Chimps Inc. is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3)

animal sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...

located at P-B Ranch near

Bend, Oregon Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, with a population of 99,178 at the time of the 2020 U.S ...

, United States. Chimps Inc. is a private sanctuary. Its purpose is to provide a safe haven for

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...

s and allow them to live in dignity in as close to wild conditions as they can handle after being raised by humans and then "retired".

History

Chimps Inc. was founded in 1995 by Lesley Day to house chimpanzees from the private or entertainment sectors in need of a new home. Although the sanctuary is primarily dedicated to furthering chimpanzee conservation, it also houses wild cats. In 2007, Chimps Inc. was involved in a legal dispute over custody of two chimpanzees, Emma and Jackson, sparking debate on whether or not non-human primates have rights. In 2008, Chimps Inc. was the beneficiary of the silent art auction that was a part of the 2008

Monkey Day Monkey Day is an unofficial international holiday celebrated on December 14. The holiday was created and popularized in 2000 by controversial artists Casey Sorrow and Eric Millikin when they were art students at Michigan State University. Monke ...

celebration. As of 2010, the sanctuary was home to seven

s and one

Canadian lynx The Canada lynx (''Lynx canadensis''), or Canadian lynx, is a medium-sized North American lynx that ranges across Alaska, Canada, and northern areas of the contiguous United States. It is characterized by its long, dense fur, triangular ears w ...

. In 2012, an intern was severely hurt by a chimp, but could not sue Chimps Inc. because of a waiver she had signed with the organization. The waiver also mentioned that only the managers of the ranch were allowed to call 911 for emergencies to avoid "any unnecessary scrutiny over safety concerns". In 2017, after a chimpanzee accidentally escaped from its enclosure, an investigation was led by the

Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA or OR-OSHA) is a state government agency that regulates workplace safety and health in the U.S. state of Oregon. Oregon OSHA is a division of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Bus ...

. Many employees' testimonies underlined the management's lack of concern for safety. 30 incidents happened in the ranch since its opening in 1995. Even its founder, Lesley Day, has lost a finger to a chimp. During the summer of 2018, some employees of the organizations were laid off. In February 2019, following a feud with the landlords of the ranch, Chimps Inc. announced it was moving the chimps to the behavioral research laboratory

Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative is a sanctuary and scientific research facility in Des Moines, Iowa. It is dedicated to understanding the origins and future of culture, language, tools and intelligence. The facility was announced in 2002 ...

in Des Moines, Iowa.

Description

Chimps Inc. is located in a 5-acre ranch near

with a view of the Cascades. Enid Chimp, who lives in Eastbourne, England, donates 10% of her weekly state pension to Chimps Inc. She also sells portrait paintings of Malcolm Zip by Barbara Haddock on Depop, with all the proceeds going to Chimps Inc. Chimps Inc. offers both a volunteer program and internships. The volunteer program is for adults (18 years and older) who can dedicate at least four hours each week to helping at the sanctuary. The internship program is designed for people who are working towards careers in animal care, conservation, education, or advocacy.

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. Seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best know ...

is on the advisory board. The main fundraiser for the sanctuary is "the Civil War game", held in November at the P-B Ranch. For this event, supporters can become a sponsors, donate items for the silent auction, purchase TV advertisements that will replace the national ads on the ranch TVs, or just purchase tickets.

References

External links

* {{Great apes Primate sanctuaries Animal charities based in the United States Animal welfare organizations based in the United States Charities based in Oregon Bend, Oregon Environmental organizations based in Oregon Environmental organizations established in 1995 1995 establishments in Oregon