Today the Chimp Haven sanctuary is home to more than 250 chimps who have been retired from biomedical research. Here, they spend their days enjoying the Chimp Life, with forested habitats to explore, friends to meet, and fresh food to enjoy.

Of course, our goal is to make sureΒ all former research chimps get a chance to live the Chimp Life, and with our Welcome Them Home construction campaign, we’re making room to do just that.

With our current facility very close to capacity, we’ve launched a $20 million capital campaign to greatly expand Chimp Haven in order to accommodate all remaining chimpanzees currently housed in research facilities. It’s a labor of love for the chimps!

So far, we have exceeded $14.7 million in gifts and pledges from individuals and foundations toward our $20 million campaign!

Three new naturally forested habitats will provide aΒ comfortable and enriching space to accommodate new retirees, and will include all the thingsΒ chimpanzees loveβ€”open forest, grassy substrates andΒ space to climb, play, interact, search for food, and simplyΒ enjoy life.

The addition of two new open-air corrals, with 15,000Β square feet of green grass, growing trees, and multi-levelΒ structures for chimpanzees to explore, will give ChimpΒ Haven even more flexible spaces in which chimpanzeeΒ groups can live, play, and eat.

Construction is well underway and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2019.

Currently, the construction crew is completing the trench work for the large freshwater moat that will run through each of the multi-acre forested habitats and is close to completing the outdoor enclosure walls, which are made of wood and mesh so that neighboring chimpanzee groups will be able to see and interact with one another.

The slab is being poured for the new commissary and construction has also started on the new corrals and staff support spaces.

Virtually all new construction buildings are in progress. Stay tuned for more updates as construction progresses!

Learn how you can help Welcome Them Home.

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