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The Chimp Life

At Chimp Haven, more than 300 chimpanzees retired from biomedical research are living the good life – or, as we like to call it, the Chimp Life.

What is the Chimp Life?

At Chimp Haven, chimpanzees who have spent their lives in biomedical research experience many of the joys they would have enjoyed in the wild: climbing trees, living in large, bonded social groups, eating their favorite fruits, running, playing, exploring, and — best of all — choosing how they spend their days.

veterinary care
Health and Well-Being

Expert Veterinary Care

From the moment the chimps begin their journey to sanctuary, our veterinary team begins developing a personal relationship with each chimpanzee to ensure their health and well-being.

Each day this expert team visits every chimpanzee that lives at the sanctuary. They provide medications and conduct an array of services, from basic wellness examinations to dental care and other specialized therapies. Wellness and other physical exams may include ultrasounds, X-rays, and diagnostic blood work. Specialized treatments for ailments such as arthritis include joint supplements and laser therapy.

Chimp Haven’s Positive Reinforcement Training program invites the chimps to participate in their own healthcare, including our Gympanzee program, which matches a chimp with a staff member for physical activity.

Chimp Behavior

Daily Enrichment

Chimp Haven’s dedicated behavior team is the only one of its size at any U.S. sanctuary. This expert team develops tailored enrichment activities for every chimp at the sanctuary, 365 days per year. From sensory experiences like live music or dance performances, to challenging food puzzles that require the chimpanzees to use a tool to fish out hidden goodies, there’s no limit to the creative activities our enrichment team produces. These daily enrichment activities mimic the novel experiences chimpanzees would encounter in the wild and keep our retirees mentally and emotionally flourishing.

freedom to choose chimp life
Chimp Life

Freedom to Choose

While Chimp Haven works hard to provide everything a chimpanzee could want in retirement, perhaps the most important element is the freedom to choose. Whether it’s outside, sunbathing on their favorite platform, inside napping with a friend, practicing their Positive Reinforcement Training with staff, or charming their favorite caregiver for some juice, the chimps run the show here at Chimp Haven. That’s why we like to call life at the sanctuary the “Chimp Life.”

Here, the chimps get the freedom to choose how, where, and with whom they spend their days. They’ve earned it.