States and the nonprofit Foundation for the National Institutes of Health is helping to raise money.
More>
At Chimp Haven, they’re frantically preparing to expand. They’ll be able to take about half the New Iberia chimps in the next few months, but will need to build $2.3 million worth of enclosures to accommodate the rest, said Chimp Haven president Linda Brent.
“I see this as a big game changer,” she told me. “All of the events in the last year have changed the outlook for research chimps.”
NIH lacks the funding to contribute to construction, so the Humane Society of the United States and the nonprofit Foundation for the National Institutes of Health is helping to raise money.
More>
September, 2012
NIH Must Reconsider Decision To Transfer Chimpanzees From One Research Facility To Another
The North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NASPA) is calling on the National Institutes of Health to reconsider its decision announced today to move 100 chimpanzees from New Iberia to San Antonio rather than sending them to a legitimate sanctuary. While deeming them ineligible for research is a step forward, these chimpanzees are not being retired. They are simply being relocated from one research facility to another. These chimpanzees will continue to live in laboratory rather than sanctuary conditions, and they will continue to cost the taxpayers significant amounts of money.
This decision about the chimpanzees’ future appears to have been made behind the back of the Council of Councils Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH--Supported Research, which is currently tasked with determining the best placement for the government’s chimpanzees.
Up until today, no NAPSA member sanctuary was asked to consider taking any of these chimpanzees, despite NAPSA's repeated statements to the NIH that given appropriate funding (that will now instead fund the extraordinary overhead of a laboratory facility), the NAPSA community would secure a sanctuary solution for any chimpanzees the government seeks to permanently retire. Even today, after being rebuffed by the NIH once again, NAPSA reiterates its offer to work collaboratively with the NIH to retire chimpanzees from invasive research.
Unlike in laboratory conditions, each NAPSA member sanctuary has seen measurable improvements in physical and psychological health of their chimpanzees retired from research or the pet and entertainment industries. Professionally operated sanctuaries are able to provide chimpanzees with the environment, social life, and care programs that they need.
Retirement of the chimpanzees to sanctuary is a more efficient use of taxpayer funds, and is the more humane and compassionate outcome for the chimpanzees.
Member sanctuaries include: Center for Great Apes, Wauchula, FL; Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Cle Elum, WA; Chimp Haven, Keithville, LA; Chimps, Inc., Bend, OR; Fauna Foundation, Carignan, Quebec, Canada; Primate Rescue Center, Nicholasville, KY; Save the Chimps, Fort Pierce, FL.
CONTACT: Sarah Baeckler, 509-260-0770 or sarah@chimpsnw.org - Chair, Public Affairs Committee, NAPSA; Executive Director, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
This decision about the chimpanzees’ future appears to have been made behind the back of the Council of Councils Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH--Supported Research, which is currently tasked with determining the best placement for the government’s chimpanzees.
Up until today, no NAPSA member sanctuary was asked to consider taking any of these chimpanzees, despite NAPSA's repeated statements to the NIH that given appropriate funding (that will now instead fund the extraordinary overhead of a laboratory facility), the NAPSA community would secure a sanctuary solution for any chimpanzees the government seeks to permanently retire. Even today, after being rebuffed by the NIH once again, NAPSA reiterates its offer to work collaboratively with the NIH to retire chimpanzees from invasive research.
Unlike in laboratory conditions, each NAPSA member sanctuary has seen measurable improvements in physical and psychological health of their chimpanzees retired from research or the pet and entertainment industries. Professionally operated sanctuaries are able to provide chimpanzees with the environment, social life, and care programs that they need.
Retirement of the chimpanzees to sanctuary is a more efficient use of taxpayer funds, and is the more humane and compassionate outcome for the chimpanzees.
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NAPSA was founded by the leaders of the chimpanzee sanctuary community in 2010. NAPSA is a professional working group of established sanctuaries that provide exceptional lifetime care to chimpanzees and other animals. NAPSA also serves as a central point of contact and expertise for issues relating to captive chimpanzees while working with interested parties to implement retirement of research, pet and entertainment chimpanzees. Each member sanctuary is a nonprofit organization licensed and inspected by the USDA (or Canadian equivalent) and accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. www.PrimateSanctuaries.org.
Member sanctuaries include: Center for Great Apes, Wauchula, FL; Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Cle Elum, WA; Chimp Haven, Keithville, LA; Chimps, Inc., Bend, OR; Fauna Foundation, Carignan, Quebec, Canada; Primate Rescue Center, Nicholasville, KY; Save the Chimps, Fort Pierce, FL.
CONTACT: Sarah Baeckler, 509-260-0770 or sarah@chimpsnw.org - Chair, Public Affairs Committee, NAPSA; Executive Director, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest
August 22, 2012
George Knapp escorts C.J. the chimp to her new home in Oregon
by GEORGE KNAPP
CJ the chimp. Photo by Bill Roe. Courtesy of Las Vegas CityLife.
A fellow diner is the first to approach us, sheepishly. A few minutes later, a waiter asks the same question: What kind of animal likes oatmeal and French toast but doesn’t like eggs or hash browns? The four people at our table all share quick glances at each other, then — under our breath — we tell the curious folks that the thing inside the cage is a chimpanzee.
The journey from an exotic cat compound in Las Vegas to a chimp sanctuary in Bend, Oregon, was supposed to be a quick turnaround. Considerable thought was given to the route we would take and to strategies for preventing a tag-along parade of media crews, animal-lovers and assorted knuckleheads. Everyone hoped it would be a fast and quiet transfer, which is why we did our best not to attract attention along the way, and why our location was not made public during what turned out to be way too many stops and detours.
Almost nothing went as planned. An expected two-day highway cruise degenerated into a five-day ordeal that tested the patience and mettle of the four humans and one chimp in our caravan. A combination of intense public scrutiny, skittish public officials and self-absorbed veterinarians who felt it was a tiresome bother for us to seek their help resulted in an unfortunate adventure — one that was not quite worthy of moviedom’s Bill and Ted, but par for the course for the Knappster. (I’ve been known to turn a two-block drive to the 7-Eleven into The Illiad.)
On top of all that, nature tossed us a blazing curveball. Hundreds of thousands of acres of timber and sagebrush along the Nevada-Oregon border were engulfed in flames during the time we hoped to cross the state line. Oceans of thick white smoke spilled into every valley we crossed, obscured every mountain we could (almost) see and fouled every lungful of air we breathed. As we pointed our vehicles toward the scorched earth and fume-drenched hills of the Oregon-Nevada line, a thought popped into my head: I imagined Sam and Frodo and the view they must have had as they approached Mordor.
OK, maybe that’s a stretch. The hobbits, after all, were traveling by foot and had to avoid being pin-cushioned by Orc arrows, whereas we were aboard an air-conditioned Shadowfax, and needed to dodge nothing more serious than rival news crews or an occasional Fish and Game inspection team.
The central focus of our odyssey was Calamity Jayne, better known as C.J., a 13-year-old chimpanzee of considerable notoriety. Her recent escapes from a backyard enclosure generated news coverage all over the world, kick-started discussions of a possible crackdown on exotic-animal owners and prompted local animal-control officials to declare that C.J. was no longer welcome in Clark County. Her expulsion was made inevitable when C.J. and her lifelong companion, Buddy, slipped out of their cage and took a stroll around their northwest valley neighborhood. Buddy was shot and killed during the escape, breaking the hearts of his co-owners and untold numbers of other folks who watched the sad episode on TV.
Co-owners Nikki Ridell, Lee Watkinson and Timmi Derosa already knew that a backyard enclosure — even one that cost $100,000 to build — was no place for two smart and powerful chimps, but for various reasons, including personality clashes and strong emotions, the owners were never on the same page at the same time. Years ticked by, and the two chimps grew bigger and more restless, though they were clearly loved by everyone around them and were much better off than most chimps in similar situations.
The stalemate among the three owners is the main reason I was able to finagle an exclusive deal to go along for the ride. I first met the two chimps back in 2002, when they were infants. Nikki Ridell was the sole owner at the time. My wife, Anne (the Viking), got to know Riddell, spent time with the chimps, and kept in contact over the years. When Watkinson and DeRosa decided that a sanctuary called Chimps Inc. was the best place for C.J., the Viking and I talked to Nikki about signing over her ownership rights so C.J. could go to Oregon. She signed the papers in our kitchen, without any arm-twisting, though it was clearly a tough, emotional decision.
The trip to Bend was supposed to start early Tuesday morning, Aug. 14, but there were problems almost immediately. The rental van was too small for the cage — by half an inch. A forklift needed to lift the cage containing C.J. into a larger van did not arrive until late afternoon. And at the last moment, there was a paperwork snafu — a single piece of paper that had not arrived. So we did not roll out into the desert until almost 5 p.m., with an eight-hour drive to Reno still ahead.
But we had to scratch Reno when Marla O’Donnell, the Chimp Inc. director who flew down to supervise the transfer, was informed that the state veterinarian who was supposed to examine C.J. and make sure she passed a test for tuberculosis, suddenly decided he would not be available after all.
We drove through rainstorms and darkness to reach Carson City by 2 a.m., grabbed a few hours sleep, then learned we were being re-routed to a vet clinic in Winnemucca. We drove across the state for a 4 p.m. appointment with the vet, Dr. Rolfe Schwartz of the Keystone Vet Hospital.
When we got there, hospital staffers said they knew nothing about any chimp exam. Schwartz eventually came to the van and determined C.J. was TB-free, but then he told us we could not leave the state until other test results came back from a lab in Las Vegas. Come back in 24 hours, he told us. We reluctantly went looking for hotel rooms but were rejected by the first five places we tried. (They were full because of all the firefighters in town to battle blazes further north.) We finally found a place to bunk, Lee parked the van under a shade tree and photographer Bill Roe and I went to buy groceries for a chimp — a first for me.
When we returned to the animal hospital the next afternoon, it was as if they had never heard of us — again. The manager said they were too busy to call for any test results and scolded us for “not planning better.” They told us to come back the next day and closed for the night.
A furious round of phone calls was made to Henderson vet Dr. Randy Ceballos, of Sunridge Animal Hospital, the folks who administered the tests for TB and other possible problems. His staffers told me they did not have any test results and did not have time to call for them, that we would simply have to wait until the next day, or the day after. When I placed two follow-up calls, I was put on permanent hold. Ditto when other TV news people tried to get info. Ceballos later issued a statement saying he couldn’t make the test results appear any faster — skipping right over the fact that his office didn’t even want to place a phone call to get them.
All of this was not merely a matter of inconvenience for a few humans who had been on the road for days and wanted to get home. C.J. had proven herself to be a real trouper on our road trip. She was in good spirits, seemed to enjoy the open road and proved to be a real charmer with those of us lucky enough to be her traveling companions. But she had every reason to be in a foul mood. She’d been stuck in that cramped cage for six days by that point. We’d been sitting around in triple-digit temperatures, breathing smoky air, and worst of all, C.J. could not get out for exercise or to use the bathroom. All of her business was done inside the cage.
Lee Watkinson probably deserves some kind of medal of honor for the extra mile he went to keep C.J. happy. He slept with her in the van for the entire trip, was at her side with food, water and conversation, and had the foresight to bring along a stack of blankets. Each day, he put a new blanket into the cage, and C.J. had the good sense to spread it out to cover the soiled blankets underneath. It was the only way to keep things reasonably clean for her, but after days on the road, the little cage was getting cramped and smelly, and so was the van.
Lee, Marla, Bill Roe and I all reached the same conclusion at the same time. Tests or no tests, there was no way that C.J. should be forced to endure another day in that cage, sitting atop those blankets. It was quickly becoming a serious health issue for her, and according to the oh-so-cooperative vets at both ends of the state, it might take until as late as the following Monday to get all of the test results (though we had been informed by a source that the tests were in and C.J. had passed.) Something needed to be done.
I’m not going to say much about the next sequence of events. At some point, under the cover of darkness, we crossed into Oregon, taking a route that was far removed from the burning wildfires and a long way from any possible encounters with animal inspectors, Orcs or any other problems. The drive from Winnemucca to Bend took 11 hours, about twice the normal time. We arrived at Chimps Inc. exhausted but relieved. When C.J. was finally released from the blue metal cage, she took to her new home as if she had lived there her entire life. Seven other chimps had been prepared for her arrival, and it sure felt like there was palpable excitement throughout the world-class facility. I am not exaggerating.
As a postscript, I should add that test results did arrive at Chimps Inc. and they confirmed what we had been told — C.J. is free of any diseases or health issues. Her three co-owners know they have done the right thing, and they intend to stay in touch with her. (Lee and Timmi have committed to providing financial support for the rest of C.J.’s life.) Back in Las Vegas, Nikki Riddell has shed many tears, both for the joy of C.J.’s new life, and in memory of her beloved Buddy.
For those few smart asses who have commented here and there that none of this is newsworthy and that they don’t care one whit about chimps or their owners, I have nothing but pity. They are amazing creatures, so much like humans that it is astonishing, so smart it is spooky. Most chimps end up in bad situations — beaten, starved, abused, poorly fed, stuck in backyards or roadside zoos or trailer parks — and it is entirely the fault of humans. They are our responsibility, whether we like it or not, and their well-being is a not only a moral obligation, but is in our best interests as well. As Lee said to me when we left the sanctuary, chimps have an amazing capacity to suffer, maybe greater than our own.
I happen to know one chimp who isn’t suffering, a road warrior of the highest caliber whose traveling days are now behind her.
Read the article at lasvegascitylife.com.
August 14, 2012 - Central Oregon Chimps Inc. Sanctuary to Provide Permanent Home to CJ
(Bend, OR) August 14, 2012 – The board of directors of Chimps Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit sanctuary based in Central Oregon, announced today that they will provide permanent sanctuary to Calamity Jane (“CJ”), a chimpanzee who was captured recently by authorities in Las Vegas after escaping her caging.
During the capture, Buddy, CJ's mate was unfortunately shot and killed by authorities. CJ was tranquilized and returned to her caging. Owners of CJ contacted NAPSA (North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance) for help in re-housing her to a safe environment with others of her kind. The Chimps Inc. board of directors immediately saw the need to assist and stepped forward to offer a home for CJ. The legal guardianship process has been completed and travel plans are in place, and Chimps Inc. board and staff are working diligently to prepare for her arrival.
CJ's handlers and Chimps Inc. Sanctuary Director, Marla O'Donnell will accompany CJ to her new home where Dr. Susan Lambeth a behavioral consultant and and chimpanzee expert, will oversee her safe introduction to her new chimp family.
Editors note: To protect CJ, who has experienced a great deal of trauma in recent days, Chimps Inc. will share photos and updates on its website. No outside photography or videography will be allowed. Chimps Inc. asks that people please respect CJ and understand that her condition is fragile.
Chimps Inc. founder Ms. Lesley Day today released the following statement about CJ and her new home:
In conjunction with a recent Central Oregon talk and visit by Dr. Jane Goodall, who serves on the advisory board of Chimps Inc., the organization was featured in an article and video produced by The Oregonian newspaper in October 2011.
Supporting Chimps Inc.
Chimpanzees in captivity are expensive to house and feed. The average cost for each chimpanzee is approximately $1,200 per month and Chimps Inc. is graciously accepting donations for this sudden turn of events. All gifts can be made at www.chimps-inc.org. 100% of all donations go directly to the care and housing of CJ. Her supporters will receive personalized weekly email updates on her progress. General donations to the sanctuary are also welcome and appreciated.
About Chimps Inc.
Based in Bend, OR, Chimps Inc. was founded in 1995 as a 501(c)3 non-profit sanctuary by Lesley Day and is specifically designed to provide lifetime care to captive chimpanzees and is dedicated to overcome exploitation and cruelty that their residents and other captive wild animals face through advocacy and education. Chimps Inc. is a founding member of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, a governing body for chimpanzee sanctuaries throughout the United States and Canada. To protect the inhabitants and give them a safe and natural environment, the sanctuary is not open to the public.
During the capture, Buddy, CJ's mate was unfortunately shot and killed by authorities. CJ was tranquilized and returned to her caging. Owners of CJ contacted NAPSA (North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance) for help in re-housing her to a safe environment with others of her kind. The Chimps Inc. board of directors immediately saw the need to assist and stepped forward to offer a home for CJ. The legal guardianship process has been completed and travel plans are in place, and Chimps Inc. board and staff are working diligently to prepare for her arrival.
CJ's handlers and Chimps Inc. Sanctuary Director, Marla O'Donnell will accompany CJ to her new home where Dr. Susan Lambeth a behavioral consultant and and chimpanzee expert, will oversee her safe introduction to her new chimp family.
Editors note: To protect CJ, who has experienced a great deal of trauma in recent days, Chimps Inc. will share photos and updates on its website. No outside photography or videography will be allowed. Chimps Inc. asks that people please respect CJ and understand that her condition is fragile.
Chimps Inc. founder Ms. Lesley Day today released the following statement about CJ and her new home:
“We appreciate everyone’s concern about CJ during this delicate situation. Look for updates about her move on our website www.chimps-inc.org.
“CJ is an unfortunate product of the wild animal pet trade. Most private owners acquire chimpanzees when they are very young. These infant chimpanzees are removed from their mothers soon after birth, sometimes only a few days later, to make them more human dependent. In the wild, a chimpanzee would not leave its mother for the first two years and they would stay with the family group for at least eight. This mother-infant separation causes psychological trauma that affects the chimpanzee for the rest of his or her life."
“Chimpanzees grow to be strong and intelligent and most often are forced to live in impoverished environments, being cared for at facilities that lack thorough safety protocols and is a recipe for disaster. Chimpanzees are very dangerous and in captivity can display behaviors that are dangerous to humans and when they are living in homes and close to the public, there is a great risk for injury. While sanctuaries are exposed to the same risks, accredited facilities are required to comply and maintain strict safety regulations and provide extensive training of on-site staff and volunteers."
“Thanks to the generous support of our supporters, the Chimps Inc. sanctuary provides lifetime care, free from human exploitation and abuse to seven chimpanzees and two lynx. Each of the chimps cared for have been rescued either from the entertainment industry, private ownership, or roadside zoos. All of them have come from substandard living conditions and have lived through situations no sentient being should have to endure.”
The Chimps Inc. Outreach and Education Program extends to schools, community groups, and organizations throughout Oregon and focuses on improving public education and awareness about the plight of captive chimpanzees, our closest living relative, as well as the exploitation of exotic animals in the United States.
“CJ is an unfortunate product of the wild animal pet trade. Most private owners acquire chimpanzees when they are very young. These infant chimpanzees are removed from their mothers soon after birth, sometimes only a few days later, to make them more human dependent. In the wild, a chimpanzee would not leave its mother for the first two years and they would stay with the family group for at least eight. This mother-infant separation causes psychological trauma that affects the chimpanzee for the rest of his or her life."
“Chimpanzees grow to be strong and intelligent and most often are forced to live in impoverished environments, being cared for at facilities that lack thorough safety protocols and is a recipe for disaster. Chimpanzees are very dangerous and in captivity can display behaviors that are dangerous to humans and when they are living in homes and close to the public, there is a great risk for injury. While sanctuaries are exposed to the same risks, accredited facilities are required to comply and maintain strict safety regulations and provide extensive training of on-site staff and volunteers."
“Thanks to the generous support of our supporters, the Chimps Inc. sanctuary provides lifetime care, free from human exploitation and abuse to seven chimpanzees and two lynx. Each of the chimps cared for have been rescued either from the entertainment industry, private ownership, or roadside zoos. All of them have come from substandard living conditions and have lived through situations no sentient being should have to endure.”
In conjunction with a recent Central Oregon talk and visit by Dr. Jane Goodall, who serves on the advisory board of Chimps Inc., the organization was featured in an article and video produced by The Oregonian newspaper in October 2011.
Supporting Chimps Inc.
Chimpanzees in captivity are expensive to house and feed. The average cost for each chimpanzee is approximately $1,200 per month and Chimps Inc. is graciously accepting donations for this sudden turn of events. All gifts can be made at www.chimps-inc.org. 100% of all donations go directly to the care and housing of CJ. Her supporters will receive personalized weekly email updates on her progress. General donations to the sanctuary are also welcome and appreciated.
About Chimps Inc.
Based in Bend, OR, Chimps Inc. was founded in 1995 as a 501(c)3 non-profit sanctuary by Lesley Day and is specifically designed to provide lifetime care to captive chimpanzees and is dedicated to overcome exploitation and cruelty that their residents and other captive wild animals face through advocacy and education. Chimps Inc. is a founding member of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, a governing body for chimpanzee sanctuaries throughout the United States and Canada. To protect the inhabitants and give them a safe and natural environment, the sanctuary is not open to the public.
August 2012 - Las Vegas - Surviving Chimp Finds Home in Sanctuary
LAS VEGAS -- A chimpanzee whose escape into a northwest neighborhood generated national attention is bound for a new home.
Two chimps -- CJ and Buddy-- got out of their enclosure last month, shutting down a neighborhood. Buddy was killed by police, and CJ's owners have agonized about what to do with her ever since.
The owners put aside their differences and reached an agreement to send CJ to live out her life at a place called Chimps Inc., located near Bend, Ore. It is home to seven other rescued chimps in a near idyllic setting with green grass and play features to keep the chimps mentally and physically stimulated.
Read the full story here.
Two chimps -- CJ and Buddy-- got out of their enclosure last month, shutting down a neighborhood. Buddy was killed by police, and CJ's owners have agonized about what to do with her ever since.
The owners put aside their differences and reached an agreement to send CJ to live out her life at a place called Chimps Inc., located near Bend, Ore. It is home to seven other rescued chimps in a near idyllic setting with green grass and play features to keep the chimps mentally and physically stimulated.
Read the full story here.
August 2012 - Ales for Apes
July 2012 - Whole Foods
April 20, 2012 - Movie Premiere Opening and Safari Base Camp
Photos from the premiere
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April 2012 - Spring Fest
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March 1, 2012
Read MORE.
October 2011
Like many of our supporters, Chimps Inc. was shocked to learn of the tragic situation in Zanesville, OH. Although no chimpanzees were involved, we were still horrified and deeply saddened by this turn of events. An individual who owned a multitude of exotic animals, including monkeys, bears, tigers, and lions, released the animals from their enclosures, and then committed suicide. Law enforcement officers had little choice but to shoot most of the animals.Unfortunately, sanctuaries that provide high quality, lifetime care to rescued animals are sometimes lumped into the same category as exotic animal collectors, breeders, and pet owners. Exotic animal collectors or breeders may even refer to themselves as a sanctuary or preserve, when they share little in common with a true sanctuary. How can the public tell the difference? There are, fortunately, several distinctions. A sanctuary such as Chimps Inc. never buys, sells, rents, exhibits, or deliberately breeds animals. Sanctuaries provide safe, secure housing, and provide care that well exceeds minimum animal welfare standards. Sanctuaries welcome oversight-including a board of directors, as well as regular state and federal inspections-to ensure compliance with the law. Safety is paramount, and emergency plans are in place. For example, at Chimps Inc., there are multiple locks on each chimpanzee door, and multiple staff members check each and every lock every single day. Chimps Inc. also has protocols that must be followed in the unlikely event of an escape, maintains recapture equipment kits, conducts drills, and has a cooperative relationship with local law enforcement.
In order to further help define the standards that distinguish sanctuaries from collectors, roadside zoos, and exotic animal trainers, a group of chimpanzee sanctuaries, including Chimps Inc., founded the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA). Working cooperatively with each other and animal welfare organizations, NAPSA will establish criteria for quality primate care and assist the public in easily identifying those organizations that truly provide sanctuary.
The horrible case in Ohio further illustrates why non-domesticated animals such as big cats, monkeys, chimps, bears and other wildlife do not make good pets. The breeding and sale of these magnificent beings should be prohibited by law, and no one should be permitted to keep them as pets. We hope that stronger regulations will be put into place in Ohio and elsewhere as a result of this situation, but it is tragic that the cats, bears, and monkeys had to pay for human failings with their lives.
August 2011 - from Science/AAAS
U.S. Agency to Consider, Again, If Captive Chimpanzees Deserve Endangered Status - Much of the petition focuses on the "sanctioned exploitation" of captive chimpanzees by the entertainment industry, as well as on the existing U.S. laws and regulations that allow people to keep the primates as pets. But these categories only account for about 260 animals; nearly half the captive chimp population consists of animals in biomedical research laboratories, which the petition claims are "often inhumanely treated." The petition does not address current U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations that monitor these laboratories, but insists that an uplisting by FWS will improve their lot. "It is clear that exploitation of this species for biomedical purposes has not positively benefitted chimpanzees in captivity or in the wild; in addition to resulting in mistreatment of individual chimpanzees, such use actively undermines chimpanzee conservation," the petition states.The last time FWS examined this issue, chimpanzees were a cornerstone of AIDS vaccine research and NIH had an active breeding program. No less than the NIH director then, James Wyngaarden, wrote to the agency to protest the reclassification, arguing that it could "significantly compromise our current ability to make selective use of chimpanzees in research to fight human disease." A chimpanzee researcher at what is now called Yerkes National Primate Research Center at the time went further in his warnings. "When the pandemic of AIDS becomes a truly frightening thing, humans will not stand by and watch their own species reduced while they protect animals that could help test vaccines and drugs," said Frederick King said in a 1998 issue of Science. Researchers further worried that endangered status for captive chimps could create massive red tape for their studies.
Today, no one conducts AIDS vaccine experiments with chimpanzees, and the breeding program was stopped more than 15 years ago. Legislation now before Congress, the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, which HSUS and several other petitioners have helped craft, calls for an end to all invasive biomedical research with chimpanzees. An Institute of Medicine committee, at NIH's behest, also is currently studying the use of chimpanzees in biomedical and behavioral research.
Summer 2011 - from Center For Great Apes E-news
New Movie About Apes Does Not Exploit Apes! - This summer's Rise of the Planet of the Apes made leaps towards entertaining its viewers without using live chimpanzees in the making of the film. The apes in the movie appeared by an innovation called computer-generated imagery, or CGI. Filmmaker Rupert Wyatt did not want to use real chimpanzees in the movie. As noted in an online interview "Wyatt pointed out that a big theme of this movie is humanity's mistreatment and abuse of captive apes - as far as he's concerned, apes are the heroes of this film, and humans are the villains - and he said he couldn't imagine a worse way of undercutting that message than by using real apes in the movie's production."
August 31, 2011 - from www.primaterescue.org
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Initiates Review of the Chimpanzee's Status - At long last, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) today announced that it will initiate a status review to determine whether reclassifying all captive chimpanzees from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is warranted.August 2011
Stop Using Chimps as Guinea Pigs - By ROSCOE G. BARTLETTWashington
BEFORE I was elected to Congress, I was a physiologist at the Navy's School of Aviation Medicine. For our successful missions to transport men to the moon and return them safely to Earth, I invented a series of respiratory support devices, which we tested on primates, including Baker, a squirrel monkey. Before humans were rocketed into space, Baker was the first primate to survive a trip into space and back; Able, her counterpart on the flight, died from an allergic reaction to an anesthetic during a procedure shortly after the landing.
At the time, I believed such research was worth the pain inflicted on the animals. But in the years since, our understanding of its effect on primates, as well as alternatives to it, have made great strides, to the point where I no longer believe such experiments make sense - scientifically, financially or ethically. That's why I have introduced bipartisan legislation to phase out invasive research on great apes in the United States. Today is the start of a two-day public hearing convened by the Institute of Medicine, which is examining whether there is still a need for invasive chimpanzee research. Meanwhile, nine countries, as well as the European Union, already forbid or restrict invasive research on great apes. Americans have to decide if the benefits to humans of research using chimpanzees outweigh the ethical, financial and scientific costs. The evidence is mounting that they do not. For one thing, many new techniques are cheaper, faster and more effective, including computer modeling and the testing of very small doses on human volunteers. In vitro methods now grow human cells and tissues for human biomedical studies, bypassing the need for whole animals.
Such advances have led to a drop in primate research. Many federally owned chimpanzees were bred to support AIDS research, but later proved inferior to more modern technologies. As a result, most of the 500 federally owned chimpanzees are idling in warehouses. Ending chimpanzee research and retiring the animals to sanctuaries would save taxpayers about $30 million a year.
We also know more about the consequences of invasive research on the animals themselves. Biomedical procedures that are simple when performed on humans often require traumatizing restraint of chimpanzees to protect human researchers from injury, as chimpanzees are five times stronger than humans. For instance, acquiring a blood sample from a chimp can require a "knockdown," or shooting it with a tranquilizer gun. If you've seen video of a knockdown, you know it is clearly frightening and stressful. Moreover, even the mere confinement in laboratory cages deprives chimpanzees of basic physical, social and emotional sustenance. Numerous peer-reviewed studies of chimpanzees in sanctuaries who had previously been confined in laboratories have documented behavioral symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Chronic and traumatic stress harms chimpanzees' health and compromises the results of experiments conducted on them.
There is no question that chimpanzees experience pain, stress and social isolation in ways strikingly similar to the way humans do. James Marsh's recent documentary, "Project Nim," chronicles the 27-year life of Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee who was the subject of a controversial research project that involved raising him as though he were a human. Nim was taught sign language - and he used those signs to tell his human interlocutors that he was traumatized by his living conditions.
Nim isn't alone. In his book "Next of Kin," Dr. Roger S. Fouts recounted his reunion with a chimp named Booee. After 13 years of separation, and after Booee was deliberately infected with hepatitis C, Booee recognized, signed and played with Dr. Fouts, to whom he had given the signed nickname of "Rodg." Other visitors reported that Booee used the American Sign Language gesture for "keys," indicating that he wanted to get out of his cage.
Stories like these, as well as my understanding of the state of biomedical research, persuaded me to sponsor the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act with Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington. The bill would phase out invasive research on great apes and retire the 500 federally owned chimpanzees from laboratories to sanctuaries.
Continuing innovations in alternatives to the use of invasive research on great apes is the civilized way forward in the 21st century. Past civilizations were measured by how they treated their elderly and disabled. I believe that we will be measured, in part, by how we treat animals, particularly great apes. Americans can no longer justify confining these magnificent and innocent animals to traumatic invasive research and life imprisonment.
Roscoe G. Bartlett is a Republican representative from Maryland.
April 2011
- Chimps Inc Has an Active Garden - Plants of the Apes -
Central Oregon Master GardenersTM have certainly been busy at Chimps Inc., a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary, in Tumalo. The Plants of the Apes team consists of Betty Faller & Sandra Weible as co-chairs along with Ellen Glenn, Stephanie Black, Connie Braffford, Yvonne Johnson and Bee Paulson. This private sanctuary provides a place of refuge for chimpanzees that have come from roadside zoos, the entertainment industry and the private pet trade. Also, included in the sanctuary is a Siberian Lynx named Alfonz.
Kimie's Greenhouse, named in memory of one of their recently departed chimps, has been reconditioned after a few years of low use. Our first project was spent cleaning and organizing the 20' by 40' greenhouse. Then, with the direction of expert Master Gardeners, Chimps Inc. staff and volunteers activated the misters for watering several flats of seedlings at once. David Faller & Vern Weible installed a heated bench along with thermostats in another part of the greenhouse so the seeds could have the correct germination temperature. We then started our compost pit a few feet away from the greenhouse.
Outside, in the newly named Plants of the Apes Garden (named by a COMGA member), we are now direct sowing potatoes, peas, carrots and many other chimp favorites. Who knew chimps like edible flowers! The carefully tended starts of cabbage, broccoli, kale, tomatoes and others will be transplanted into the garden when the ground warms up. We continue to plant both in the greenhouse and in the outdoor spaces so the chimps will have a wide variety of fresh food. We are also germinating stevia for a diabetic chimp to enjoy. Lest not forget Alfonz with our many pots of catnip.
With two outdoor gardens, there will soon be food growing within viewing range of the chimps. They like to select their own snacks by pointing to the Chimps Inc. caregivers who can custom pick just the right munchies this summer. This is on-going educational project for all of us, including the staff at Chimps Inc.
The volunteer hours have been filled with education and fun for all - the Master Gardeners, the Chimps Inc volunteers, caregivers and the chimpanzees. Plants of the Apes Gardens are off to a great start for the summer of 2011. We will keep you updated on our progress! We encourage you to visit the Chimps Inc. website to learn more about this amazing local sanctuary. www.chimps-inc.org.
April 24, 2011 - from McClatchy
- As science turns from chimp research, U.S. wants to restart - About 180 chimpanzees at a federal primate facility in the New Mexico desert are at the center of an impassioned debate between the National Institutes of Health and the animal-rights community. The NIH wants to move the chimps away from Alamogordo, where they'll be allowed to be put back into research. Animal-rights activists want them retired to a grassy sanctuary. The use of chimps in research has been a hot-button issue for years.
- Some chimps never recover from stresses of research - The debate about medical testing on chimpanzees often revolves around the physical impact on the chimps - week after week of liver biopsies or year after year of being infected with HIV or hepatitis. But an examination by McClatchy of the chimp-research world found that, in addition to a physical toll, the testing life can have a significant impact on a chimp's mental state.
- Some lab chimps left with poor health, shortened lives - They've been out of the lab for years, but for many chimpanzees at a federal primate facility in New Mexico, the effects of long-ago medical experimentation can linger till they die. In pursuit of cures for humans, some chimpanzees' lives are cut short.
February 7, 2011 - from Peta.org
What Happens to CareerBuilder's Ape 'Actors'? - Did you ever wonder what happens to the chimpanzees CareerBuilder uses in its Super Bowl ads when the company is done exploiting them?The lucky ones end up at the Center for Great Apes sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida, which took in Bella, Ellie, Kodua, and Mowgli, all veterans of CareerBuilder's 2005 Super Bowl ad campaign.
