Save the Chimps

Honoring Save the Chimps' African-Born Elders

Save the Chimps is home to nearly 220 chimpanzees rescued from medical research, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. Among them is a very special group: elderly chimpanzees born in Africa.

As infants, they were torn from their mothers and taken from the wild, a traumatic journey that brought them to the United States, where they were sent into laboratories, including the infamous Coulston Foundation, a biomedical research laboratory with the worst record of any lab in the history of the Animal Welfare Act. They endured decades of confinement and exploitation before being rescued.

Today, these African-born survivors are elders, living out their golden years with the dignity, care, and freedom they were once denied.

This Giving Day for Apes, help us reach our goal of $100,000 
in honor of our African-born residents—
and ensure that all of the nearly 220 chimpanzees in our care 
can live the peaceful lives they deserve.

Save the Chimps’ 150-acre sanctuary is designed with twelve family groups, each with a 3–5 acre island attached to a building. Here, our residents choose where to spend their days—lounging in the sun, grooming with friends, or exploring the grass and trees of their island homes.

Caring for Save the Chimps' African-Born Residents

Caring for elderly chimpanzees requires special attention. Chimpanzees are considered elderly when they surpass the age of 35, and our African-born residents are now in their 50s. Our teams focus on:

• Expert veterinary care to treat both chronic and acute conditions, ensuring comfort and health.
• Behavioral enrichment that encourages movement, exploration, and engagement to keep their minds and bodies active.
• Social companionship which is essential to chimpanzee well-being. Our African-born elders live in multi-generational families with opportunities to groom, play, and rest alongside friends.

💚 Your support this Giving Day for Apes makes their care possible.

Meet Some of Save the Chimps' African-Born Elders

	Yvette (56) A well-respected matriarch, Yvette was born in Africa in 1965 (estimated). She was captured and sent to a laboratory in Texas, where she gave birth to several children. Yvette is now the oldest chimpanzee at the sanctuary.  Yvette loves building fluffy nests and basking peacefully in the sun, surrounded by her chimpanzee family.
	Boy (56) Captured from Africa and confined at the Coulston Foundation, Boy is a resilient survivor who has at last found peace at sanctuary. He delights in basking in the sunshine, spending time with his family group, and enjoying the freedom to choose how to spend his days—a life in sharp contrast to the confinement he once endured.
	Rebecca (54) & Debbie (55)  These two remarkable females began their lives in Africa before being captured as infants and brought to the U.S. for research. Both were rescued from the Coulston Foundation in 2002.  Today, they share a beautiful bond and can often be seen resting side by side or grooming on their island home.
	Yolanda (56) With her distinctive appearance and gentle presence, Yolanda is one of our treasured African-born elders. After being taken from the wild and confined at the Coulston Foundation, she is now thriving in the peace of sanctuary. At Save the Chimps, she spends her days surrounded by devoted companions, cared for with the attention she deserves, and free to enjoy the comfort and dignity of her well-earned retirement.