Rana Smith

Outside Shreveport, Louisiana, on 200 acres of beautiful, forested sanctuary, more than 300 chimpanzees, most of whom were used in biomedical research, are living the good life — or, as we like to call it, the Chimp Life. At Chimp Haven, chimps retired from research experience the joys they would have enjoyed in the wild: climbing trees, living in large, bonded social groups, eating their favorite fruits, running, playing, exploring, and — best of all — choosing how they spend their days. We believe we’re not that different, humans and chimpanzees. As our closest living relatives, chimps share more than 98 percent of our genetic blueprint, and upon visiting the sanctuary it doesn’t take long to see that they have all the personalities, emotions, relationships, dramas and joys that we do. We believe they all deserve a chance to live the Chimp Life. That’s why we’re working diligently to transport all remaining chimpanzees to the sanctuary as soon as possible and embarking on an ambitious sanctuary expansion to ensure there is room to welcome them all home. On behalf of the more than 300 chimps currently enjoying retirement at Chimp Haven, and the many more to come, thank you for your support!