Chimpanzees are our closest living animal relations and deserve to be treated well when they have outlived their usefulness to us in medical research, when they grow too old to be in the entertainment industry or become unwanted exotic pets. The Chimp Haven is such a place where they can live the rest of their lives in a humane environment, as close to their natural environment as possible and where they can form integrated social groups.
Chimp Haven is the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary and is located in Louisiana. It was created out of a need - a "surplus chimpanzee crisis". With newer and more ethical research models, the use of chimpanzees is declining for human disease research. Yet, many of them were bred, never deployed in research and are now literally homeless. Zoos are full and these chimps cannot be released back in the wild because of lack of available land and the fact that they have never learned to fend for themselves.
The Haven opened in 2005 and is now home to over 100 chimpanzees who "are living the good life". They are now trying to build another facility for rescued chimps. They are dependent on donations for the organisation receives no government funding.
Retired Primate Sanctuaries
Chimp Haven Charity
Trend Themes
1. Ethical Animal Sanctuaries - Opportunity for businesses to establish sanctuaries for retired animals, providing them with a humane environment and meeting the growing demand for ethical treatment of animals.
2. Decline of Animal Research - Potential for disruptive innovation in the research industry as newer and more ethical research models reduce the use of animals, leaving surplus animals that need to be cared for.
3. Rescue and Rehabilitation Centers - Growing need for facilities that can rescue and rehabilitate animals that have been used in the entertainment industry or kept as exotic pets, offering business opportunities in the animal welfare sector.
Industry Implications
1. Animal Sanctuaries - Opportunity for businesses to establish animal sanctuaries specifically for retired animals, providing a safe and natural environment for them to live out their lives.
2. Animal Research - Challenges and opportunities in the decline of animal research, encouraging the development and use of alternative research models that are more ethical and efficient.
3. Animal Welfare - Business opportunities in the animal welfare industry, focusing on rescuing and rehabilitating animals from the entertainment industry and exotic pet trade, and providing them with proper care and a suitable environment.