Save the Abandoned Chimps

Great News! I am excited to report that the chimpanzees are now receiving every day feedings thanks to your donations which enabled us to purchase the additional food and a new boat engine (pictured) needed to make this happen! As many of you may remember, under the care of the New York Blood Center, the chimpanzees were only being fed every other day. For the past several weeks as we have worked to stabilize the emergency situation, we have also been working toward improving the overall care the chimps receive and implementing every day feedings is part of this effort. I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all of those that have contributed to this GoFundMe page. We also wouldn’t have been able to achieve this milestone without the hard work and dedication of the caretakers and chimp experts currently on the ground in Liberia. Please continue to like and share the chimps’ story. With your continued support, we will be able to accomplish so much more for these amazing chimps who have been through so much!

Help provide emergency support for chimpanzees abandoned in Liberia!

Sixty six chimpanzees in Liberia, Africa have recently been abandoned by the New York Blood Center (NYBC) and are now in serious danger of dehydration and starvation without your help. Many of the chimpanzees were captured from the wild and exploited for decades by NYBC for medical testing before finally being retired to a small group of islands off of the coast of Liberia. In spite of their promise to ensure lifetime care for the chimps, in March 2015 – while Liberia was still reeling from the largest Ebola outbreak in history – the NYBC withdrew all funding to care for and feed the chimpanzees.
These chimpanzees have been through so much already—from the research they endured to civil wars in Liberia that resulted in the death of many of the original 200 chimpanzees. We urgently need your help to save their lives now.Please donate now to help us reach our initial goal of $150,000 in emergency funds so these chimps can be provided with the food, water, and care they so critically need!

After donating, sign our Change.org petition telling New York Blood Center and its partners to immediately reinstate funding for the care of the chimpanzees!

Learn more
The New York Blood Center is a large American non-profit corporation that provides blood, develops blood related products and conducts medical research. In the 1970’s, NYBC partnered with the Liberian Institute for Biomedical Research to create Vilab II to obtain and breed chimpanzees for use in research and testing. After experimenting on the chimps for decades and financially benefiting from these animals, NYBC decided the chimps were no longer useful for research and retired them to small islands near the lab.
Previously, NYBC publicly acknowledged their responsibility to these animals and committed to their lifetime care but that came to an end on March 5, 2015 when they turned their back on the animals and cut off support. They provided no realistic or lasting arrangement for the care of the chimpanzees who will quickly suffer from dehydration and starvation without constant care.

Thankfully, some of the chimps’ longtime Liberian caretakers have continued to care for the chimps voluntarily. A small number of caring individuals and organizations have provided emergency funding for food and water. This is not a sustainable solution for the chimpanzees or their caretakers. Without additional funds to provide for the needs of these chimpanzees, they will quickly suffer from dehydration and starvation. We can’t let this happen! Donate today to save these chimps!

The coalition
Several organizations from around the world have banded together to help these chimpanzees. See a full list of coalition members below. Currently, this coalition is focused on the emergency needs of the chimpanzees: food, water, and basic care. However, NYBC and its corporate partners must be pressured to reinstate funding for the care of the chimps – so please make sure to sign our petitions after you donate!Ultimately, with your help, we will work together to find a long-term solution to ensure the humane, lifetime care of these chimpanzees. Together we can give these chimpanzees the care they deserve.

Coalition members
American Anti-Vivisection Society
Arcus Foundation
ASPCA: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Born Free Foundation
Born Free USA
Center for Great Apes
Chimp Haven
Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW
Fauna Foundation
GFAS: Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
Humane Society International
Humane Society Liberia
Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association
IDA-Africa
IFAW: International Fund for Animal Welfare
International Primatological Society
ISPARE: International Sammy Project for Animal Rescue and Education
IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group
Jane Goodall Institute
Japan Monkey Centre
Laboratory Primate Advocacy Group
Liberia Animal Welfare and Conservation Society
Lola Ya Bonobo
Kibale Chimpanzee Project
National Anti-Vivisection Society
New England Anti-Vivisection Society
North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance
Pan African Sanctuary Alliance
Project Primate, Inc
P-WAC: Project for Wildlife and Apes Conservation
SAGA: Support for African/Asian Great Apes
SCNL: Society for the Conservation of Nature in Liberia
The Fund for Animals
The Humane Society of the United States
Wild Chimpanzee Foundation