2000 The Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection (CHIMP) Act signed into law providing retirement and lifetime care for chimpanzees no longer needed in research and prohibiting euthanasia for convenience

2002 NEAVS rescues Arthur and Phoenix, chimpanzees born at the infamous Coulston lab and sold into entertainment

2005 Eminent scientists and chimpanzee experts sign on to NEAVS/Project R&R’s Advisory Board

2006 NEAVS’ dedicated website, releasechimps.org, goes live

NEAVS launches Project R&R: Release and Restitution for Chimpanzees in U.S. Laboratories, a national campaign to end the use of the first nonhuman species —   chimpanzees —  in U.S. research

PBS begins its 25th season of Nature with the award winning “Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History”

2007 NCRR announces no further funding for breeding NCRR-owned chimpanzees for research

NEAVS’ “Chimpanzee Research: An Examination of Its Contribution to Biomedical Knowledge and Efficacy in Combating Human Diseases” shows chimpanzee research has not made significant contributions to curing human diseases

The Chimp Haven is Home Act passes, prohibiting retired chimpanzees in federal sanctuary from being sent back into research

Science reports the U.S. is the last country conducting biomedical research on chimpanzees

2008 The Great Ape Protection Act (GAPA, H.R.5852), a bill to end invasive research on chimpanzees in the U.S. and retire federally-owned chimpanzees to sanctuary, is introduced by Representatives Towns (D-NY), Reichert (R-WA), Langevin (D-RI), and Bartlett (R-MD)

NEAVS’ “Building an Inner Sanctuary: Complex PTSD in Chimpanzees” is published in the Journal of Trauma & Dissociation

NEAVS presents “Humane Considerations in the Use of Chimpanzees in Biomedical Research and Testing” at the International Primatological Society’s 22nd Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland

NEAVS’ “An Assessment of the Role of Chimpanzees in AIDS Vaccine Research” is published in Alternatives to Laboratory Animals.

2009 GAPA (H.R.1326) is reintroduced

NEAVS presents at Congressional briefing on scientific and ethical reasons to end invasive research on chimpanzees

NEAVS’ “Developmental Context Effects on Bicultural Posttrauma Self Repair in Chimpanzees” is published in Developmental Psychology

NEAVS’ “An Examination of Chimpanzee Use in Human Cancer Research” is published in Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

NEAVS presents “The Case to End Chimpanzee Research: Scientific, Ethical, and Economic Arguments” at the VII World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences

NEAVS/Project R&R’s chimpanzee ambassador, Tom, dies at Fauna Foundation at the age of 44

2010 S.3694, the Senate version of GAPA, is introduced by Senators Cantwell (D-WA), Collins (R-ME), and Sanders (I-VT)

NEAVS/Project R&R awards start-up grant to the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, founded by leaders of eight chimpanzee sanctuaries

NEAVS’ “An Assessment of Chimpanzee Use in Hepatitis C Research Past, Present and Future: 1. Validity of the Chimpanzee Model” and “An Assessment of Chimpanzee Use in Hepatitis C Research Past, Present and Future: 2. Alternative Replacement Methods” are published in Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Nearly 1,000 scientists and doctors pledge support for ending the use of chimpanzees in invasive research

Chimpanzee experts and other luminaries including Jane Goodall, Desmond Morris, and Sir David Attenborough, as well as dozens of international and U.S. humane groups, sign international petition to end U.S. chimpanzee research

NEAVS presents at the Animals, Research & Alternatives: Measuring Progress 50 Years Later conference on chimpanzees as a poor model for human disease

NEAVS presents at the 33rd meeting of the American Society of Primatologists on ethical concerns of using chimpanzees in research

NEAVS presents at the Animal Grantmakers Conference on anti-vivisection issues, with a focus on efforts to end the use of great apes in the U.S.

NEAVS presents in-service education at Save the Chimps and the Center for Great Apes for sanctuary staff and invited guests

Snapshot of Chimpanzee Use in U.S. Research
Category	Total Funding in Millions above Total Number of Projects
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Alzheimer’s	.1 1	.38 1	.36 1	U	U	U	U
Bioterrorism	U	U	U	U	.23+ 2	U	.45+ 3
Cognition	.40+ 11	.41+ 11	.23+ 8	.16+ 5	.27+ 5	.53+ 6	.91+ 6
Hepatitis C	4.1+ 21	4.17+ 21	4.33+ 25	6.60+ 27	4.73+ 20	4.74+ 27	7.16+ 28
Hepatitis	U 3	U 3	.51+ 5	U 2	U 1	U 2	U 1
HIV	1.45+ 15	2.95+ 14	2.31+ 10	2.79 5	2.15+ 4	U 1	U 1
Infectious disease	.24+ 6	U 3	U 4	U 2	.93+ 3	4.31+ 11	3.54 3
Miscellaneous	.43+ 2	.64+ 3	U 1	U 1	.43+ 3	U	.55 1
Multiple sclerosis	U	U	.41 1	.24 1	.29+ 1	.30 1	.38 1
Physiology	.68 5	.35 4	.94+ 5	.34+ 2	1.10+ 5	.33+ 3	.32+ 2
Research support & maintenance (includes breeding studies)	6.4+ 18	8.38+ 16	12.86+ 17	10.6+ 10	4.92+ 4	19.57+ 11	15.33+ 12
Respiratory syncytial virus	U 2	U	U	U	U	U	U
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy	U 1	U	U	U	U	U	U
Unclear (study may or may not use chimpanzees)	U 1	U 1	2.4+ 3	U	U	U	U
Approximate Total	$13.80m+	$17.28m+	$24.35m+	$20.73m+	$15.05m+	$29.78m+	$28.64m+

Project information from the NIH Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP) http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/

Funding amounts from the NIH extramural funding website http://grants.nih.gov/grants/award/

These amounts are approximates due to incomplete information available

Amounts with + reflect funding for half or less of the projects

U­—Information unavailable on the NIH extramural funding database

Snapshot of Chimpanzees in U.S. Laboratories
Facilities	Number of Chimpanzees
	2002	2003	2005	2008	2009	2010	2011
New Iberia Research Center Dir.: Thomas J. Rowell, DVM University of Louisiana at Lafayette P.O. Box 13610 New Iberia, LA 70562	362	354	373	325	- -	361	372
Alamogordo Primate Facility/NIH Dir.: D. Rick Lee, DVM Holloman Air Force Base  Alamogordo, NM 88330	275	270	247	231	210	208	176
Southwest National Primate Research Center Dir.: John L. VandeBerg, PhD Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research P.O. Box 760549 San Antonio, TX 78245	233	250	236	166	- -	165	173
Yerkes National Primate Research Center Dir.: Stuart Zola, PhD Emory University 954 North Gatewood Rd. Atlanta, GA 30322	156	190	109	98	96	- -	86
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Dir.: Christian R. Abee, DVM, MS University of Texas Department of Veterinary Sciences 650 Cool Water Dr. Bastrop, TX 78602	159	143	133	168	180	185	178
Primate Foundation of Arizona Dir.: Jo Fritz P.O. Box 20027, Mesa, AZ 85277	75	74	73	26	7	0	0
BIOQUAL, Inc. Pres.: John C. Landon, PhD 9600 Medical Center Dr. Rockville, MD 20850	15	63	60	- -	30	- -	80
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dir.: Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333	14 (+6)	16 (+5)	13	8	0	0	0
Food and Drug Administration Comr.: Margaret A. Hamburg, MD 10903 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20993	11	- -	- -	- -	0	0	0
Total Number of Chimpanzees	1306	1376	1255	1093	1014	1045	1065

- - Number carried over from previous year because updated information is not available.

CDC (+) connotes chimpanzees off-site.

2002 from NIH FOIA requests and correspondence with facilities.

2003 from Goodall, J. et al. The Great Ape Project Census, and J. Strandberg presentation at American Association of Laboratory Animal Science.

2005 from VandeBerg, J.L., Zola, S.M. A unique biomedical resource at risk, Nature, 437, and correspondence with facilities.

2008 from NIH FOIA requests, facility progress reports, and correspondence with facilities, L. Gruen, & HSUS.

2009 from NIH FOIA requests, facility progress reports, and correspondence with facilities, HSUS, & BIOQUAL.

2010 from NIH FOIA requests, facility progress reports, and correspondence with facilities.

2011 from NIH FOIA requests, facility progress reports, correspondence with facilities, and an Institute of Medicine chimpanzee study committee meeting on May 26.

Last updated: June 2011

View more Fact Sheets

Physical

• share approximately 96 – 98 % of our DNA
• have large, complex brains
• lose our baby teeth at age 6 and have 32 teeth as adults
• have opposable thumbs that allow us to grasp objects
• see colors and have binocular stereoscopic vision for depth perception
• have monthly reproductive cycles and 8 to 9 month pregnancies
• typically give birth to a single child and occasionally twins
• are usually active during the day and sleep at night (diurnal)
• eat a varied diet including fruits, greens, meat, seeds, eggs, roots, and honey

Emotional

• show affection by kissing and embracing
• experience depression and stress
• grieve over separation from or death of a loved one
• can be compassionate and altruistic
• express excitement by hooting, hollering, and hugging
• experience fear, anxiety, loneliness, and boredom
• have a wide variety of individual personalities
• shout, stomp, and have tantrums when angry
• can be jealous, frustrated, or aggressive when our goals are thwarted
• clown around and enjoy the antics of others
• laugh and smile when we are happy or playful
• cry when we are sad, upset, afraid, or hurt
• can display devotion, loyalty, and deep attachment to others
• are ticklish

Social and Family

• share strong, often lifetime bonds, and live in societies of family and friends
• greet one another with hugs, hand holding, facial expressions, and vocalizations
• have complex interactions, exhibiting everything from cooperation to deception
• often reconcile and make up after conflicts
• console and comfort each other by embracing, patting, and kissing
• show physical care and affection to each other through grooming
• have intricate courtships with the opposite sex
• show respect for our elders and give them status and influence
• can be competitive and territorial
• form political alliances by following a leader who recruits support
• engage in wars over territory and power

Early development

• are almost completely dependent on our mothers until age 5
• need affectionate physical contact for healthy development, beginning with our strong bond with our mothers
• use play during childhood to learn adult behaviors and burn off energy
• continue to enjoy play as adults
• learn our parents’ skills through observation and practice
• allow trusted others to provide childcare for mothers who need help
• are protective and tolerant with our young, family, and friends

Intellectual and Cognitive

• are self-aware and like to see our own reflection
• make and use tools
• pass down cultural traditions or skills from generation to generation
• are capable of abstract thinking and problem solving
• use herbs and plants as medicines, knowing which to use for various ailments
• enjoy the comfort of cozy beds/nests
• have an excellent memory and recognize others who we have not seen for years
• are capable of seeing things from someone else’s perspective
• communicate through facial expressions, vocalizations, body language, and gestures

On average, the life expectancy for chimpanzees in captivity is 30yrs/males and 45yrs/females. Chimpanzees are considered elderly beginning at 25 yrs/males and 30yrs/females. **

Wanda, age 46—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Bill, age 46—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Eric, age 46—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Perry, age 46—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Polly, age 46—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Rhoda, age 46—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Hope, age 45—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Kathy, age 45—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Penny, age 45—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Rose, age 45—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Tommy, age 45—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Borie, age 45—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Mai, age 45—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Ursula, age 45 M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Brenda, age 44—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Willis, age 44—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Mae, age 44—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Mary, age 44—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Kate, age 44—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Cedric, age 44—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Phyllis, age 43—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Mikie, age 43—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Peggy, age 43—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Terry, age 43—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Jasper, age 43—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Jiggs, age 43—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Bashful, age 43—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Helga, age 43—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Junie, age 43—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Martha, age 43—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Cora, age 43—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Owen, age 43—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Simba, age 42—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Margaret, age 42—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Spock, age 42—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Sammy, age 42—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Tai, age 42—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Duncan, age 42—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Foxy, age 42—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Bernie, age 42—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Pepper, age 42—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Julie, age 42—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Jerry, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Linda, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA (may have been released)

Queenie, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Andy, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Jessica, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Paco, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Debbie, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Bacchus, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Dave, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Jay, age 41—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Canditoo, age 41—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Sabrina, age 41—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Peony, age 41—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Gertrude, age 41—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Judy, age 41—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Kelley, age 41—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Prissy, age 41—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Simon, age 41—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Tang, age 41—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Warren, age 41—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Tommy, age 41—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Debbie, age 40—New Iberia Research Center, LA (may have been released)

Tim, age 40—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Lisa, age 40—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Tanya, age 40—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Bo, age 40—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Jeanie, age 40—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Lil’ One, age 40—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Rogger, age 40—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Heppie, age 40—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Gimp, age 40—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Patti, age 40—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Chrissy, age 40—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Manny, age 40—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Claudia, age 39—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Sharon, age 39—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Marilyn, age 39—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Dude, age 39—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Stella, age 39—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Ben, age 39—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Leslie, age 39—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Ann, age 39—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Moose, age 39—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Roger, age 39—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

J.D., age 39—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Nick-El, age 39—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Tarzan, age 39—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Rudolph, age 39—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Kamaka, age 39—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Ms Liz, age 39—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Tody, age 38—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Tuppence, age 38—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Boisfeuillet, age 38—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Gremlin, age 38—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Jane, age 38—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Pacer, age 38—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Quincy, age 38—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Simba, age 38—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Zippy, age 38—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Funface, age 38—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Phoebe, age 38—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Crystal, age 38—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Kobi, age 37—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Barbara, age 37—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Cordova, age 37—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Henryet, age 37—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Joey, age 37—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Maynard, age 37—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Sandy, age 37—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Nazrat, age 37—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Pearl, age 37—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Hazel, age 37—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Mr. Bill, age 37—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Beverly B, age 36—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Marietta, age 36—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Ericka, age 36—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Kurt, age 36—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Kirsten, age 36—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Richard, age 36—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Evonne, age 36—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

J. Jack, age 36—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Karla, age 36—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Cindy, age 36—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Elaine, age 36—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Vivienne, age 35—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Bob, age 35—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Betty, age 35—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Bruce, age 35—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Rosie, age 35—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Dash, age 35—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Montessa, age 36—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Cher, age 35—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Peanuts, age 35—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Al, age 35—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Jackie, age 35—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Deeva, age 35—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Luvie, age 36—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Magilla, age 35—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Doobie, age 34—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Les, age 34—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Angie, age 34—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Adonis, age 34—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Leo, age 34—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Emilio, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Stan, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Bunnie, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Peter, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Kareem, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Nike, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Bert, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Von, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Harold, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Veenstra, age 34—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Orion, age 34—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Juan, age 34—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Suzanna, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Lena, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Barbi, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Artifee, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Jacqueline, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Ossabaw, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Cissie, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Mortimer, age 33—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Happy, age 33—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Fred B, age 33—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Daniel, age 33—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Lizzie, age 33—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Judd, age 33—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Sonjie, age 33—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Liz, age 33—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Louie Ii, age 32—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Phillip, age 32—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

David, age 32—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Skeeter, age 32—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Shelley, age 32—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Tillina, age 32—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Rocky, age 32—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Rachael, age 32—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Nicky, age 32—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Trevor, age 32—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Schulman, age 32—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Patty, age 32—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Sabrina, age 31—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Joyce, age 31—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Bernadette, age 31—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Ajax, age 31—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Lacey, age 31—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Gus, age 31—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Lori, age 31—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Chiquita, age 31—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Emma, age 31—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Catherine, age 30—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Jayme, age 30—Primate Foundation of Arizona, AZ

Sara, age 30—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Fonzie, age 30—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Adam, age 30—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Muffin, age 30—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Star, age 30—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Lisa, age 30—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Cornelius, age 30—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Lil Rose, age 30—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Joseph, age 29—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Akimel, age 29—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Kuhta, age 29—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

James, age 29—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Dylan, age 29—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Beau, age 29—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

J.R., age 29—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Freaky Freddy, age 29—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Greg, age 29—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Siafu, age 29—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Enos, age 29—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Brutus, age 28—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Jacob, age 28—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Rufus, age 28—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Lux, age 28—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Amos, age 28—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Shohshon, age 28—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Shane, age 28—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Kalioni, age 28—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Vince, age 28—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Andy, age 28—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Chris, age 28—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Timmie, age 28—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Perry, age 28—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Whiskey, age 28—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Tommy, age 28—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Rico, age 28—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Sam, age 27—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Barney, age 27—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Bahn, age 27—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Kehg, age 27—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Kudzu, age 27—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Punch, age 27—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Zachary, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Ken, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Danny, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Jerry, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Rudy, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Merle, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Huby, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Rocky, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Henry, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Oscar, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Thadeus, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Et, age 27—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Bob, age 27—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Corey, age 27—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Kenny, age 27—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Harry, age 27—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Russell, age 26—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Carmichael, age 26—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Gelb, age 26—Yerkes National Primate Research Center, GA

Huhkalig, age 26—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Nowi, age 26—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Doyle, age 26—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Gisoki, age 26—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Fred, age 26—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Maurice, age 26—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Tobias, age 26—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Jamal, age 26—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Jojo, age 26—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

BC, age 26—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Levi, age 26—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Sam, age 26—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Mouse, age 26—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Rowdy, age 26—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Alex, age 25—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Josh, age 25—New Iberia Research Center, LA

Rusten, age 25—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Hunter, age 25—Southwest National Primate Research Center, TX

Kukui, age 25—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Staun, age 25—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Samson, age 25—M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX

Bo, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Wimpy, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Albert, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Hawkins, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Hulk, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Devon, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Shane, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Guido, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Gunther, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

Josh, age 25—Alamogordo Primate Facility, NM

*Some labs have not responded to our requests for 2008 census information. Therefore, it is unknown if all the individuals listed above are still alive, have been transferred to other facilities, or if other elders exist.

**Sources: Cohen, J. 2007. The Endangered Lab Chimp. Science. Vol. 315; and Videan, E. N. et. al. 2008. Effects of Aging on Hematology and Serum Clinical Chemistry in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). American Journal of Primatology, Apr;70(4):327-38.

Chimpanzees and Their Use in Scientific Experiments

1. Isn’t it illegal to use chimpanzees in experiments?

In some countries, but not in the United States. Based on what is known about chimpanzees’ intelligence, emotions, and similarity to humans, experimenting on them is morally wrong. Australia, Austria, Balearic Islands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden have banned or limited research on chimpanzees. Germany, Italy, Norway, and Ireland have not used chimpanzees in experiments for a number of years, although there is no law against it. On September 8, 2010, a ban on the use of great apes in research in the European Union (EU) was made official under the newly adopted revisions for European Directive 86/609/EEC, the EU’s laboratory animal welfare laws. The new Directive will not go into effect until January 2013, giving the EU member states two years to transpose the provisions of the new Directive into national legislation.

2. Where do U.S. laboratories get chimpanzees?

Chimpanzees were captured from Africa and brought to the U.S. In the 1950s, many were brought in by the Air Force for air and space experiments. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act prohibited the capture of certain species, including chimpanzees. By then, there were enough chimpanzees in the U.S. to breed future captive chimpanzees for research. Most chimpanzees used in research today were born in laboratories. Only a few wild-caught chimpanzees remain. While free-living chimpanzees are classified as “endangered,” captive chimpanzees are classified as “threatened,” thus allowing their use for research.

3. How many chimpanzees are currently used in laboratory research?

Exact numbers are difficult to obtain. Worldwide, there are far fewer chimpanzees than other species used in research. In West Africa, Gabon’s Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville (CIRMF) primate center has approximately 56 chimpanzees for use in research.

Japan has an unofficial moratorium on invasive experiments involving great apes. They still conduct behavioral and cognitive research geared towards “understanding the biological, behavioral and socioecological aspects of primates, and the origin and evolution of man.” This research is conducted at the Kyoto University Primate Research Institute, which has roughly 15 chimpanzees who are part of a program called the Cooperative Research Program. Each year around 170 visiting scientists carry out research on the monkeys and apes.

In 2006, the New York Blood Center (NYBC) announced the decision to end their use of chimpanzees in research and close the Vilab II chimpanzee research facility in Liberia. According to the Hepatitis Research Foundation (HRF), associated with NYBC, Vilab’s remaining 74 chimpanzees would be resocialized into groups and released into the Liberia Chimpanzee Sanctuary, also known as the Vilab II Island Sanctuary Project, pending the completion of existing protocols. For example, in 2007 HRF completed a chimpanzee vaccine trial involving hepatitis B and C viruses, with human clinical trials scheduled to begin in 2008 when “chimpanzee research [would] no longer [be] needed.”

With an estimated 1,000 chimpanzees housed in five federally funded research facilities, the U.S. remains the sole large-scale user of chimpanzees in research in the world. Relatively few of them are in active protocols. Most are “warehoused” for potential future research.

4. Aren’t some experiments humane, like teaching chimpanzees to read?

Although it might appear that experiments that do not involve medical procedures are humane, such experiments are more harmful than generally thought. When researchers study cognition, emotion, or behavior, chimpanzees’ natural living conditions may be severely disrupted. Examples include living alone in small cages, or having restricted or no social contact with other chimpanzees. In a lab, freedom is always limited. The barrenness of a laboratory alters their mental capacities, and leads to depression, trauma, or even psychotic behaviors. Seemingly less intrusive research still creates a life of loneliness, frustration, fear, and despair.

Examples of purportedly “humane” research include “cross-fostering” studies in which chimpanzees are raised as part of a human family. These studies are among the cruelest because they result in a chimpanzee who cannot identify with his or her own species. Instead, they come to behave as a human. Due to their great strength, they typically end up isolated and confined, handicapped in their ability to interact with their own species, and prevented from interacting with the humans with whom they identify. Published in 2009, the paper “Developmental Context Effects on Bicultural Posttrauma Self Repair in Chimpanzees” further documents the psychological suffering experienced by chimpanzees used in “humane” research.

5. Don’t we have to use chimpanzees to find cures for human illness?

In general, animals have proven to be very poor models for human disease research. Because they are genetically different from humans, studying illness in animals can give us inadequate or erroneous information about illness and cures in humans. Even though chimpanzees are our closest genetic relatives, the disparity is great enough that even chimpanzees do not accurately model human pathophysiology. Differences in chimpanzee and human physiology impact the outcomes of attempts to use chimpanzees to study human disease.

One example is HIV infection. In the 1980s, scientists discovered that chimpanzees could be infected with HIV and believed this would lead to cures and vaccines for AIDS. However, HIV acts differently in a chimpanzee. Chimpanzees do not become immunodeficient as humans do, do not exhibit any long-term symptoms, and HIV becomes undetectable in the blood of a previously infected chimpanzee. In light of these differences, a review article published in 2000 opined “Defending the usefulness of the chimpanzee as a model for HIV research has not only become a difficult task, but also a controversial one” (Nath et al., 2000). Thomas Insel, M.D., former director of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, declared that 15 years of work in chimpanzees has produced little information relevant to humans, stating, “I can’t tell you what it is that those [chimpanzee] studies have given us that has really made a difference in the way we approach people with [HIV/AIDS]” (Smaglik, 1999). A huge decline in their use to study HIV/AIDS followed, such that AIDS-related chimpanzee studies fell from almost 30 studies per year in 1998 to just four in 2005 and only three in 2006-2007. Another example includes their use in testing the efficacy of HIV vaccines. All vaccines that have proven safe and efficacious in chimpanzees (as well as other nonhuman primates) have failed in humans, with one (in 2007) actually increasing a human’s chance of HIV infection. NEAVS’ 2008 paper, “An Assessment of the Role of Chimpanzees in AIDS Vaccine Research,” illustrates how vaccine responses in chimpanzees are not predictive of responses in humans, and that claims of chimpanzees’ critical role and importance in AIDS vaccine development is without scientific foundation.

6. What is life like for chimpanzees in laboratories?

This varies depending on the laboratory and experiment. There is always confinement. By law, chimpanzees may be confined in cages that measure a mere 5’ x 5’ x 7’. Though they are supposed to be given contact with their own species, it can be very minimal, sometimes only visual, and does not match their rich family network in nature. For some experiments, particularly infectious disease, it is legal to isolate them entirely, comparable to placing a human in solitary confinement. With few exceptions, laboratories are barren, even hostile environments that deprive chimpanzees of trees, sky, fresh air, grass, rivers, family, and friends. Add to this the pain of procedures, routine in many experiments. The stress and fear of never fully knowing what is happening compounds everything. Even “routine” blood draws or injections are magnified because they typically require that the chimpanzee be anesthetized. In the laboratory, anesthesia is often administered with the use of a dart gun. Darting — known as “knockdowns” — is extremely terrifying. It is not unusual for a chimpanzee to be darted several times to administer the correct dose, often surrounded by many lab personnel with dart guns. Escape is impossible. The situation can result in darts hitting the chimpanzee’s eye, scrotum, or other vulnerable body part. With darting, chimpanzees experience the pain of the projectile shots, followed by unconsciousness. When they awaken, there is often the pain or discomfort from the procedure itself. Consider Billy Jo’s story as recounted by the Montreal sanctuary Fauna Foundation, where he lived for just eight years until he sadly passed away in 2006.

In 14 years at the lab, Ch-447 was knocked down over 289 times — 65 [times] with 4 or 5 men surrounding his cage pummeling him with darts…. In the lab, he would shake his cage back and forth trying desperately to prevent anyone from approaching. To this day, Billy cannot bear to have strangers grouped in front of him.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the life of a chimpanzee in a laboratory is fraught with anxiety, pain, and fear. Published in 2008, the paper “Building an Inner Sanctuary: Complex PTSD in Chimpanzees” attests to this fact.

7. Are there humane laws that oversee the treatment of chimpanzees in laboratories?

There are laws governing the use of some species, including chimpanzees, in laboratories. The laws purport to guarantee “humane” care. In these regulations, “humane” means that the experiment is approved by other scientists; the species used is justified; pain medication is considered unless it interferes with results — in which case it can be withheld. The Animal Welfare Act states specifically that the law is not intended to interfere with institutionally approved research. As a result, the majority of proposed experiments are allowed, regardless of the suffering.

Chimpanzees are also covered under the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act (CHIMP Act). Passed in 2000, the law acknowledges a distinct status for chimpanzees and provides some federal support to retire chimpanzees not active or “needed” in research. It prohibits breeding in the federal retirement system and euthanasia for the convenience of a lab. However, until recently a major flaw in the law allowed for retired chimpanzees to be brought back into active research if certain criteria were met. This loophole was officially closed in December 2007 with the passage of the “Chimp Haven is Home Act,” which now provides permanent protection from research for all retired chimpanzees.

8. Why single out chimpanzees?

Chimpanzees’ emotional and cognitive similarity to us presents a disturbing discrepancy in our ethics and forces us to ask: what characteristics protect humans on a moral and legal scale, while we continue to use chimpanzees? With neither an ethically nor scientifically justifiable answer, we must conclude that their use in experiments is immoral and illogical.

9. What will we do with chimpanzees if we release them from laboratories?

Chimpanzees, like all captive animals, cannot be released to the wild. They are strangers to that world. The money spent to house and experiment on them must be redirected to provide quality, environmentally rich sanctuaries. This adds no new costs, since public tax dollars already pay for them to be held in laboratories. Funds for their lifetime care have been allotted under the CHIMP Act, and the caring public is showing its support through donations to sanctuaries that provide for chimpanzees rescued from research. Chimpanzees deserve restitution for the decades of harm humans have caused them. Restitution is affordable and the responsibility of a compassionate society. The captive chimpanzee population will dwindle through natural deaths, while the end to federal funding to breed chimpanzees will help assure that no future generations are condemned to a life in captivity.

10. Have any chimpanzees made it out of a laboratory and into sanctuary?

A growing number of sanctuaries house hundreds of chimpanzee survivors from laboratories, entertainment, or the “pet” trade. Sadly, once removed from their natural habitat or bred in captivity, chimpanzees can never be truly free. Their disrupted lives are condemned to dependency on humans. Their incredible strength requires that they must be confined. We can never give back to chimpanzees what we have taken from them — the right to be free and live autonomously. Still, several sanctuaries do outstanding work and give them the best possible life captivity can provide. Save the Chimps, the Fauna Foundation, and the Center for Great Apes are three such examples.

11. Is there anything I can do to stop chimpanzees from being used in experiments?

Yes.

Knowledge is power — learn everything you can about their plight. Then talk to your family, friends, and colleagues, and urge them to speak out on behalf of chimpanzees in laboratories.

Help us end the use of chimpanzees in research by contacting your House Representative and Senators and ask them to cosponsor and vote favorably on the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act - H.R.1513/S.810. This bipartisan bill will end invasive research and testing on chimpanzees in U.S. laboratories and retire all federally owned chimpanzees to sanctuary.
Join NEAVS’ Project R&R: Release and Restitution for Chimpanzees in U.S. Laboratories. Continue to visit our website and join our action alert list now by emailing us.

Together, we can bring the plight of chimpanzees to the forefront of public awareness; be their voice to federal law and other decision makers; and pass the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act to procure their release and provide them the restitution in sanctuary they so deserve.

Last updated: May 2011

*With reference to relevant international events.

1900 1 to 5 million chimpanzees inhabit rainforests of West and Central Africa.

1923 Psychobiologist Robert Yerkes purchases two young chimpanzees, Chim
and Panzee. Both die within the year. He then purchases young Bill and Dwina. In 1925, he obtains Pan and Wendy, from a sailor in Boston. These four chimpanzees provide a beginning for his laboratory research in Florida—the first of thousands of chimpanzees to be used by U.S. vivisectors.

1930 Yerkes obtains support from Yale University and several foundations to establish the first chimpanzee laboratory. The Florida facility is named the Yale Laboratories of Primate Biology.

1941 In honor of Yerkes’ retirement, Yale renames their facility the Yerkes Laboratory of Primate Biology. The name is eventually changed to the Yerkes National Primate Research Center (Yerkes).

1950s The U.S. Air Force acquires 65 young, wild-caught chimpanzees and establishes an aeronautical research facility at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

1956 After Yerkes’ death, Emory University assumes ownership of the Yerkes laboratory. (Using federal funding, Emory moves the Florida facility to its campus in Atlanta, Georgia.)

1960 U.S. Congress enacts the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Regional Primate Research Centers, establishing eight NIH-funded facilities.

1960s The U.S. Air Force ends its use of chimpanzees. Many “Air Force Chimps” are leased to medical schools and other labs for use in painful and lethal experiments.

Raised as if a human child, Washoe becomes the first of more than 10 chimpanzees to be part of cross-fostering language experiments.

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is enacted to provide some protection for animals in research.

1969 Science publishes “Teaching sign language to a chimpanzee.” Evidence that chimpanzees can learn a human language and communicate their emotions establishes profound ethical arguments against their use in harmful research.

1973 The Endangered Species Act is passed. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is signed by 167 countries.

1975 Listed as an endangered species, chimpanzees can no longer be freely removed from Africa. Chimpanzees in captivity in the U.S. are down-listed to “threatened,” allowing for their continued use in research.

1980 Dr. Christiaan Barnard, the world’s first heart transplant surgeon, recounts: “I had…two male chimps…they lived next door to each other in separate cages…before I used one as a [heart] donor. When we put him to sleep in his cage in preparation for the operation, he chattered and cried incessantly …when we removed the body to the operating room, the other chimp wept bitterly and was inconsolable for days. The incident made a deep impression on me. I vowed never again to experiment with such sensitive creatures.”

1981 Frederick Coulston, a toxicologist, establishes the White Sands Research Center (renamed the Coulston Foundation), a biomedical research lab in New Mexico. For nearly 20 years, Coulston conducts invasive experiments on chimpanzees. Coulston is cited for multiple violations of the AWA after many chimpanzees and other primates die due to substandard care and neglect. Coulston eventually houses 650 chimpanzees, the world’s largest holding.

1985 The U.S. amends the AWA to include requirements for “psychological enrichment” for nonhuman primates. It mandates minimum cage size (for chimpanzees 5’x 5’x 7’) and requires enrichment. In reality, the AWA has minimal effect on the safety and well-being of animals in research. However, the 1985 Amendment sets a precedent that psychological experiences of nonhuman species merit consideration, even though the Amendment is substandard and ineffectively implemented and enforced.

1986 Dr. Jane Goodall, a British primatologist, publishes The Chimpanzees of Gombe, detailing her field observations of free-living chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania. Dr. Goodall’s work, which began in 1960, observes chimpanzees in their natural environment, documenting their intricate relationships and tool-making skills. Her work earns her an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University and sets the stage for a new understanding of humans and other great apes.

NIH establishes the Chimpanzee Breeding and Research Program designed to produce greater numbers of chimpanzees to be used in HIV/AIDS research.

1995 ABC News’ 20/20 airs a program about the morality of research on chimpanzees, featuring Booee, a former language-studies chimpanzee who was transferred to a medical research lab in 1982. The program broadcasts a reunion after a 13-year separation between Booee and Dr. Roger Fouts of Central Washington University’s Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI). Millions of viewers watch, overwhelmed, as Booee recognizes and ecstatically greets Dr. Fouts. The program results in such massive public outcry that five months later Booee and eight other laboratory chimpanzees are released to a sanctuary in California.

NIH acknowledges a “surplus” of chimpanzees for research. A panel is assembled to assess the problem. A voluntary breeding moratorium is initiated on chimpanzees owned/supported by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a division of NIH.

1996 The U.S. Air Force permanently divests itself of its 141 chimpanzees. Congress stipulates that the chimpanzees may go to qualified bidders for research or retirement. Though primate sanctuaries submit bids, 111 chimpanzees are awarded to Coulston where they are used in experiments and for breeding. Only 30 “Air Force Chimps” are retired (to Primarily Primates, Inc. a sanctuary in Texas).

Jerom, a chimpanzee infected with HIV at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, is the first and only chimpanzee to die of an AIDS-related syndrome. After his death, Jerom’s blood is injected into other chimpanzees with no resulting disease. The failure to generate AIDS in chimpanzees after more than a decade of research leads to a sharp decline in HIV studies on chimpanzees.

1997 The Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) under New York University closes. NYU gives 225 chimpanzees and other primates to Coulston. Efforts by LEMSIP’s director, Dr. James Mahoney (DVM, PhD), rescues 109 chimpanzees and more than 100 monkeys from going to Coulston.

The Fauna Foundation (Fauna) in Montreal becomes the first sanctuary in North America to receive HIV-infected chimpanzees, rescuing 15 from LEMSIP. Over time it is revealed that HIV is no longer detectable in their blood.

The National Research Council, a division of NIH, issues: Chimpanzees in Research: Strategies for Their Ethical Care, Management, and Use. The report acknowledges that a higher ethical standard should be applied to chimpanzees and imposes a breeding moratorium at all NIH-supported research facilities.

The British government declares that it will no longer issue new licenses for procedures using great apes in biomedical research.

1999 Coulston comes under increasing scrutiny for multiple violations of the AWA and Standards for Good Laboratory Practice. Financial problems escalate as contractors withdraw.

After a protracted lawsuit with the U.S. government, 21 former Air Force chimpanzees are removed from Coulston and awarded sanctuary at the Center for Captive Chimpanzee Care (now called Save the Chimps).

2000 The New Zealand Animal Welfare Act becomes law. Great apes are banned from use in research, testing, or teaching.

The U.S. passes the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection (CHIMP) Act. The CHIMP Act provides for retirement and lifetime care of chimpanzees not in active protocols; it prohibits breeding in federal retirement and euthanasia for the convenience of a lab. However, it still allows for “retired” chimpanzees to be recalled back into research.

Only an estimated 150,000 chimpanzees remain in the rainforests of Africa.

2001 The Netherlands begins to phase out (and eventually ban) harmful research on chimpanzees.

Pablo is the first of the LEMSIP chimpanzees rescued by Fauna to die. Born in Africa, Pablo’s mother and family were killed in order to capture him. He was used in research his entire life, including being one of the first to be infected with HIV at LEMSIP. He enjoyed only four years of sanctuary.

NIH awards 287 of the Coulston chimpanzees and a $43 million management contract to Charles River Laboratories, Inc. (CRL)—a major breeder, importer, and supplier of primates and other animals for laboratories.

2002 Coulston declares bankruptcy and collapses. The laboratory is renamed the Alamogordo Primate Facility (APF), where the aforementioned 287 chimpanzees remain under the care of CRL. An additional 266 chimpanzees formerly owned by Coulston are rescued by anthropologist Dr. Carole Noon, founder of Save the Chimps—the largest rescue on behalf of captive chimpanzees in history.

Annie, one of the first chimpanzees captured in Africa and brought to the U.S., dies at the age of 42. She was used in entertainment and later in research at LEMSIP. She was also part of a program with the Primate Foundation of Arizona (PFA) to “breed” more chimpanzees for research. Her wise and gentle nature earned her the position as matriarch of the Fauna chimpanzees; Fauna rescued her in 1997.

The Dutch government prohibits testing on chimpanzees after the end of trials in progress. The ban also applies to bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas. The Dutch Parliament votes unanimously to disband the last chimpanzee population used for research in Europe, which was located at the Biomedical Primate Research Center (BPRC) in the Netherlands. (Chimpanzees are actually “retired” from the center in 2004.)

2003 John Strandberg, Director of Comparative Medicine at NIH, acknowledges in a public forum that a U.S. ban on chimpanzee research would come as no surprise to him, due to changing public attitudes.

Sweden bans the use of great apes in biomedical research, including a ban on the “lesser apes,” gibbons and siamangs.

2004 An estimated 1,300 chimpanzees remain at six federally funded research facilities. Many are not being used in active protocols but remain “warehoused” in laboratory confinement.

The New Mexico District Attorney files charges against NIH-owned APF and its contractor CRL, for alleged neglect and abandonment resulting in the deaths of two chimpanzees.

In the Netherlands, the BPRC officially stops conducting research on chimpanzees. The 160 at the time of its closing are “retired” and to be placed in zoos and sanctuaries throughout Europe.

The Austrian Federal Minister for Education, Science, and Culture submits a draft amendment to the animal research law that would prohibit animal experimentation on great apes.

2005 Austria officially amends its animal protection laws to forbid experiments on all great apes, including all eight species of gibbons, making it the fifth country to do so.

The first group of chimpanzees retired under the U.S. CHIMP Act arrives at Chimp Haven (CH). CH is the contractor of the national chimpanzee sanctuary system.

Donna Rae dies at Fauna after only 8 years in sanctuary. At the age of 12, after a childhood in entertainment, she was walked into her cage at LEMSIP. She spent 19 years in that 5’x 5’x 7’ cage before she was rescued.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiates an investigation of the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) for alleged AWA violations and cruelty to chimpanzees, which came to light in a lawsuit filed by a former NIRC employee.
The USDA fines Emory University and their affiliated Yerkes National Primate Research Center $1,375 for violations of the AWA due to the 2004 death of a chimpanzee named Dover.

The Humane Society of the United States files a lawsuit against the USDA for not responding to Freedom of Information Act requests from 2000 to 2004. The Department of Justice eventually orders the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service department to resume online posting of annual reports for U.S. research facilities.

During the 5th World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences, national and international animal protection organizations, along with Dr. Jane Goodall, sign a resolution calling for an end to the use of nonhuman primates in biomedical research and testing.

A Brazilian judge recognizes Suíça the chimpanzee as a legal subject in a proceeding seeking her release from a zoo to a sanctuary. Although Suíça passes away before her release, the decision marks the first time a nonhuman species has been admitted as a legal subject in a court action.

Genome sequencing of DNA from a chimpanzee named Clint reveals similarities and critical differences between humans and nonhuman primates. Humans are considered 96 percent similar to chimpanzees. Clint passes away at Yerkes before the sequencing is completed.

2006 NEAVS officially launches Project R&R: Release and Restitution for Chimpanzees in U.S. Laboratories, a national campaign to end the use of the first nonhuman species, chimpanzees, and therefore all great apes, in U.S. labs.

PBS begins its 25th season of NATURE with a premiere showing of Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History by Allison Argo—a documentary that provides a first-hand glimpse of the lives of chimpanzees from research who are now in sanctuary.

Two Swiss federal commissions call for tighter regulations on primate experimentation in Switzerland, including a total ban on tests involving great apes because of their high level of cognitive faculties.

The PFA announces that it will be closing in 2010, transferring ownership of its chimpanzees to the federal government. Of its 73 chimpanzees, 69 will be sent to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. Only four are scheduled for sanctuary.

Ohio State University closes its primate research lab and relocates nine chimpanzees to Primarily Primates, Inc. (PPI). Several months later, PPI, which has approximately 70 chimpanzees, is put under receivership by the Texas Attorney General. The investigation results in the establishment of a new board of directors.

The Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care puts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on probation for problems in animal care. A chimpanzee underwent 10 liver needle biopsy attempts—more than three is a violation of CDC regulations.

A federal appeals court overrules a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit against the USDA. The lawsuit was aimed at getting the USDA to improve current minimum standards of care for nonhuman primates. Current regulations—in effect since 1991—are considered inadequate and ineffective by most primate experts.

The only remaining Japanese pharmaceutical company conducting invasive research on chimpanzees sends its 80 chimpanzees to sanctuary.

Billy Jo, a beloved chimpanzee at Fauna sanctuary, passes away at age 37. Billy was the subject of a paper on identity confusion and depression in chimpanzees from research.

2007 The Parliament of the Balearic Islands, one of the Autonomous Communities of Spain, announces its approval of a resolution to grant legal rights to great apes. The resolution is also presented to the Spanish government.

NCRR announces they will no longer fund the breeding of NCRR-owned chimpanzees for research, thus making the breeding moratorium first initiated in 1995 permanent.

Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft for Research.

The scientific paper commissioned by Project R&R: Chimpanzee Research: An Examination of Its Contribution to Biomedical Knowledge and Efficacy in Combating Human Diseases is released. The paper concludes that research conducted on chimpanzees has not demonstrated a significant or essential contribution towards treating or curing human diseases, but instead has incurred considerable animal welfare, ethical, and financial costs.

Washoe, the first nonhuman to acquire a human language, passes away at the age of 42.

The U.S. passes the “Chimp Haven is Home Act,” prohibiting all “retired” chimpanzees in federal sanctuary from ever being returned to research. This law secures the original intent of the 2000 CHIMP Act—to provide chimpanzees with permanent protection from research.

Fauna mourns the loss of Jeannie. She was 31 years old. Jeannie, along with Rachel who is also at Fauna, was the focus of a paper on posttraumatic stress in chimpanzees from research. Despite meticulous care both physically and emotionally, Jeannie never fully recovered from her life in a lab.

An Austrian court denies legal guardianship for a chimpanzee named Hiasl. Hiasl was rescued some 20 years earlier during an illegal attempt to send him to a vivisection lab. He was sent to sanctuary. When the sanctuary faced bankruptcy, Paula Stibbe of Britain tried to prevent his transfer to a zoo by applying to be his legal guardian.

Yerkes NPRC is awarded a $10 million federal grant to compare how mental abilities decline in aging humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. The study includes human subjects.

Emory University is assessed a $15,000 civil penalty for AWA violations that occurred at Yerkes in 2006.

A new chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, prepares to welcome its first seven residents. These residents are the last remaining chimpanzees held by the Buckshire Corporation, a private lab in Pennsylvania with a long history of using chimpanzees.

The New York Blood Center (NYBC) closes its Vilab II primate research facility in Liberia. NYBC purchased more than six islands off the coast of Liberia as sanctuary for its 74 chimpanzees.

A report by Science reveals that the U.S. is the last country still conducting biomedical research on chimpanzees, with some 1,100 chimpanzees still in U.S. research facilities.

The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments calls for the European Commission and Parliament to implement a ban on the use of primates, including all great apes and wild-caught primates, in research.

2008 A scientific paper, Developmental Context Effects on Bicultural Posttrauma Self Repair in Chimpanzees, is in press in Developmental Psychology. The paper, written by Gay Bradshaw, PhD, PhD, NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, NEAVS Vice President Lorin Lindner, PhD, MPH, and Gloria Grow, Founder and Director of the Fauna Foundation and Project R&R Honorary Co-Chair, focuses on early history as a factor in recovery from lab trauma.

On April 17, bipartisan legislators introduced The Great Ape Protection Act (H.R.5852) to end invasive research and testing on chimpanzees in the U.S. The bill would retire all federally owned chimpanzees to sanctuary. U.S. Representatives Edolphus Towns (D-NY), David Reichert (R-WA), James Langevin (D-RI), and Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) introduced the legislation, along with original cosponsors Bruce Braley (D-IA), Tom Allen (D-ME), John Campbell (R-CA), and Mary Bono Mack (R-CA).

A scientific paper, Building an Inner Sanctuary: Complex PTSD in Chimpanzees, is published in Vol. 9(1) of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation. The paper reveals how psychological suffering crosses species lines by demonstrating that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afflicts chimpanzees from laboratories in the same way as it does human trauma survivors. The paper was written by Gay Bradshaw, PhD, PhD, NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, NEAVS Vice President Lorin Lindner, PhD, MPH, and Gloria Grow, Founder and Director of the Fauna Foundation and Project R&R Honorary Co-Chair.

On June 13, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (CSNW) in Cle Elum, Washington welcomes their first residents, chimpanzees Annie, Negra, Missy, Jody, Jamie, Burrito, and Foxie—the last remaining chimpanzees from the Buckshire Corporation lab in Pennsylvania, which closed in 2005.

In August, NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, presents on a panel at the International Primatological Society 22nd Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Congress hosts hundreds of world experts on primates and research. Dr. Capaldo’s presentation, entitled Humane Considerations Regarding the Use of Chimpanzees in Biomedical Research and Testing is part of a precedent-setting symposium that presents on the use of great apes for invasive research and includes science, policy, welfare, and current events. Additional panellists include Gloria Grow, Founder and Director of the Fauna Foundation and Project R&R Honorary Co-Chair (An Overview of Worldwide Sanctuaries with Great Apes from Research Laboratories), and Jarrod Bailey, PhD, Project R&R Science Director (Examining the Efficacy of Chimpanzee Research and Its Contribution to Combating Human Disease), among others. Project R&R Advisory Board member Mike Seres presents on a separate panel on Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Introductions in Captive Settings: Challenges, Facts, and as Art.

A scientific paper, An Assessment of the Role of Chimpanzees in AIDS Vaccine Research, is published in Alternatives to Laboratory Animals (ATLA), Vol. 36. The paper, written by geneticist Jarrod Bailey, Ph.D., Science Director for Project R&R, concludes that vaccine responses in chimpanzees are not predictive of responses in humans, and that claims of chimpanzees’ critical role and importance in AIDS vaccine development are without foundation.

Project R&R, in collaboration with many of its advisory board member organizations as well as other organizations, submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the “Proposed Rules on Standards of Care for Chimpanzees Held in the Federally Supported Chimpanzee Sanctuary System” in 2005. On October 10, 2008, the HHS’ drafted regulations for federal sanctuaries are accepted by NIH and published in the Federal Register (Vol. 73, No. 198). The finalized regulations, which include many of Project R&R’s proposed standards, go into effect on November 10, 2008.

2009 ABC Nightline News features a nine-month undercover investigation of the NIRC in Louisiana by HSUS. A 108-page complaint filed with the USDA contains 338 alleged violations of the AWA.

The Great Ape Protection Act (GAPA, H.R. 1326) is reintroduced into Congress on March 5th by the bill’s original four lead sponsors: Representatives Towns (D-NY), Reichert (R-WA), Langevin (D-RI), and Bartlett (R-MD). By December 2009, the bill has 125 cosponsors.

A scientific paper, “Developmental Context Effects on Bicultural Post-Trauma Self Repair in Chimpanzees” is published in Developmental Psychology, Vol. 45(5), 1376-1388. The paper documents the emotional trauma chimpanzees suffer as a result of laboratory use and reveals the ethical implications of cross-fostering nonhuman primates and their use in research. The paper was authored by Gay Bradshaw, PhD, PhD, NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, Vice President Lorin Lindner, PhD, MPH, and Gloria Grow, Founder/Director, Fauna Foundation and Project R&R Co-Chair.

A scientific paper, “An Examination of Chimpanzee Use in Human Cancer Research” by Project R&R Science Director Jarrod Bailey, Ph.D., is published in Alternatives to Laboratory Animals (ATLA), Vol. 37, 399-416. With chimpanzees proving to be a poor model for human cancer research, the paper concludes that it would be unscientific to claim that chimpanzees are vital to cancer research and reasonable to conclude that such research would not be hindered without chimpanzees.

NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, presents on scientific and ethical reasons to end invasive research on chimpanzees to legislators and aides as part of a panel at a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C.

NEAVS Director of Member Services Jennifer Campbell presents “The Case to End Chimpanzee Research: Scientific, Ethical, and Economic Arguments” at the Taking Action for Animals conference in Washington, D.C.

Project R&R Science Director Jarrod Bailey, Ph.D., presents “The Case to End Chimpanzee Research: Scientific, Ethical, and Economic Arguments” at the VII World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Rome, Italy.

NEAVS/Project R&R exhibits a poster presentation on “The Case to End Chimpanzee Research: Scientific, Ethical, and Economic Arguments” at Exploring the Ethical and Scientific Reasons for Congress to pass the Great Ape Protection Act, a Capital Hill multimedia exhibit in Washington, D.C.

Project R&R’s beloved chimpanzee Ambassador, Tom, dies at Fauna at the age of 44. Born in Africa, Tom spent 30 years in research before his rescue by Fauna in 1997.

2010 NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, attends a meeting of leaders from the sanctuary community, animal protection organizations, and the zoo community to discuss strategic plans for providing sanctuary to great apes rescued from research once GAPA passes into law. Dr. Capaldo’s presentation, entitled “An Economic Analysis of Chimpanzee Housing and Maintenance in U.S. Laboratories and Sanctuaries,” demonstrates the economic benefits of transferring chimpanzees from federally supported laboratories into sanctuary.

NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, presents on ethical concerns of using chimpanzees in research as part of a panel on “Great Ape Research and Retirement: Policy, Ethics, Economics and Science” at the 33rd meeting of the American Society of Primatologists (ASP) in Louisville, Kentucky. The panel, Great Ape Research and Retirement: Policy, Ethics, Economics and Science, was the first time ASP accepted a submission for such a panel dealing with the use and housing of chimpanzees in research and efforts to end their use and retire all chimpanzees to sanctuary.

NIH announces plans to transfer more than 200 government-owned chimpanzees now living at APF to the Southwest National Primate Research Center in Texas. Once at Southwest, the remaining chimpanzees will be readily available for invasive research. Since 2001, APF has served as a holding facility run by CRL under a NIH contract. No research was conducted on the premises of APF. CRL’s ten-year, $42.8 million dollar contract to manage the chimpanzees is set to expire May 2011.

Fourteen chimpanzees are transferred from APF to Southwest, where they will be available for use in invasive research. The federal government plans to move the rest of the 186 chimpanzees housed at APF to Southwest by early 2011.

NEAVS/Project R&R joins with Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM) in voicing opposition to the transfer of the APF chimpanzees to Southwest. New Mexico (NM) Senator Tom Udall visits APF and requests a meeting with NIH.

NM Governor Bill Richardson declares his support for stopping the transfer of the APF chimpanzees to Texas stating, “this is an urgent situation … New Mexico wants to save these chimpanzees who have already given so much of their lives to the American public as part of medical research studies.” Media attention and public opposition to NIH’s plan grows and an increasing number of animal advocacy groups, celebrities, and public figures speak out against the transfer, including Dr. Jane Goodall who sends a letter to NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.

Governor Richardson sends a letter to Dr. Collins, asking NIH to permanently retire the chimpanzees at APF, return the 14 chimpanzees who have already been sent to Southwest, and convert APF into a sanctuary.

NEAVS/Project R&R Science Director Dr. Jarrod Bailey meets with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and several other legislators to explain how supporting GAPA and ending chimpanzee research will not have a negative impact on human health. Dr. Bailey provides the Congress members with abstracts of Project R&R’s scientific papers, along with a list of over 700 scientists who have pledged their support for ending the use of chimpanzees in invasive research, demonstrating impressive scientific support for this legislation.

The Senate version of the Great Ape Protection Act (GAPA, S.3694) is introduced on August 3rd by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), lending bipartisan support to end the use of great apes in invasive research.

Project R&R Science Director Jarrod Bailey, Ph.D., presents “Lessons from chimpanzee-based human disease research: The role of genetic differences, and implications for other animal models” at the Animals, Research & Alternatives: Measuring Progress 50 Years Later conference in Washington, D.C.

Nearly 1,000 scientists and doctors have signed a U.S. petition pledging their support for ending the use of chimpanzees in invasive research, including physicians, Ph.D.s, eminent scientists, and renowned chimpanzee experts such as Richard Wrangham and Roger and Deborah Fouts. In addition, an international petition in direct support of GAPA is signed by luminaries such as Jane Goodall, Desmond Morris (author of The Naked Ape), and documentary filmmaker and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, as well as dozens of international humane charities and U.S. groups.

NEAVS gives a start-up grant to the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA), an alliance formed by the leaders of seven North American chimpanzee sanctuaries to “advance the welfare of captive primates through exceptional sanctuary care, collaboration, and outreach.” The launch of NAPSA is dedicated to the late Dr. Carole Noon, founder of Save the Chimps.

A ban on the use of great apes in research in the European Union (EU) was made official on September 8th under the newly adopted revisions for European Directive 86/609/EEC, the EU’s laboratory animal welfare laws. The new Directive will not go into effect until January 2013, giving the EU member states two years to transpose the provisions of the new Directive into national legislation.

Public outrage and media attention regarding NIH’s plan for the APF chimpanzees continues to grow, with news articles appearing in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Albuquerque Journal, Nature, Psychology Today, Scientific American, Discover, Las Cruces Sun-News, Alamogordo Daily News, and the Santa Fe New Mexican. In a letter addressed to NIH, NM State Representative Nate Cote and several other state legislators and the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce voice their concerns and opposition to the planned transfer.

Governor Richardson visits APF and meets with officials at NIH to urge them to keep the chimpanzees in Texas and to convert APF into a sanctuary. Richardson also states that he believes the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) should do an independent review of policies regarding the use of chimpanzees for medical research.

Through Freedom of Information Act requests to NIH, NEAVS/Project R&R obtains photographs of APF chimpanzees Flo, Danny, Montessa, Heidi, Nicole, and Robbie. At 53, Flo is currently the oldest chimpanzee at APF. Project R&R also learns that 62 chimpanzees have died at APF between 2001 and 2010.

NEAVS/Project R&R Science Director Jarrod Bailey, PhD is interviewed for Defining Person, a feature-length documentary film that explores the implications of the international movement to change the legal status of chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans from property to person.

Scientific papers, “An Assessment of Chimpanzee Use in Hepatitis C Research Past, Present and Future: 1. Validity of the Chimpanzee Model” and “An Assessment of Chimpanzee Use in Hepatitis C Research Past, Present and Future: 2. Alternative Replacement Methods” by Project R&R Science Director Jarrod Bailey, Ph.D., are published in Alternatives to Laboratory Animals (ATLA). These papers, which appear in ATLA Vol. 38(5), 387-418, October, and ATLA Vol. 38(6), 471-494, December, refute the claim that chimpanzees are necessary or useful in hepatitis C research and demonstrate the advances made using non-animal research methods.

APNM launches a new website, RetireTheChimps.org, dedicated to their campaign to stop the transfer of the APF chimpanzees to Southwest. Las Cruces PBS and NPR affiliate, KRWG, airs radio and television interviews conducted with people affected by plans to close down APF.

60 MINUTES interviews Dr. Jane Goodall and travels with her to the forests of Tanzania where her research with chimpanzees began over 50 years ago. From this episode, 60 MINUTES reportedly drew its largest audience in over 10 months and reached nearly 16 million viewers.

NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD, presents “The S.O.S. of the U.S. Anti-Vivisection Movement: Strategy, Optimism, Success” as part of a panel on anti-vivisection issues, with a focus on efforts to end the use of great apes in the U.S., at the Animal Grantmakers Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

NEAVS/Project R&R President Theodora Capaldo, EdD and Project R&R Science Director Jarrod Bailey, Ph.D., present in-service education workshops for sanctuary staff and invited guests at Save the Chimps and the Center for Great Apes in Florida. The venue provides an introduction to the scientific and psychological case to end chimpanzee research and retire all chimpanzees to sanctuary.

Governor Richardson files a complaint with the USDA, asking them to stop and investigate the planned transfer of 186 chimpanzees from APF. He is joined by APNM Program Director Laura Bonar during a press release at the Hall of the States in Washington, D.C.

The City of Alamogordo passes a resolution to support “the health, safety and well-being of the chimps at Holloman by keeping them out of invasive research” and APNM reports that “efforts to save the APF chimps are in the running for one of the top ten stories of 2010 in New Mexico!”

Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) send joint letters to the NAS and NIH, asking NAS to evaluate the value of invasive chimpanzee research by conducting an in-depth analysis, and NIH to not relocate the APF chimpanzees and to prohibit their use in research until NAS’ review is complete.

NEAVS/Project R&R mails thousands of member-signed legislator postcards to federal representatives and senators and sends thousands of supporters a map that illustrates state-by-state the amount of legislative support GAPA has received throughout the country.

At the close of the 111th Congress, GAPA has 161 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives and six cosponsors in the Senate.

2011 NIH announces that the transfer of the 186 chimpanzees at APF will be delayed “pending an Institute of Medicine (IOM) [the health arm of the NAS] in-depth analysis to reassess the scientific need for the continued use of chimpanzees….” The report is expected to take about two years.

NEAVS/Project R&R’s YouTube video, as well as footage of chimpanzees from the Fauna Foundation, airs on CNN’s ISSUES with Jane Velez-Mitchell. The show, which includes an interview with Laura Bonar of APNM, focuses on the recent NIH announcement to stop the transfer of APF chimpanzees to Southwest pending the IOM report outcome.

Last updated: March 2011