The Center for Great Apes is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year - thirty years of rescuing great apes and providing them with compassionate care for the remainder of their lives.
Both orangutans and chimpanzees are considered critically endangered, and every effort to protect these very intelligent primates is vitally important. The use of these great apes in circuses, Hollywood entertainment, and the exotic pet trade is damaging to them individually and overall to their species. The Center has worked hard to help great apes in captivity by not only caring for those who have come to our sanctuary, but also by providing education to the public about their behavior and needs.
Our mission has been to provide permanent sanctuary care for great apes who could never be returned to the wild as well as those who accredited zoos would not accept because of their humanized backgrounds as pets or entertainers. To date, the Center has provided a home for over 85 great apes providing them with excellent care. Orangutans and chimpanzees who have come to us from roadside attractions, garages, basements, research labs, and backyard cages have flourished at our sanctuary with good nutrition, appropriate veterinary health care, tall habitats with space for normal movement, and most importantly….companionship with their own species.
Donations and memberships to our annual campaign help sustain our work by providing daily enrichment, balanced and healthy diets, exceptional veterinary care, and compassionate care by experienced staff for our great ape residents.
