Project ChimpCARE

Happy ! Today we honor one of the most amazing species in the world, and one of the most critically endangered. Consider celebrating by grabbing one of these limited edition shirts featuring Steward from Riverside Discovery Center! This Chimpanzee SAFE program fundraiser ends tomorrow and all proceeds go directly to field partners saving chimpanzees in Sierra Leone, Uganda, and the Congo.

https://www.bonfire.com/chimpanzee-safe-fundraiser/?fbclid=IwAR0ftB5LKwECoYKGvY1yjUhhS8_0ZVkPhhYJWJYmW62wS5Pop4wUFKgYMdQ

Chimpanzee SAFE Fundraiser | Bonfire Proceeds will save wild chimpanzees. This year's art features Steward from Riverside. . Proceeds will be sent to our Field Partners who are saving chimpanzees in Sierra...

Project ChimpCARE is devastated to share the news of the passing of Dr. Steve Ross. Steve founded Project ChimpCARE in 2009 and conducted the first full scale census of all chimpanzees living in the United States. He tirelessly advocated for the welfare of chimpanzees and facilitated the rehoming of dozens of chimpanzees from private ownership to accredited zoos and sanctuaries. We will all miss him deeply.

Lincoln Park Zoo is devastated by the sudden passing of beloved colleague, friend, scientist, and tireless advocate for wildlife, Dr. Steve Ross. One of the world’s leading experts on chimpanzees and apes, Steve served as director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes since 2012, advancing the science of primatology and elevating the standards of animal welfare and care for chimpanzees.

Steve Ross’ career at Lincoln Park Zoo began in 2000. During his life, he helped rescue and secure safe homes for countless chimps inappropriately housed in unaccredited institutions and/or as pets. He oversaw the zoo’s efforts to conserve chimpanzees and gorillas in the Republic of Congo. He conducted hundreds of studies and published widely on a vast range of species, but his primary focus was protecting chimpanzees, both in the wild and in accredited zoos and sanctuaries. Among his many accomplishments, through Project ChimpCARE Steve conducted advocacy to ensure all chimpanzees - those in the wild and in captivity - would be included on the Endangered Species List, effectively ending the chimpanzee pet trade. His research has also helped the global zoo community better understand how use of chimpanzees and other wild animals in entertainment can negatively affect their welfare and conservation outcomes. Steve's behavioral research also took tangible form at Lincoln Park Zoo as it led to the design of the zoo's award-winning Regenstein Center for African Apes.

Steve’s devotion to his work and his compassion for animals was immeasurable and invaluable. He leaves behind a loving family, countless friends and colleagues across the world, the animals he came to love and admire, and a large body of research that has done so much to protect some of the world’s most intelligent and fascinating creatures. He will be greatly missed by all of us.

For those that would like to make a tribute gift in Steve's honor, the family requests that donations are made to Chimp Haven, the Louisiana chimpanzee sanctuary he so loved, or the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, to ensure Steve’s important work can continue at Lincoln Park Zoo. Donations to the Fisher Center can be made via the Lincoln Park Zoo website, with specification of Fisher Center/Dr. Steve Ross in the tribute section.

Chimp Haven: chimphaven.org/honor

Want to support chimpanzee conservation and have the opportunity to meet with experts in studying chimpanzee behavior and captive care, all while not leaving the house? Join us for the second annual Chimpanzee SAFE Gala this Friday!

Chimpanzee SAFE Gala 2022 Join us for the second annual virtual Chimpanzee SAFE Gala!

Happy World Chimpanzee Day! Project ChimpCARE has had the opportunity to help facilitate the rehoming of dozens of chimpanzees since 2007. One of those chimpanzees was Kirsty, the chimpanzee featured on the newest Chimpanzee SAFE merchandise linked below. Kirsty's owner reached out to Project ChimpCARE in 2015 seeking help to find Kirsty a new and appropriate housing situation for her. Project ChimpCARE worked with the Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan (SSP) and arranged for her to move to Oklahoma City Zoo where she successfully integrated with their resident group of chimpanzees. All proceeds for the merchandise below go to the Chimpanzee SAFE program which funds critical conservation projects in Sierra Leone, Uganda, and the Republic of Congo.

https://www.bonfire.com/chimpanzee-safe/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=campaign_page&utm_campaign=chimpanzee-safe&utm_content=default&fbclid=IwAR0RqnMJNxM_y7aiiqwUtWX-10uBLBBLQFZxLb1uQVFSleqR0DDfck0S_-8

Chimpanzee SAFE Fundraiser | Bonfire Proceeds will help save chimpanzees in the wild. . Proceeds will be sent to our Field Partners who are saving chimpanzees in Sierra Leone, Uganda, and the Congo. Learn...

Another avoidable and tragic event ending the life of a pet chimpanzee...

Umatilla County Sheriff’s deputy kills chimpanzee that attacked woman An Umatilla County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a chimpanzee Sunday after it attacked a 50-year-old woman in Pendleton, officials said.

Today we are featuring 15 year old Susie for ! Susie arrived at Lincoln Park Zoo in summer 2020 through the efforts of project ChimpCARE. She was used in entertainment, and as with most chimps, was relinquished when too old to safely work with. She ended up at Wildlife Waystation, an unaccredited sanctuary which shut down in 2019. Both Susie and her ex-actor companion Eli are now thriving with a group of chimpanzees at Lincoln Park Zoo.

In honor of Patrick’s birthday next week, we are featuring two chimps for , Patrick and Zachary! Patrick and Zachary are brothers who were hand-reared at Busch Gardens in Florida in the 80s. As adolescents, they moved to an unaccredited zoo where they lived for 17 years before coming to their permanent home at Lincoln Park Zoo. They are extremely bonded to one another and have never lived apart. Both Patrick and Zachary have integrated well at Lincoln Park Zoo and are creating new lifelong friendships with other chimps in their group. Patrick will be celebrating his birthday next week on March 17th.

The Chimpanzee SAFE gala is one week from today!! Tickets are $25 for virtual entry and 100% of the proceeds go to the Chimpanzee SAFE Program. Come mingle with SAFE field partner scientists, Drs. Dave Morgan, Kevin Langergraber, John Mitani, Tina Cloutier-Barbour, and Andrew Halloran. Tickets are going fast, get yours below!

Chimpanzee SAFE Gala Online gala to raise money for the Chimpanzee SAFE program.

Looking for a last minute holiday present? Luckily, the Chimpanzee SAFE program is holding a virtual gala on January 29th! Give the gift of a fun and educational night to a loved one or yourself! Click here for more details and tickets:

Chimpanzee SAFE Gala Online gala to raise money for the Chimpanzee SAFE program.

Happy ! If you saw the most recent Saturday Night Live monologue, you heard about Jason Bateman's encounter with a young "actor" chimpanzee named Mikey. Despite Bateman's "joke" about Mikey being euthanized, we can assure you he is alive and well living at Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas. Mikey spent his juvenile years as a private chimp working in entertainment, but Project Chimp CARE and the Chimpanzee SSP arranged for him to move in with a group at Little Rock Zoo in 2008.

Check out the article in Science Magazine about our new welfare assessment tool:

Chimpanzee sanctuaries are under fire. Can a new science-based tool improve ape welfare? Approach aims to help sanctuaries provide better care for retired research chimps

Project ChimpCARE has completed the pilot welfare assessment at Project Chimps, a sanctuary in Morganton, GA. The assessment was objective, empirical and science-based. The focus was specifically on management influencing chimpanzee welfare. Learn more here:

ChimpCARE The objective of the Chimpanzee Welfare Assessment Process (hereafter simply “the Assessment”) is to provide organization feedback on their care and management practices as they relate to addressing and improving the welfare of the resident chimpanzees.