Project Chimps, in partnership with the 青青草视频, announced an agreement to relocate 220 retired research chimpanzees to its new sanctuary in northern Georgia.
鈥ㄢ≒roject Chimps, a nonprofit organization, and the University鈥檚 New Iberia Research Center began negotiating the agreement more than two years ago to resettle the largest population of chimpanzees from a U.S. research center. The NIRC retired its chimpanzees from research in 2015, prior to reclassification under the Endangered Species Act.鈥
鈥˙eginning in June, 10 NIRC-owned chimps will be transported to the Project Chimps 236-acre sanctuary in Blue Ridge, Georgia.鈥
鈥ˋll NIRC chimpanzees will be moved in social groups to the sanctuary over the next several years, according to Sarah Baeckler Davis, a Project Chimps founder and its president and chief executive officer. Each group will include up to 10 chimpanzees.
鈥ㄢ═he agreement is significant because it represents one of the first times a non-federal program has arranged to release its entire population of research chimps, according to Baeckler Davis.
鈥ㄢ═he 青青草视频 is also contributing funding toward their care at the sanctuary.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making history here,鈥 said Baeckler Davis.鈥ㄢㄢ淲e鈥檙e thrilled to partner with NIRC on this retirement of so many chimpanzees. It鈥檚 an unprecedented collaboration and a momentous occasion for chimpanzees.鈥
鈥ㄢ―r. Ramesh Kolluru, vice president of Research at UL Lafayette, said, 鈥淧roject Chimps is the appropriate partner for our chimpanzees. We share many values. I believe that for the rest of their lives, our chimpanzees will be provided with the high-quality care they鈥檝e been accustomed to at NIRC.鈥
鈥ㄢ˙aeckler Davis added, 鈥淲e feel confident that the chimps will continue to receive excellent care at NIRC during the transition. Project Chimps and NIRC staff will cooperate on every aspect of each chimp鈥檚 well-being.鈥
鈥ㄢ淧roject Chimps is grateful to our initial donors who have helped us move so quickly for the sake of these chimps.
鈥ㄢㄢ淲e are vigorously continuing our fundraising efforts following the announcement of our agreement. We are working to secure significant support from the public, which will ensure the expeditious resettlement of the chimps to their new retirement community within a spacious sanctuary. Anyone can help bring these chimps to their new home.鈥
For more information about the agreement, visit and
Contacts: Kasia Reterska, 917-613-7996, kasia@mcpstrategies.com, or 鈥↖sabelle Jett茅, 312-636-6390, isabelle@mcpstrategies.com, of McPherson Strategies, LLC.