Three years after Wildlife Waystation’s closure in 2019 the last 10 chimpanzees, known as the Treetop Ten, were finally able to make it to Chimp Haven in Keithville, Louisiana.
Chimp Haven is exactly 1,600 miles from Sylmar, California. Though the first eight had arrived a couple of days before Thanksgiving, the final two finally made it to their forever home last Sunday.
The poor chimpanzees spent three years in solitude in a closed down wildlife refuge outside of LA.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife voted to shut down the facility due to the fact that after the 2017 Creek Fire and 2019 flooding, they were unable to restore the facility to appropriate standards.
"We’ve been working tirelessly for three years to rescue the chimps impacted by the closure of the Wildlife Waystation, and I’m ecstatic that the final moves to sanctuary have been done,” said Erika Fleury, program director for the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance. “Raising more than $4 million to rehome these chimpanzees took a dedicated and relentless team effort and the generosity of thousands of donors. This holiday season we have so much to be grateful for, and top of the list is that 10 chimpanzees will be spending it enjoying one of the best sanctuaries in the world.”
NAPSA is the organization that’s leading the "Chimpanzees in Need" emergency fundraising campaign.
When the Wildlife Waystation abruptly shut down, the Treetop Ten were the last of 40 chimpanzees and more than 400 other creatures left behind.
Most of the animals were swiftly rehomed by the CDFW, but the chimpanzees, who have very specific needs, were the only ones still remaining.
Over the course of three years, “Chimpanzees in Need” collaborated with a select group of chimpanzee-care facilities across the country to increase the size of their facilities in preparation for the influx of chimpanzees, most of whom had been retired from biomedical research or the entertainment industry.
Dr. Raven Jackson, Chimp Haven attending veterinarian and director of veterinary care, facilitated the final rescue which included Axil, Buster, Connor, December, Denise, Inky, Mocha, and Tequila; all members of the same chimpanzee social group.
They, along with a team of experts, traveled cross-country toward Chimp Haven.
Amber and Mousse joined them several days later with great enthusiasm, according to a statement.
“It was a long trip from central California to Louisiana, but the chimpanzees were comforted by their soft fleece travel blankets and the attentive veterinary and care-team who monitored them closely along the entire route,” Jackson said. “All 10 arrived safely at Chimp Haven and are getting settled into their new surroundings.”
Rana Smith, the president and CEO of Chimp Haven, was at the Waystation to greet The Treetop Ten before their departure, and she expressed her enthusiasm for taking in the chimps in need.
“Everyone at Chimp Haven is thrilled to welcome The Treetop Ten to the sanctuary and provide these individuals with what we call the Chimp Life. Every aspect of our sanctuary is designed to meet the social, physical and psychological needs of chimpanzees. It is a place where they will thrive,” Smith said. “Once they have time to acclimate to their new home, our team will offer opportunities for them to meet other chimpanzees and potentially expand their social groups, giving them the closest possible experience to life in the wild.”
Though the rescue and relocation was a success, Fleury says that another $500,000 is still required to assist sanctuaries fund initial care costs for the chimps and finish building work.
“The facilities that have taken in the chimpanzees are committed to the animals’ lifetime care, which costs $25,000 each per year. Chimpanzees can live for decades, and Chimpanzees in Need is determined to help the sanctuaries that have taken them in have the financial resources they need during the chimps’ first year in their new homes,” Fleury said.
"Chimpanzees in Need" is an emergency rescue fund led by NAPSA, a coalition of the leading primate sanctuaries in North America.
They have facilitated the relocation of chimps to reputable institutions such as Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Center for Great Apes, Save the Chimps, and Primarily Primates, in addition to Chimp Haven.
“I’ve visited these sanctuaries,” said leading ethologist and activist Dr. Jane Goodall in a news release. “They’ll provide perfect environments where these chimpanzees, who’ve known so much suffering, can live out their lives in peace.”
Visit www.chimpsinneed.org for more information on the chimpanzee rescue initiative.
