NAPSA in the News

For the first time in her 29 years, a chimp named Vanilla finally saw the sky. A viral video, posted to YouTube by the animal sanctuary Save the Chimps, shows the primate looking absolutely astonished.

Patti Ragan, Founder and President of Center for Great Apes, appeared on the The Animal Guide podcast to share some of her vast knowledge about primate protectionism, tell the stories of some of the sanctuary residents, and talk about the changing future of chimpanzee sanctuaries in this country.

With the relocation of two chimps in early December, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has moved all the animals that had been living at the now-closed Wildlife Waystation in Los Angeles County.

More than three years after Wildlife Waystation closed abruptly in the Angeles National Forest, the last of several dozen stranded chimpanzees have finally found a permanent home outside of California. A team of wildlife experts recently transported the last 10 chimpanzees from the shuttered facility in Sylmar, California, to Keithville, Louisiana – the site of the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimp Haven.

Eight chimps were loaded into special shipping containers and onto a truck and trailer specially outfitted to transport them to Chimp Haven. The other two chimps at the Wildlife Waystation were expected to be transported to Chimp Haven within a few weeks.

A group of chimps still remain at the Wildlife Waystation, but they will soon be relocated to Chimp Haven in Louisiana.

FedEx teamed up with Save the Chimps to bring the “Sunrise Seven” to their forever home.

Chimpanzees in Need, supported by Dr. Jane Goodall, has facilitated the rescue of 30 chimpanzees from the now-closed Wildlife Waystation near Los Angeles.

In June of 2021, NBC 7 chronicled the relocation of six chimpanzees dubbed “The Lucky 6.” The relocation was part of a multi-year effort to relocate more than 40 chimpanzees who were living at Wildlife Waystation when it was forced to close.In the last year, further progress has been made on finding homes for all the chimpanzees.

The government and private labs bred hundreds of chimpanzees for biomedical research. But now, there’s a question over who should pay for their care.

Nonprofit Global Action Initiatives Alliance is organizing the Chimp Chattanooga soiree to help raise funds for the nationally recognized “Chimps in Need” rescue program to rehome the Wildlife Waystation sanctuary chimps from California to Chimp Haven in Louisiana this fall.

Colette helped the state to create many of the rules and regulations around exotic animals, including restrictions against the trade of animals that were brought in from the wild and kept in homes. NAPSA leadership discusses the rehoming effort for chimpanzees from the Waystation.

A combination of good timing, hard work and the kindness of others has provided the means for eight chimpanzees stranded at a closed wildlife refuge to move to the lush, forested Louisiana landscape of the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary this year. Among the factors behind the move is a recent surprise influx of donations, including an anonymous $1 million gift.

Seven months before the coronavirus became a global pandemic, Erika Fleury learned that 42 chimpanzees in the Angeles National Forest were losing their home. In her field, the news heralded a disaster. “This is an emergency,” she thought. Fleury’s team hopes to complete the full relocation this year.

The animals were among nearly 500 wild animals, including 42 chimpanzees, that were left in need of homes when the Wildlife Waystation closed in August 2019.

Eight chimpanzees have been rescued and brought to their new forever home at the Center of Great Apes during Thanksgiving week.

Eight chimpanzees have been rescued and are now acclimating to their new home at Center for Great Apes after a 2,600-mile journey from a closed wildlife refuge where they, along with 33 other chimps, have been biding their time since the refuge’s unexpected closure due to financial hardship.

The Chimpanzees in Need campaign, supported by Dr. Jane Goodall, is working to find homes for all of the chimpanzees residing at the now-closed Wildlife Waystation in Los Angeles

A Florida fair features cruel monkey rodeos, and advocates are speaking up about the harmful practice

NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury was interviewed about the harmful depiction of humanized apes in online GIFs.

NAPSA representatives presented as part of a webinar on the private ownership of primates that was hosted by World Animal Protection.

In the latest episode of Down to Earth: The Extinction Crisis, NBC 7’s Dagmar Midcap documents the life and relocation of six chimpanzees dubbed, “The Lucky 6.”

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, released a video announcing her unequivocal support of the Chimpanzees in Need campaign and its efforts to move the chimpanzees remaining at the closed Wildlife Waystation to accredited sanctuaries, including Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Cle Elum, Wash.

World-renowned ethologist and activist Dr. Jane Goodall released a video announcing her unequivocal support of NAPSA’s Chimpanzees in Need campaign.

A guest column written by NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury responded to misleading messages in a recent Ocala StarBanner article about a pseudo-sanctuary engaging in harmful practices

A one-hour radio show was co-hosted by Erika Fleury, Program Director of NAPSA, and Amy Kerwin, Founder of Primates Incorporated, who answer the most commonly-asked questions about sanctuaries and the need to help monkeys retiring from labs and the pet trade.

The NAPSA-led Chimpanzees In Need emergency rescue effort celebrated a victory as “The Lucky Six” were transported to their new home at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

The NAPSA-led Chimpanzees In Need emergency rescue effort celebrated a victory as “The Lucky Six” were transported to their new home at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

The NAPSA-led Chimpanzees In Need emergency rescue effort celebrated a victory as “The Lucky Six” were transported to their new home at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

National coverage of the tragic death of Buck the “pet” chimpanzee.

National coverage of the tragic death of Buck the “pet” chimpanzee.

National coverage of the tragic death of Buck the “pet” chimpanzee.

National coverage of the tragic death of Buck the “pet” chimpanzee.

A privately owned chimpanzee in Oregon was killed after attacking his family members. NAPSA’s Program Director was interviewed about the harms and dangers of primates living as “pets” in human homes.

The plight of 32 Chimpanzees in Need stranded at a shuttered wildlife refuge with money – and time – running out has all the makings of a Hollywood movie.

NAPSA is proud to join other animal welfare organizations to endorse the Captive Primate Safety Act. While many state laws already ban the private ownership of primates, the bipartisan and bicameral Captive Primate Safety Act would strengthen existing protections to prohibit interstate commerce and private ownership of primates.

There are 32 chimpanzees stuck in limbo after a sanctuary in California closed unexpectedly in 2019. Wildlife Waystation was home to 32 chimpanzees. A new grassroots fundraising effort is underway for the chimps led by North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) and endorsed by Dr. Jane Goodall.

When the Wildlife Waystation in Southern California closed its doors in 2019, hundreds of exotic and domestic animals needed to be rehomed. While the majority of the animals were relocated, 32 chimpanzees remained. While the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been temporarily caring for the chimps, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) has been working to secure the chimps forever homes in four reputable sanctuaries throughout the United States.

Video posted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife showed how Wildlife Waystation staff trained the 32 chimpanzees still living at the animal rescue facility out of their cages through evacuation tunnels and into smaller transport cages in the event of a wildfire. NAPSA is leading the effort to rehome these chimpanzees at trusted sanctuaries before they are threatened by another season of wildfires.

NAPSA’s Program Director was interviewed on Animal Concepts’ podcast. She shares information on markers of a true sanctuary, as well as how important it is to explore and use your talents, and how this can benefit primates. She also discusses the Chimpanzees in Need fundraiser to secure a stable future for chimpanzees remaining at a closed animal refuge, highlighting the importance of continued collaborations despite unique perspectives.

Walt Disney Imagineering’s Joe Rohde is an icon in the Disney fan community. Rohde, the creative mind behind projects like Animal Kingdom and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, is extremely active on social media and regularly brings his followers behind-the-scenes stories about Disney Parks. Now, Rohde is asking for help from Disney fans who follow his Instagram page.

Footage from the media day NAPSA hosted at Wildlife Waystation includes Program Director Erika Fleury speaking about the need to rescue 32 chimpanzees.

The fates of 32 chimpanzees stranded in the shuttered Wildlife Waystation in the Angeles National Forest depend on raising the funds needed to build permanent new homes at sanctuaries willing to take them, officials said on Tuesday.

On World Chimpanzee Day, dozens of local chimpanzees are in desperate need of help. Watch NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury explain a fundraiser established to rescue these individuals.

Since the Wildlife Waystation closed in August of 2019 the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has taken over the site and most of the animals have been able the be re-located to new homes. Funding to get homes for the 32 chimpanzees has been difficult.

Erika Fleury from the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (and author of Monkey Business) is back to finish what she started last week. In this episode we hear more about a current campaign NAPSA is working on and Erika answers more of your questions!

Erika Fleury from the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (and author of Monkey Business) is back by popular demand. In this episode we hear about a current campaign NAPSA is working on and Erika answers your questions!

Chimpanzee sanctuaries are restricting human interactions with chimps to prevent passing a human coronavirus infection to the animals. Erika Fleury, program director at the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, said the sanctuaries in her organization, which all set their own policies, are “increasing precautions in order to not only protect the primates in their care, but also all the humans working at the organization.”

Many humans assume that sharing a home with a cute baby monkey will be endlessly fun. But in practice, owning an exotic animal proves detrimental for both the “pet” and the humans involved.

Erika Fleury from the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance is back! This week we talk about a few great primate escape stories as well as a few tangents about primates used in animal testing and entertainment… some of it is grim but we try and keep it pretty light!

There is surging interest in sending monkeys from research to sanctuaries instead of euthanizing them or transferring them to another project. A growing number of scientists say retirement is the right thing to do for these social, intelligent creatures, and it can be cheaper than keeping the animals in labs.

The orangutan Sandra, the first great ape ever to receive legal personhood status, is setting in to new life at Center for Great Apes.

A Letter to the Editor from NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury encouraged town officials in Creve Coeur, MO to avoid granting an exemption to a woman claiming her three monkeys are emotional support animals. Erika was also interviewed on St. Louis AM radio station KMOX, though the interview is not available online.

A Letter To the Editor by NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury was published pointing out that a recent Laurinburg Express article highlighted an unaccredited pseudo-sanctuary who promoted private ownership of primates.

NAPSA Transitional Member Primates Incorporated, the only primate sanctuary in Wisconsin, welcomed their first monkeys in 2018. They now care for five rhesus macaques and one vervet, and plan to expand.

The Town of Westfield, WI is not a destination like Florida where people go to retire, but for a group of former lab monkeys, it’s become their new homes. More information, including video, at the link!

Learn about Primates Inc’s history as they plan for their first public event this summer.

Full House was an American sitcom from the 80s and 90s and in their fifth season they had an episode called ‘Too Much Monkey Business’ where Danny’s zoologist sister Wendy, pays a visit with a chimpanzee. Podcast host Matt Stewart is joined by special returning guest, Erika Fleury from NAPSA (the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance)! Erika also answers a bunch of listener questions about primates.

An Associated Press article on the retirement of research monkeys featured NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury and Amy Kerwin, founder of Transitional NAPSA member Primates Incorporated. Note: We were misquoted regarded the species most common in sanctuaries. The species we mentioned (chimps, capuchins and squirrel monkeys) are most common in NAPSA member sanctuaries, but that is not true for all accredited sanctuaries.

Actors, directors, and musicians are backing a bill to end the suffering of wild and exotic animals in traveling shows, which was launched in Congress on Tuesday, May 21.

Frederick, MD resident Alysoun Mahoney wrote a letter asking the Frederick Keys baseball team to finally stop hosting monkey rodeos.

What happens when Hollywood’s monkeys and apes retire? Comedian Matt Stewart talks to NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury to find out!

NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury talked with The Dodo about chimpanzee cognition and ingenuity.

Diana Goodrich, Co-Director of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and an alternate on NAPSA’s Steering Committee, explained about the sanctuary’s expansion and the role that NAPSA can play in retirement efforts.

NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury wrote a guest column about a harmful monkey rodeo taking place in Des Moines, Iowa.

NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury spoke with with The Dodo to explain how NAPSA tried to help place performer Chris Brown’s monkey in a sanctuary last year, and why the private ownership of primates is so problematic.

NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury chatted with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about Transitional Member Primate Incorporated and about why primate retirement is different than other forms of captivity: “They’re not on display, they’re not trained for anything, they’re not used for breeding or performing. They’re also not sold … It’s all about what’s best for the animal. Once they’re in a reputable sanctuary they’re there for the rest of their life.”

NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury was interviewed to confirm that despite their claims to the contrary, Virginia Commonwealth University has never retired research monkeys to sanctuary. Watch the video at the link.

A misleading viral video has been framed as a special moment by major media brands such as CNN and CBS, but it reinforces the the dangerous idea that this chimp’s lifestyle is acceptable and sustainable in the long term. NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury talked with the Dodo to explain more.

A group of monkey rescue employees and enthusiasts from across the country took a tour of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary. NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury spoke with the reporter about why monkey retirement is so important, and why it was the focus of the NAPSA Workshop. Note: This is an archived article. As of June 2021, Jungle Friends is no longer a member of NAPSA.

Update: This is an archived article. As of July 1, 2018, Chimps Inc is no longer a member of NAPSA. NAPSA is featured in a National Geographic article that highlights the value of accrediting bodies and independent oversight to ensure that sanctuaries continue to have high standards and safety precautions for the human and non-human primates at their facilities. The article points out that the sanctuary movement is fairly new but is growing increasingly professional. NAPSA, in fact, was formed in order to promote such growth and elevated standards, and we continue to make this one of our primary missions. As the article indicates, NAPSA is a membership alliance and does not accredit its members, but instead utilizes independent outside accreditation. If a NAPSA member sanctuary is unable to meet membership accreditation requirements, the alliance responds accordingly. Chimps Inc., mentioned in the article, has had their NAPSA membership placed on hiatus. The sanctuary’s Executive Director and board have continued to make improvements and are working with officials and with NAPSA to resolve complaints and renew their accreditation. Our full statement about Chimps Inc. can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2BgraOu.  

NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury was interviewed by the Hartford Courant regarding the cancellation of yet another monkey rodeo.

There has been a public outcry over the discovery that Volkswagen relied on primate testing to evaluate emissions function of its motors. NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury spoke with The Dodo to explain why macaques are so commonly used in laboratory research.

A video of a baby chimpanzee hugging a dog has gone viral — for all the wrong reasons. NAPSA’s Program Director Erika Fleury explains characteristics of reputable primate sanctuaries, and why true sanctuaries would not exploit their animals.

The capuchin formerly owned by pop star Justin Bieber still displays signs of developmental damage and he struggles to communicate with other monkeys. When Bieber expressed interest in getting another monkey in 2016, NAPSA asked him “Please do not repeat this foolish endeavor.”

A carnival attraction featuring monkeys at the Northport Firemen’s Fair has drawn criticism from animal-rights activists, even as the proprietor of the act defends his treatment of the animals.

Not a day goes by that Amy Kerwin does not think about the 97. That’s the number of monkeys she worked with, the ones she got to know. Her role in their confinement, their use without reprieve, haunts her.

A popular event at a Long Island fair that features races between monkeys dressed as horse jockeys and tethered to dogs with Velcro is drawing sharp criticism from animal welfare experts who call the event “cruel and abusive” and dangerous to the animals.

There’s an entertainment act that’s showing up at Minor League Baseball games in which border collies take the field with capuchin monkeys strapped onto their backs.

Patti Ragan founded the Center for Great Apes near Wauchula, Fla., which has become a model for ape sanctuaries across the US.

For the first time in 30 years, increasing the protection for a monkey species will finally be discussed by the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

A Georgia sanctuary for chimps, called Project Chimps, have recently welcomed a group of nine retired lab chimpanzees into their new home.

A group of nine female chimpanzees just took a 16-hour road trip of a lifetime.

Monkey see, monkey do, monkey cause PR nightmare.

A U.S. research center’s plan to ship seven lab chimpanzees to an unaccredited zoo in England is facing a legal challenge that tests the limits of the Endangered Species Act and raises questions about how research animals should be treated when they are retired.

Animal behaviorists and advocates say it wasn’t clear if a western lowland gorilla was poised to harm a 4-year-old boy who entered his exhibit before the gorilla was shot dead by Cincinnati Zoo staff, a decision the zoo defended yesterday amid a vigil and social media outcry.

The horrifying tragedy that occurred yesterday at Cincinnati Zoo, is leaving the public fuming mad at the parents of the baby Isaiah, who fell 10-12ft into a moat in the Gorilla Exhibit on May 29, 2016.

Steve Aoki’s new music video borders on bestiality … or at least chimp-on-woman love … so claims a very angry animal rights group.

You probably have seen the heartwarming viral video of chimps Terry and Jeannie at Save the Chimps, holding hands and refusing to let go. The story behind the video is even sweeter.

An animal rights group is not monkeying around with Justin Bieber’s plans to get another pet primate.

It might seem like Justin Bieber has everything he could want, but there is apparently something missing from the singer’s life: a monkey.

Do you remember Justin Bieber’s monkey? Well, he had one.

Justin Bieber’s plans to adopt another monkey have been branded ‘foolish’ and ‘irresponsible’ by an animal rights organisation.

A telling thing is that, for most people, having an illegal pet monkey confiscated by German authorities would be the single wildest thing ever to happen to them.

Justin Bieber incurred the wrath of monkey enthusiasts the world over when he rejected his pet capuchin in Germany, and now he’s back for round two. Because nothing comes between a man and his love for primates. NOTHING.

Justin Bieber has been branded “foolish” and “irresponsible” by a monkey protection organisation after vowing to adopt another pet primate.

Justin Bieber has been called “foolish” and “irresponsible” by a monkey protection organization that is indignant over his vow to adopt another pet primate.

Justin Bieber may have ditched his pet monkey, Mally, but he’s now on the search for a primate buddy.

In March, a macaque monkey named Carter escaped from his caretaker’s car in a Charlotte hospital parking lot.

American Anti-Vivisection Society’s magazine shed light on chimpanzee sanctuary retirement.

The National Institutes of Health announced that it would end its support for invasive research on chimpanzees and retire the 50 chimps that it had set aside for future biomedical research.

When the Fish and Wildlife Service decided in June to classify all chimpanzees, captive or wild, as endangered, the ruling meant that any biomedical experiment or export of chimps from the United States, whoever owned them, would be subject to a strict permit process under the Endangered Species Act.

Not everyone caught the cutsies when Dez Bryant posted a pic of his supposed new pet monkey — several animal organizations are FURIOUS … claiming the move is downright “irresponsible.”

Last week, we told you about how Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant had somehow procured a tiny monkey he named Dallas Bryant. The world went: Awwwww.

Six hundred and seventy-six baboons will be removed from a University of Oklahoma facility in El Reno as it winds down within three to four years.

A male monkey captured earlier this week in eastern Kentucky, remained in quarantine Thursday but how the adult Rhesus made it to the region is unknown, his current caretaker said. Note: This is an archived article. As of May 2019, Primate Rescue Center is no longer a member of NAPSA.

Of all the animals that capture America’s attention, apes and monkeys have always been on the forefront. They are intelligent, inquisitive, social and innovative. They are so like us … and yet, so different. So different, in fact, that we frequently keep them in solitary cages, away from sunlight and fresh air, with little to stimulate their needy minds, in order to learn more – about ourselves and about them. Living conditions for primates in laboratory research have historically been uncomfortable, unnatural and downright painful and harmful.

In June, it was two years since Jungle Friends, a Gainesville primate sanctuary, saved the life of a little Capuchin monkey named Jersey. Jersey’s was not the first, nor last, primate life saved at Jungle Friends, but his condition at the time of his rescue was certainly one of the most memorable. Update: This is an archived article. As of June 2021, Jungle Friends is no longer a member of NAPSA.

Three years ago, Chimps Inc., a Bend primate sanctuary, welcomed a famous escape artist through their gates. Calamity Jane, or CJ, made headlines by escaping from the home where she lived as a pet — not once, but twice. Update: This is an archived article. As of July 1, 2018, Chimps Inc is no longer a member of NAPSA.

After succeeding in their quest to overhaul the treatment of chimpanzees used in research, animal rights advocates are turning their attention to other primates: the tens of thousands of monkeys now used in medical research in the United States.

Animal rights advocates are looking to expand recent research treatment laws passed on behalf of chimpanzees to another primate — medical lab monkeys.

All chimpanzees have been tagged by the US as “endangered” from its previous designation, “threatened.” The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Friday, June 12, 2015 that the new mandate under the Endangered Species Act will become official on June 16, 2015 and will have a 90-day grace period that will last until September 14, 2015.

Program Manager Erika Fleury of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance discusses the U.S. limits to testing on captive chimpanzees.

All chimpanzees will be designated as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday.

The Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in the Federal Register that it will solicit public comment on a Rulemaking Petition that was submitted by the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, the Laboratory Primate Advocacy Group, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund to adopt stronger standards under the Animal Welfare Act to promote the psychological well-being of primates used in research.

A New York County Supreme Court judge has ordered a hearing at which Stony Brook University must justify its custody of two chimpanzees, but the order has raised the question of whether the chimpanzees can be granted human rights.

On January 2, in Matter of The Nonhuman Rights Project v. Presti, 14-00357, the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, denied a petition that a 28-year-old chimp, Kiko, be removed from a Niagara Falls placement and placed in a sanctuary operated by the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance. The Court held, assuming arguendo that the chimp had standing to bring the petition, “habeas corpus does not lie where a petitioner seeks only to change the conditions of confinement rather than the confinement itself.”

This month, a court in Argentina ruled that an orangutan named Sandra is a subject of rights and not a thing. Argentina’s Association of Professional Lawyers for Animal Rights argued Sandra is a nonhuman person deprived of her freedom by being held captive in the Buenos Aires Zoo, where she displayed signs of psychological suffering.

NAPSA is pleased to announce the appointment of their new Program Manager, Erika Fleury.

Where should laboratory apes go to retire?

Although the immediate welfare consequences of removing infant chimpanzees from their mothers are well documented, little is known about the long-term impacts of this type of early life experience. In a year-long study, scientists from Lincoln Park Zoon observed 60 chimpanzees and concluded that those who were removed from their mothers early in life and raised by humans as pets or performers are likely to show behavioral and social deficiencies as adults.

As U.S. laboratories phase out the use of chimps, former research subjects fill specially designed facilities.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed two federal complaints against the University, alleging the mistreatment of marmoset monkeys.

Kentucky legislators may soon debate whether to allow service monkeys to assist paralyzed adults with simple household tasks.

Now, let’s hear it for the boys: the alpha males, the dads, the males who spent years in biomedical research laboratories, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade before arriving in North American primate sanctuaries. Update: This is an archived article. As of July 1, 2018, Chimps Inc is no longer a member of NAPSA.

One person’s entertainment is another’s animal abuse. That’s the message the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, a nonprofit network of primate sanctuaries advocating for the high standards of care for primates in captivity, is sending to Kalamazoo Growlers President Brian Colopy and corporate sponsor Tishhouse Electric concerning a June 19 home promotion advertised to feature dog-riding monkeys herding sheep in a “cowboy monkey rodeo.”

A coalition of animal rights groups are working to enforce regulations for the psychological well-being of monkeys and apes used in biomedical research facilities.

Not surprisingly, nonhuman primates have the same desire to nurture and raise their babies as human mothers. Unfortunately chimpanzees, orangutans, and monkeys living in captivity rarely have the opportunity to exhibit their natural behaviors and nurture, feed, and care for their children.

Primates in laboratory tests typically experience very little legal protection. However, a coalition of animal protection groups – including the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, the Laboratory Primate Advocacy Group, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund – are now aiming to change that.

The primate objects! In a string of landmark cases to be filed this week, four chimpanzees will fight for the right to retire to sanctuaries.

A group of animal rights activists filed the first of a series of lawsuits in New York State yesterday, calling upon the courts to grant three captive chimpanzees “the right to bodily liberty and to order that they be moved to a sanctuary that’s part of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA).”

Tommy is a 26-year-old held captive in a cement cage in upstate New York. If he were a person, his detention would be illegal. But Tommy’s a chimpanzee.

The Nonhuman Rights Project filed papers on Monday in State Supreme Court in Fulton County, N.Y., demanding that courts in New York recognize chimpanzee Tommy as a legal person, with a right to liberty, but one that has its limits.

The North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA), a coalition of eight primate sanctuaries in the US and Canada which care for several hundred chimpanzees, is not a party to the lawsuit filed today by the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) on behalf of four chimpanzees in New York State.

The Humane Society of the United States enlisted six member organizations of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, and asked if a chimp at each facility would create and submit a piece of art. Modern, impressionist, abstract expressionist, still life with banana. It was their prerogative. Update: This is an archived article. As of July 1, 2018, Chimps Inc. is no longer a member of NAPSA.

In another step toward ending biomedical research on chimpanzees, the National Institutes of Health announced on Wednesday that it would begin the process of retiring most of its chimps to sanctuaries, though it will leave some for possible future research.

In June 2013, the N.I.H. announced that more than 300 of the 360 or so chimpanzees owned by the N.I.H. would be retired to sanctuaries over the next few years.

The North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance is calling on the National Institutes of Health to reconsider its decision announced today to move 100 chimpanzees from New Iberia to San Antonio rather than sending them to a legitimate sanctuary. While deeming them ineligible for research is a step forward, these chimpanzees are not being retired. They are simply being relocated from one research facility to another.

On July 21, 2010, the leaders of seven North American chimpanzee sanctuaries gathered in Bend, OR to create a new initiative, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA). Founded by the directors of The Center for Great Apes, Chimp Haven, Chimps, Inc., Chimp Sanctuary Northwest, Fauna Foundation, Primate Rescue Center, Inc., and Save the Chimps, Inc., the mission of NAPSA is: “To advance the welfare of captive primates through exceptional sanctuary care, collaboration, and outreach.”