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Meet the Chimps Updates

You binged all six episodes of Meet the Chimps (streaming now on Disney+!) and you’ve just got to know what your favorite chimps are up to today. Say no more! Scroll…

Leading with Heart for Chimpanzee Health

As our closest biological relatives, the chimps deal with many of the same health concerns we humans do. When it comes to heart health, Chimp Haven’s dedicated care staff is…

Dental care at Chimp Haven

While we all know the importance of brushing and flossing to keep our human teeth sparkling, imagine managing the mouths of more than 300 chimpanzees! Luckily, the chimps at Chimp…

Remembering Juan

It’s with heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of Juan, one of the very first chimps to retire to Chimp Haven when the sanctuary opened in 2005. We…

Teaching an old chimp new tricks

Teaching an Old Chimp New Tricks  Animal Care Specialist Ellen shares the secrets to earning the trust of one of the sanctuary’s sweetest old curmudgeons: peanuts, persistence, and a healthy…

In Memory of Dr. Steve Ross

In Memory of Dr. Steve Ross Chimp Haven is mourning the loss and celebrating the memory of beloved primatologist and longtime leader and friend of the sanctuary, Dr. Steve Ross. Steve…

Chimps After Sunset

Chimps After Sunset by Selena Medina, Animal Caregiver The sun is starting to set and the chimps are settling down after a long day of exploring the habitats and playing…

Weather Update

Like so many of our neighbors across the southern U.S., last week, Chimp Haven experienced extreme weather in the form of frigid temperatures, snow, and ice uncommon to our area.…

The chimps are coming to Disney+!

We’ve got some exciting news! Earlier this year we shared that the chimps would be coming to a TV near you before the year was up. Now we officially have…

My experience with diversity in the STEM fields

Today, as many of our STEM colleagues hold important conversations around diversity and inclusion in our fields, we want to share an important perspective from Dr. Raven Jackson-Jewett, Attending Veterinarian…

Training With Hawkins

Written by: Hailey Adams, Behavior Technician Long shadows stretch from the trees as I move along the narrow trail following my dog, Parker, closely. We are walking the “monkey trails”…

Everything a Chimp Eats in a Day

Written by Miranda Cave, Chimp Caregiver Chimpanzees in the wild are very resourceful as they find their meals throughout the day. Like humans, chimpanzees are omnivores, meaning that they eat…

Getting to Know Tabu

Written by Jordan Green, Behavior Technician As new chimpanzees arrive at the sanctuary, staff gets to know them while they spend time in our McGrath Welcoming Center settling it. It’s…

Chimpanzee Observations with Dr. J

Dr. J serves as Attending Veterinarian for the sanctuary’s more than 300 chimpanzees Tag along with Chimp Haven’s Attending Veterinarian, Dr. J, as she describes her daily chimpanzee observation process.…

Chimp Haven’s Picky Eaters Club

Written by: Miranda Cave, Chimpanzee Caregiver Just like people, chimpanzees can be very picky about which foods they like and which ones they don’t. Some of them also have certain…

10 Surprising Enrichment Items the Chimps Love

Written by: Jordan Green, Behavior Technician Behavior Technician Jordan Green The chimpanzees who call Chimp Haven home receive enrichment 365 days a year to help keep them healthy and thriving.…

Primatology Q&A with Behavior Coordinator Leilani

Are you interested in working with primates when you grow up? Chimp Haven’s Behavior Coordinator, Leilani, is answering 11 questions about working with chimps! Behavior Coordinator Leilani has worked with…

Hobbes and Friends in the Habitat

Written by: Ellen Brady-McGaughey, Chimpanzee Caregiver Sabrina Boyd, Chimpanzee Caregiver After arriving at the sanctuary early last year from a research facility in Texas, Hobbes’s group of six – which…

This Week at the Sanctuary

This week at the sanctuary, Donovan is feeling himself, Diane maybe forgot how to climb trees, Phyllis takes a much-deserved break, and more. First up, Donovan catches a glimpse of…

Meet our January 2020 arrivals!

Our first five arrivals of the year came to us in January, and they’ve spent the past few weeks getting settled in. Meet our newbies below! Alfredo Alfredo may be…

Love Stories: Cammy & Theo

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Happy & Grumpy

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Taffy & Peanut

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Randy & Rero (The Bromance)

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Sindee and Pearl (The BFFs)

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

How to Speak Caregiver

by Jordan Green, Behavior Technician (formerly Animal Caregiver) If you’ve ever visited Chimp Haven, you may have heard some terms and phrases we use as caregivers that are unique to…

Summer is still going strong at the sanctuary

While summer is technically winding down, you wouldn’t know it at Chimp Haven! The chimps are still enjoying long summer days and their favorite warm weather activities. Here’s what they’ve…

Remembering Sarah Anne

It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news that Chimp Haven’s oldest resident, Sarah Anne, has passed, just shy of her 60th birthday. Sarah Anne came to…

Diving Into Spring at the Sanctuary

If you were to ask the chimps, we bet they’d say spring is their favorite time of year. With cold weather on the way out and sun on the way…

Chimpanzee Myths and Fun Facts

by Jordan Green, Chimp Haven Animal Caregiver It’s safe to say that caring for chimpanzees – let alone more than 270 of them – is a unique profession! Caregivers are…

Training Tales: Getting fit with Roxanne

Chimp Haven retirees are trained (using positive reinforcement) to participate in their own veterinary care and individualized wellbeing plans. Chimps can be trained to show care staff a scratch on…

Love Stories: Toya & Ashley Lynn

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Pierre & Angela

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Sarah Anne & Marie

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Ariah & Murphy

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Pee Wee, Fancy, and Jane Austen

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Jill & Hulk

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Love Stories: Bowen and Maurice’s Bromance

With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re celebrating ALL the love here at the sanctuary. One of the most wonderful things about life at Chimp Haven is watching new friendships, families,…

Training Tales: Crystal’s Walking Club

Chimp Haven retirees are trained, using positive reinforcement, to participate in their own veterinary care and individualized wellbeing plans. Chimps can be trained to show care staff a scratch on…

Training Tales: Working Out with Cocoa Puff

Chimp Haven retirees are trained, using positive reinforcement, to participate in their own veterinary care and individualized wellbeing plans. Chimps can be trained to show care staff a scratch on…

Meet the new Colony Director

This summer, Michelle Reininger took the reins as Colony Director at the sanctuary after serving on the Animal Care team for five years. A native of South Dakota, Michelle began…

Chimp BFFs: Kelsey, Backus, & Andy

Jordan Zivnuska, Animal Care Giver, Chimp Haven Loving. Playful. Protective. These words all describe Kelsey, not only as an individual, but in her role as a best friend. Kelsey arrived…

Training with LaToya

Clicks and juice for LaToya! This lady recently made some great progress in her positive reinforcement training. One thing you should know about LaToya is…she doesn’t like to shift. Shifting…

Tinkerbell vs. Windchime

Jordan Zivnuska, Animal Care Giver, Chimp Haven Chimpanzees, being incredibly intelligent tool users, are always coming up with new ways to surprise the care staff at Chimp Haven. Tinkerbell is…

Old Sisters, New Friends

Angel and Opal are part of the latest crew to retire to Chimp Haven and like the majority of chimpanzees at the sanctuary, these two come from a research background.…

Chimp Haven Says Goodbye to a Chimp Icon

Robust, compassionate, playful are just a few words Magnum’s care givers used to describe him upon learning of his passing last week. Admired for his ability to govern a family…

A Barrel of Fun

Elijah, one of our newest retirees, has grown very attached to a blue barrel that is in his group’s outside enclosure. When he notices that it is time to shift…

A Message From Chimp Haven’s President

Recently, there have been a number of articles and blog posts focusing on the retirement of federally owned chimpanzees to Chimp Haven. This story really began many years ago when…

Happy Birthday Sarah Anne!

Chimp Haven’s oldest resident, Sarah Anne, just got a little bit older. Because she was born in the wild we do not know her exact birthdate, but we can estimate…
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