Free At Last! 10 Alamogordo Chimps Arrive at Sanctuary

Last month marked a major milestone in a victory ten years in the making for the remaining Alamogordo research chimpanzees, as the first group of these incredible survivors finally arrived at a sanctuary. These ten individuals represent nearly half of the remaining 23 elderly chimps who have been held in limbo by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico, where they were once used as test subjects before the government ended invasive testing on chimps in 2015. Despite being legally required to send retired research chimps to a national sanctuary under the Chimpanzee Health, Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection (CHIMP) Act, which was signed into law in 2000, the NIH continued to hold them at the facility for years, even after a federal judge found the agency guilty of violating the law in 2022.

Now, after a decade of relentless advocacy by campaigners and concerned citizens, including 13,000 members of the Species Unite community who wrote letters to the former director of the NIH demanding their release, ten of the remaining chimps have finally been transferred to Chimp Haven Sanctuary in Louisiana. The new arrivals, who are between 38 and 54 years old, are Faylene, Nickel, Olivia, Al, Kamaka, BC, JD, Sherril, Tillina, and Pearl. The group was transported under the careful supervision of a veterinary team, with fleece-lined blankets and other comforts to keep them calm during their 800-mile journey to freedom.

The chimps are settling in well at the sanctuary, playing, stomping, exploring, and forming new bonds after years of isolation or confinement in small, single-gendered groups, an unnatural arrangement for chimps, who typically live in large, mixed-gender social environments. Each chimp has a unique personality and is finding their place in their new home. For example, Faylene has shown a strong fondness for grooming her groupmates Nickel and Olivia, whereas Kamaka is shy and tends to warm up more around mealtimes.

Work is underway at the 200-acre sanctuary to expand and accommodate all of the new arrivals, with the rest of the Alamogordo chimps expected to join them this spring. Supporters have donated over $5.6 million to the sanctuary for the expansion project, which will create more spaces in the massive park for these resilient survivors to live out the rest of their lives in a natural and species-appropriate setting.

Sanctuary staff celebrated the long-awaited arrival of the first Alamogordo chimps, with Chimp Haven’s President and CEO, Rana Smith, remarking: “This milestone marks the beginning of a long-anticipated journey as the Alamogordo chimpanzees transition to Chimp Haven and a life filled with care, companionship, and the freedom to explore expansive, naturalistic habitats. Our team is honored to provide these incredible individuals with what we call the Chimp Life – where every day is designed for them to thrive.”