Sunday at Chimp Haven

Tucked away in the quiet woods of Northwest Louisiana, there’s a special place where over 300 chimpanzees live their best lives. Welcome to Chimp Haven, the largest chimpanzee sanctuary in the world, spread out across 200 acres of peaceful forest. For these chimps, life used to be full of tests, labs, and experiments—but now, it’s all about relaxation, friendships, and bananas.

Chimp Haven is more than just a home. It’s a retirement paradise, built to give chimpanzees a happy and healthy life after years of serving science. Whether it’s the open play areas, the fresh food, or the gentle care from loving staff, every part of Chimp Haven is designed with the chimps in mind.

Life Before Chimp Haven

Many of the chimpanzees at the sanctuary once lived in research labs. Back in the 1950s and 60s, some chimps were even used in the NASA space program. Later on, in the 1970s and 80s, they became part of research to help fight serious diseases like Hepatitis B and HIV. Their role in science was huge, and their work helped save millions of lives.

But as time passed, people began to question whether it was right to keep using chimpanzees in this way. After all, chimps are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. They think, feel, and even suffer like we do.

That’s why, in the year 2000, Congress passed something called the CHIMP Act. This law said that chimps used in research should be allowed to retire—and not just anywhere, but in safe and happy places like Chimp Haven. The law also required the government to pay for most of the cost of caring for these chimps. That’s a good thing, because caring for just one chimp for a year costs about $25,000!

A Banana Budget and Loving Staff

So, what does a chimpanzee retirement look like? For starters, there’s the banana budget. Chimp Haven goes through around 117,000 bananas a year! But that’s not all. The chimps also get fresh fruits, vegetables, and meals planned with their health in mind.

Every chimp at Chimp Haven is known by name. Michelle Reininger, the colony director, spends her days watching over them. She says her favorite chimps are the “sassy” ones—the ones who don’t trust easily, but when they do, it means everything.

And then there’s Dr. Raven Jackson, the sanctuary's veterinarian. Taking care of chimps is no easy job. She says it’s like working with strong toddlers who sometimes outsmart you! Some chimps are only seven years old, while others are in their 60s. That means every day brings new challenges—and new smiles.

Jackson says the chimps live in about 30 different groups, each with its own personality and leaders. Just like people, they sometimes argue. But what’s truly amazing is how quickly they forgive each other.

“They always want to reconcile quickly,” she said. “They don’t hold grudges. That’s something we humans can learn from.”

A Life They Deserve

Not every chimp at Chimp Haven came from a lab. Some were rescued from people who tried to keep them as pets. Others were too difficult to move earlier, but are now finally getting the care they need. No matter where they came from, they all now have a place to belong.

A big change happened about 10 years ago, when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that they would stop funding research on chimpanzees. That means eventually, no more chimps will be used in labs—and that’s a future everyone at Chimp Haven looks forward to.

Still, a few chimps are arriving today. Some were hard to move before, and some need special care. But the goal is that one day, there won’t be any more chimps needing rescue—because they’ll never be used in research again.

Saying Thank You

Rana Smith, the president and CEO of Chimp Haven, says it best: “Chimpanzees have given so much of their lives to science. We owe them the chance to live out the rest of their days in peace.”

It’s a powerful reminder that even though chimps don’t have a voice in Congress or in the media, they’ve made huge sacrifices for humans. And now, it’s our turn to give back.

At Chimp Haven, that thank-you comes in the form of warm sunshine, playful companions, loving caretakers, and, of course, lots of bananas.

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