The life of a lab chimp is a difficult one.
The poor animals spend their lives being used as test subjects, and they spend all their free time in cages, separated from their fellow chimps by bars. Many of these chimps have never even touched grass before.
But thankfully, there are some people fighting to give these chimps a better life. The caretakers at animal sanctuary Chimp Haven are the perfect example of this.
The caretakers at Chimp Haven are dedicated to providing the animals there a chance to lead a normal life.
Many of the chimps residing here were previously laboratory animals that never got a chance to experience a natural environment.
“I’ve worked with chimps for over 15 years,” said Kathleen Taylor, a worker from Chimp Haven, in a YouTube video. “And to witness chimps coming out into their natural habitat, after seeing what they’ve been through in the past, is rewarding beyond anything I can say.”
The workers were able to bring 100 retired chimps to the sanctuary, doubling the number of chimps at Chimp Haven.
This was great news for all the other chimps there because they naturally love bigger groups. As laboratory animals, they are often isolated from the rest of the world, which causes them to lack the social abilities typically found in chimps in nature.
Many of these chimps were older, with some even over 50. These chimps had spent all those long years locked up in a cage.
In the video below, you get a chance to see these once laboratory animals taste freedom for the very first time in their lives.
It’s so moving to see their reactions to their new homes and their freedom.
“This is unprecedented,” said Humane Society worker Kathleen Conlee. “This is the largest group of government-owned chimpanzees to be retired from a laboratory. And now these chimpanzees get to come out and be in big groups and exhibit the same type of behavior that their wild counterparts would do. It makes me speechless.”
The touching video quickly went viral, receiving over 3 million views. Many people took to the YouTube comments to share their love for the chimps.
One commenter wrote:
“Thank God there are still good people around to take care of those poor innocent and helpless animals.”
Another said:
“I’m bawling my eyes out right now. How can we cage and experiment on these amazing creatures?!”
These poor chimps went through so much in their lives, but now, they’re in a wonderful place where they can enjoy their golden years. If you’d like to help Chimp Haven with their lifesaving mission, consider donating to the sanctuary.
Check out the video of the chimps below!
Please SHARE this with your family and friends.
[Source: The Humane Society of the United States]
