Project Chimps

Project Chimps is an animal sanctuary for chimpanzees formerly used in research. It will eventually house 200 chimpanzees on a 236-acre property in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Morganton, Georgia.^[1]

Peachtree Habitat where up to the first 100 chimpanzees will reside.

History[]

Harriett and Lucky

In addition to their use as pets and entertainers, captive chimpanzees have served as subjects for scientific research. Anticipating that medical research on chimpanzees would be key to understanding diseases, such hepatitis, the United States government and private laboratories embarked on chimpanzee breeding programs in the 1980s.^[2][3] A decade later, the experimental use of chimpanzees declined, resulting in a surplus population of captive chimpanzees.^[3]

The significant cost of caring for the approximately 700 privately owned chimpanzees housed in U.S. research facilities required the development of alternatives to standard laboratory housing for chimpanzees no longer active in research.^[3] Concurrent with the plight of research chimpanzees, hundreds of privately owned chimpanzees who proved unmanageable to keep as pets or performers were also in need of a professionally run facility—a sanctuary.

Project Chimps was founded in 2014 following the end of National Institutes of Health funding for biomedical research on chimpanzees.^[4] The sanctuary occupies land originally occupied by a gorilla sanctuary funded by software mogul C. E. Steuart Dewar and Jane, his wife at the time. Project Chimps bought the land for about $1.6 million; the Dewar Wildlife Trust donated the facilities.^[5] The sanctuary is intended to house more than 200 animals including the retired research chimpanzees at the New Iberia Research Center in New Iberia, Louisiana.^[6][7] It includes office buildings, a veterinary clinic, and a kitchen designed by Rachael Ray. Buildings include "villas" that house 10 to 15 chimpanzees each and a larger "group building" that can house two groups of 10 to 15 chimpanzees.^[8]

Present day[]

The mission of Project Chimps is: "to provide lifelong exemplary care to chimpanzees retired from research".^[9]

To fulfill its mission of for these endangered nonhuman primates, Project Chimps has established several public education programs including: Discovery Days and Chimpcation, ^[10] The sanctuary also hosts veterinary, behavioral, animal care and organizational development interns throughout the year.^[11]

Ali Crumpacker was hired as the Executive Director in 2017. ^[12]

In 2019, Project Chimps published a 5-year Strategic Plan to expand the facility and accommodate the remaining chimpanzees still living at the New Iberia Research Center. ^[13]

The chimpanzees receive 6-7 pounds of fresh produce every day along with daily enrichment activities and sometimes larger celebrations, such as "Chimpsgiving" feasts.^[14] in 2020, Project Chimps established Project Harvest, a multi-acre farm area on the property to begin growing their own food for the chimpanzees.

As of 2021, Project Chimps is home to 77 chimpanzees.

Controversies[]

In May 2020, twenty-two Project Chimps employees and volunteers sent a letter to the Board of Directors to voice concerns about animal welfare conditions at the sanctuary, including poor veterinary care, overcrowding, rushed chimpanzee introductions, a lack of sufficient enrichment and infrequent access to the outdoors. ^[15] When the Chairman dismissed their concerns,^[16] two of the individuals who signed the letter posted the evidence of mistreatment on an independent web site, HelpTheChimps.org.

On June 1, 2020 Project Chimps filed lawsuits against these whistleblowers in an effort to dispute the claims and prevent "irreparable harm" to the organization,^[17] but it settled the lawsuit two months later. ^[18]

According to animal rights activists who came to the defense of the whistleblowers, the lawsuit thrust the allegations of animal mistreatment at Project Chimps into the public spotlight. ^[19]

On July 9, 2020, National Geographic published an investigative story about the allegations.^[20] Starting in July, 2020, grass roots animal rights groups began protesting at the homes of four HSUS board members, demanding that they improve the living conditions and veterinary care of the chimpanzees. ^[21]

On July 31, 2020, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a public statement documenting its concerns about the welfare of the chimpanzees. ^[22]

On October 14, 2020, the legal advocacy group, Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), issued a public statement ^[23] asserting that Project Chimps and The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which oversees it, were not fulfilling their commitment to provide a true sanctuary environment to the chimpanzees"

On November 30, 2020, an independent “Chimp Welfare Assessment” of the Project Chimps Sanctuary was made public. The assessment was conducted by primatologist Dr. Steve Ross and funded by the Arcus Foundation. It was the first of its kind.^[24]  Dr. Ross noted that Project Chimps scored well in the areas of space and social structure but it also documented "inadequate veterinary care", "insufficient access to the outdoors”, "relatively little veterinary experience among caregivers”, [a lack of] "dedicated, sterile examination rooms”, and "some chimps exhibiting anxiety related behaviors such as scratching and rocking."^[25] Dr. Ross's visit and the assessment program were further highlighted in Science on December 2, 2020. ^[26]

Following the public release of the assessment, HSUS acknowledged some claims and dismissed others.^[27] Activists have demanded a change in executive leadership at Project Chimps.^[28]

Throughout the controversy, Project Chimps received additional surprise inspections by the USDA, of which they hold and maintain their license, with no violations found.^[29] Project Chimps has additionally maintained their accreditation with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and their membership with the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA).

References[]

External links[]

• Official website