Twenty-three retired research chimps from the Alamogordo Primate Facility (APF) at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico are set to move to Chimp Haven, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary in Louisiana. These chimps have not been used as test subjects since 2015 when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) retired them from invasive research. The decision to move them came after it was determined that some chimps were too frail to be relocated due to their health conditions. The remaining chimps, aged 34 to 62 years old, were under the care of contracted veterinarians and caregivers, but the NIH decided to move them after being informed that a significant number were expected to retire by July 2025.
Animal advocacy groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, have been pressuring the NIH to relocate the remaining chimps to Chimp Haven for years. In 2021, these groups sued the NIH, and in 2022, a federal judge ruled that the NIH could not legally refuse to send the remaining chimps to a sanctuary. The Humane Society of the United States believes that the pressure put on the NIH, including thousands of supporters demanding the relocation of the chimps, played a major role in the decision to finally move them to a sanctuary. Chimp Haven President and CEO Rana Smith celebrated the news by stating that the sanctuary is ready to welcome the chimps, with the first arrivals expected in early 2025.
The decision to move the retired research chimps to Chimp Haven was made due to challenges in recruiting and training new staff for the APF, as well as the remote location of the facility. The NIH determined that the best course of action for the welfare of the chimps was to relocate them to the federal sanctuary at Chimp Haven. Over 200 chimpanzees were previously moved from the New Mexico facility to the Louisiana sanctuary, but the decision to relocate some of them was made in 2019 when it was discovered that some chimps were too frail to be relocated due to health conditions. With the remaining chimps being between 34 and 62 years old, the NIH decided to move them after being informed that a significant number were expected to retire by July 2025.
The Humane Society of the United States and other animal advocacy groups have been actively involved in pressuring the NIH to relocate the remaining chimps to a sanctuary. The lawsuit filed in 2021 and the subsequent ruling in 2022 that the NIH must send the chimps to a sanctuary highlights the commitment of these groups to ensuring the welfare of the animals. Chimp Haven President and CEO Rana Smith expressed excitement at the prospect of welcoming the retired research chimps to the sanctuary in early 2025. The move represents a well-deserved retirement for the chimps, who will now be able to enjoy their remaining years in a more natural environment at Chimp Haven.
