Help Right a Wrong Done to These Special Beings!

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A nonprofit fundraiser supporting

Save the Chimps
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Please support Save the Chimps, a sanctuary providing a safe & peaceful home to chimpanzees in need.

$11,270

raised by 13 people

$10,000 goal

Save the Chimps
Decades of Care, A Lifetime of Compassion

Save the Chimps is a sanctuary committed to providing a safe home and exemplary care for chimpanzees rescued from medical research, the US space program, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. Most of our 229 residents, who spent years in solitary confinement indoors before rescue, now live in large family groups on lush island habitats and enjoy nutritious meals, enrichment activities, grounds to explore, and state-of-the-art veterinary care.

Since January 2021, I’ve been honored to serve as Save the Chimps’ CEO. Meeting and getting to know each of these magnificent beings has been a life-changing experience. We often speak of them as our closest relatives with whom we share 98.6% of our DNA. What fascinates me even more is the 1.4% of their DNA that makes them so unique, strong, mighty, compassionate, and truly special beings.  The following are just a few of the very special individuals who have made an impact on me forever.


Tuffy, age 25

Tuffy was raised as a pet. At age seven, he became too strong and dangerous to live with a human family. He ended up spending years living alone in an empty swimming pool with a mesh ceiling, before he was finally rescued. As I stood in front of him for the first time, Ashley Cooley, Save the Chimps curator, told me his life story. It felt as if he understood what was going on, as he looked directly at me and into my soul. I could certainly feel his soul as well. Because Tuffy never really learned how to be a chimpanzee, he lives with a small group in our Special Needs area. He is sweet and playful, and you’ll almost always find him hugging one of his many beloved teddy bears. 


Arthur, age 22

Arthur on the other hand knows well how to be a chimp! He’s now a large, confident, high-ranking male, but he had a difficult early life in the entertainment industry. He spent time as a mascot for a minor league baseball team and at a roadside zoo where he exhibited severe rocking behaviors out of extreme boredom and stress. Since his rescue, he has fully recovered and is amazingly social and charming. When I do my rounds at the sanctuary, I always make sure I stop to see Arthur! He clearly recognizes me and makes me feel like he is happy to see me, which is an incredible feeling. Chimps possess a different intelligence from humans; their memory for instance is far better than ours. 


Millie, age 30

Millie has one of the most heart-warming stories. She was born in a biomedical research lab, where she was taken from her mother at birth. She lived in isolation in a small cage and endured an untold number of liver biopsies and other invasive procedures. By the time she arrived at Save the Chimps, she suffered from PTSD and other psychological and physical trauma. She couldn’t quite manage to be in a large social group at first, but after bonding with fellow chimp Tootie in our Special Needs unit, they were both recently introduced to a large social group on a four-acre island. One of the most beautiful moments I’ve witnessed at the sanctuary was Millie taking her first steps into that wide open space, with no mesh above her head. It was understandably daunting for her, and as she hesitated, her new chimp friend Manny hugged her to calm her down, gently took her hand, and guided her onto the island–where Millie is now thriving!


Jeff, age 46

Jeff is one of our recent arrivals. Our success in moving Millie, Tootie, and several others into large social groups on the islands created space at Special Needs to quarantine newly rescued chimps. Jeff spent the early part of his life being trained for use in educational programs, movies, and television. He ended up at the Wildlife Waystation in California, which closed its doors in 2019, leaving hundreds of animals of various species in need of a home. This year, he made the cross-country journey to his new permanent home at Save the Chimps, where he loves to paint, sunbathe, open presents, and show off his unique elephant-like vocalizations. How thrilling to be able to give him and his family a new life–to witness their reaction to stepping on grass for the first time, watch the family reunite after the long journey, and now see them making new friends. 


The resilience these magnificent beings exhibit in spite of their past is inspiring, and we owe them a safe, healthy, and happy retirement. Laboratories and entertainment producers have bred and used chimpanzees for decades without making accommodations for their retirement, so it’s up to sanctuaries like Save the Chimps to provide for their lifelong care—which is a significant commitment since chimpanzees can live into their 60s! Please help me reach my Giving Day for Apes goal of raising $10,000 in 10 days to support Save the Chimps and our very special residents. Thank you.

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Save the Chimps

Organized By Ana Paula Tavares

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