Chimpanzees experimented on by animal testing lab finally relocated to new sanctuary home
The transfer comes after pressure from animal welfare organizations helped secure a sanctuary retirement for the animals.
Al in his new home. Credit: Humane World for Animals
A group of chimpanzees who were experimented on by an animal testing lab have now arrived at their new sanctuary home.
The five chimps were previously held at the Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico, where they were used in painful biomedical research.
Now, the former lab animals have successfully been relocated to Chimp Haven, a 200-acre forested sanctuary in Louisiana. As the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary, it specializes in providing a natural and enriching environment for chimpanzees formerly used in biomedical research.
The second chance at life comes after years of advocacy and legal efforts from animal welfare organizations, who fought for chimpanzees used in labs to be legally retired to sanctuaries.
The campaign culminated in a legal victory late last year, when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it would reverse its prior stance of requiring the chimps to remain in the laboratory and instead granted them sanctuary at Chimp Haven.
This led to 10 chimpanzees arriving at the sanctuary earlier this year, with the remaining five chimpanzees successfully transferred this month.
Faylene sitting in their inside enclosure. Credit: Humane World for Animals
"After years of relentless advocacy, we are overjoyed to see these chimpanzees finally embrace the freedom and dignity they were long denied,” said Kathleen Conlee, vice president of animal research issues at Humane World for Animals, one of the groups which worked on the winning lawsuit to retire the chimps.
According to the sanctuary, the initial group of chimps have been settling in well and have established roles in the group including the “mischievous” Kamaka, “cool” and “calm” Al, and the “grandmother’s temperament” of Nickel.
Kamaka is settling in well. Credit: Humane World for Animals
Instead of being kept in an unnatural laboratory, the chimpanzees at Chimp Haven will be able to engage in species-typical behaviors and form social bonds in a significantly more natural habitat.
“Their arrival at Chimp Haven is more than just a victory for them—it’s proof that unwavering dedication and perseverance can create a future where all animals are treated with the compassion they deserve", added Conlee.
In the US, chimpanzees have not been used in federally sponsored research since 2015. This is due, in part, to the species having its legal status changed in the Endangered Species Act, along with modern advances in scientific research and testing that does not rely on animals.
Just this week, a future without animal testing became a significant step closer after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a “groundbreaking” plan to phase out animal testing for drugs.
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