URGENT: Help Rescue Wenka
Wenka is a frail 54-year-old chimpanzee, held at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, who deserves the comfort of sanctuary before she dies. In captivity, chimpanzees can live up to 50 or more years. Her time is running out.
Help rescue Wenka and all other Elder chimpanzees before it is too late for them. Ask for their release from research labs and placement into permanent sanctuary.
WHO’S THERE? is Project R&R’s campaign to identify all chimpanzees held in U.S. labs today and most urgently to find those, just like Wenka, who need our immediate help.
What You Can Do
Click here to help us learn the names, ages, and other important information about every single chimpanzee held in every U.S. lab.
The chimpanzees currently warehoused in U.S. facilities or being used in active research protocols cannot remain anonymous so-called “resources.” Each one is a unique individual with a name, distinct personality, different face and specific needs. With your help, Project R&R is committed to knowing and helping each and every one of them.
There are some chimpanzees in laboratories today whose physical and/or emotional condition is so grave that they cannot wait for attitudes or laws to change before being released to sanctuary. Their need to be rescued is urgent and literally could be a matter of life and death.
Many of the chimpanzees have been used repeatedly over the years for different research. Consequently, they are now suffering from illnesses and injuries of these years of laboratory captivity living in concrete and steel cages as well as the actual research.
Project R&R’s advisory board and network of concerned primate caregivers help us identify chimpanzees whose emotional and/or physical needs are such that they must be released now. Rescue efforts will be handled on a triaged basis, allowing us to focus first on the chimpanzees who are in most dire need.
Project R&R is asking for your help in exerting public pressure, to get these individuals out of laboratories and into sanctuaries.
Our efforts are bolstered through on-going investigations into all laboratories housing chimpanzees.
SPECIAL ALERT: If you currently work, or formerly worked, in a lab and have animal welfare or Animal Welfare Act compliance concerns, please email Nancy Megna, Project Specialist - Project R&R’s 10-year veteran of laboratory work at two primate research facilities. For more information on Nancy and the experience of other former primate lab caregivers, see Lab Eyewitnesses. The animals are relying on people like Nancy to come forward and speak on their behalf. The experience and caring of lab workers can make all the difference in the world to someone whose suffering and needs would otherwise remain unheard to the world. Please help us help them, now.
Garfield was part of a group of former “Air Force” chimpanzees who were rescued by Save the Chimps in 2001. He is a young and handsome guy.
Garfield - the toll of years of laboratory
confinement.
Photo: © Save the Chimps
Garfield - growing stronger each day
Photo: © Save the Chimps
Securing his position within the group of adult males was a challenge for him as it often is for young male chimpanzees. Garfield shows great skill with the youngsters. He has been known to generously allow young chimpanzees to take food from his open-palmed hand. He has even invented a game for the younger members of the group – pulling them about the island on a big, soft blanket. (Read more about Save the Chimps).
