Arthur & Phoenix
From cage to stage to rescue! The revolving door through which chimpanzees have been sold from entertainment into research labs (see Butch and Chipper) has swung both ways. Laboratories have sold…More Information…
Stories of Chimpanzees
Meet some of the fantastic chimpanzees that inspire many. As chimpanzees are rescued from laboratories, their stories can finally be told by the voices of former laboratory attendants or current sanctuary caregivers who are part of their rehabilitation. These are their stories, offering heartbreaking, moving, and humorous glimpses into their lives, personalities, and relationships.
Billy Jo
The chimpanzee who won everyone’s heart Feb. 14, 2006 – Chambly, Quebec – Billy Jo, a chimpanzee who endured hundreds of procedures in a research lab before finally being rescued…More Information…
Butch & Chipper
A long and winding road Butch and Chipper traveled a long and winding road—starting from their birthplace in Africa to a circus in the U.S., to a lab in New Mexico, and to a zoo in Florida.…More Information…
Dana
The matriarch Dana spent much of her life having her babies taken from her for research. Later, she became the matriarch of a chimpanzee group at Save the Chimps sanctuary. During her many years in…More Information…
Ham
Where no man has gone before On January 31, 1961, the first “chimponaut,” a three-year-old named Ham, rocketed into space in a Mercury Redstone rocket. Ham was NASA’s involuntary…More Information…
Hanzie
A silent grieving Hanzie was shipped to the U.S., where he spent years at a now-defunct tourist attraction in California. In 1965, when he had outgrown his usefulness to the tourist attraction, he…More Information…
Jaybee
The comforts of home Jaybee sat alone in his indoor enclosure, with a perfect circle of monkey chow biscuits surrounding him. He was found that way by Dr. Carole Noon when she returned to the…More Information…
Jeannie
Ch. 562*: Too much for too long
Fauna Foundation’s director Gloria Grow has asked us to let our website visitors and supporters know that her beloved Jeannie died on January 1, 2007. She was 31 years old. Gloria stayed…More Information…
Jerom
Ch-499*: One of a kind
Jerom was one of a kind—not only was he the youngest chimpanzee ever infected with HIV (at 2 years, 8 months) at Yerkes National Primate Research Center (Yerkes), but he was also the only…More Information…
Pepper
Ch. 454*: The simple things
Pepper spent 27 years in research labs, where she passed the time staring blankly between the bars of her cage. Finally, Pepper was retired to sanctuary at Fauna Foundation. Rather than staring out…More Information…
Sue Ellen
Ch. 440*: Human betrayal
Sue Ellen and her chimpanzee companion, Billy Jo, were said to have been walked into the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) holding hands with their trainer. He…More Information…
Tom
Tom Ch. 411*: An ambassador
A pillar of Fauna Foundation and Project R&R’s chosen Ambassador for all chimpanzees still languishing in labs, Tom will never be forgotten. He earned respect, admiration, and love of all…More Information… Wenka
Ch. 170*: 50+ years in a lab...still counting
[Wenka] was old and grateful for the small kindnesses, like good fruit and sunshine. … It would be nice if she could be retired and live out her days quietly with other older chimps,…More Information…