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CHIMPANZEE FACTS
- It is no longer legal to capture
chimpanzees in the wild, so they are bred in captivity.
- Chimpanzees and humans share 98%
of the same DNA.
- Chimpanzees have demonstrated traits
once thought to be exclusively human: making tools,
expressing complex emotions such as grief for a loved
relative, and showing a selfless concern for others.
- Using human testing measurements,
the average adult chimp has the intelligence level
of a 3 to 4 year-old child. Observers of chimps in
the wild believe they may, in fact, be smarter.
- There are more than 1500 chimpanzees
still held in captivity in university and medical
labs in the United States.
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT
PRIMARILY PRIMATES, PO BOX 15306,
SAN ANTONIO, TX
78212
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COOL GREEN WORLD IS A SPONSOR OF THE
BUCKSHIRE 12
Located north of San Antonio, in the Texas Hill Country,
Primarily Primates is an internationally recognized sanctuary
which cares for over 500 animals, including 350 primates.
For several months, Primarily Primates negotiated with
the Buckshire Corporation, a licensed animal dealer, to
secure the release and retirement of 12 laboratory chimpanzees--8
slated for corrosive medical research and 4 females in their
prime breeding years. The Buckshire Corporation agreed to
retire the 12, if sufficient funds were raised by Primarily
Primates to build the necessary enclosures. Meanwhile, the
chimpanzees remained "up for sale" and could still be sold
for research.
Over 20 organizations, including Cool Green World, joined
the campaign to raise the over $100,000 needed to build
two habitat enclosures for the chimps--with attached sleeping
quarters, automatic feeding and watering devices, and a
tunnel to connect the two arenas.
These 12 chimpanzees have been given a chance to live peacefully
with other members of their species, instead of spending
decades in basements, alone in cages. Once acclimated to
their new surroundings, the chimps undergo extensive physical
and social rehabilitation.
Wally Swett, director and president of Primarily Primates,
who has successfully rehabilitated hundreds of formerly
abused and isolated primates, explained: "Our efforts do
not end with the rescue of these sensitive, social animals.
Our job is to try to make the animals who come to us become
more normal. In the case of the Buckshire 12, we help them
learn how to be chimps again." The process is individually
tailored, depending on each chimpanzee's personality and
background, and can take from months to years.
It is hoped that the Buckshire 12 campaign may be the foundation
of future efforts to retire research chimpanzees.
The BUCKSHIRE 12
Siri, April, Wanda, and Buffy
are all female chimpanzees considered "prime breeders."
They could have been used by research facilities for the
purpose of breeding infants for experiments.
Carmen was born in a U.S. zoo in 1956 and has been
in laboratories since 1981.
Raisin was caught from the wild in 1973 and has
been in laboratories since 1981.
Elsie was purchased by a laboratory from the Silver
Spring Attraction in 1981.
Abendago (called Baby Aby) was used in circus acts
by Lipko and has been in a laboratory since 1984.
Toto was born in the wild in 1971 and has been in
laboratory research since 1981.
Oliver was born in 1963 and was owned by many exploiters
who exhibited him around the world as the missing link or
a new species of ape. In 1989, he was sold to the Buckshire
Corporation and has not yet been used in research.
Marty was born at a zoo in 1977 and later used in
a circus act by Rudi Lentz. He was sold into research.
Beauregard was born in 1969. Like the others he
has been used for vaccine research.
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