Great news came in 2015 when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it would no longer fund invasive research on chimpanzees. However, a new challenge was then created: where will all the chimps from labs live?

Thankfully, many primate sanctuaries throughout the US have been stepping up to welcome additional residents, but they can’t take any more without building new living space for the chimps.

AAVS is helping and so can you!

Project Chimps is this year’s beneficiary of AAVS’s BUILD IT! campaign. This sanctuary in the Georgia woods is set to retire over 200 chimpanzees from biomedical research facility New Iberia Research Center (NIRC). They’re halfway there; 99 chimps have been transferred to the sanctuary; however, significantly more space is needed for nearly 100 more.

Project Chimps has a plan in place to clear land for their critically needed expansion. The new construction will create enough housing for all of the chimps from NIRC, including wooded outdoor habitats where chimps can explore, play, and exercise. Funds raised will cover building construction, fencing, transportation, resident care, and operational costs. These new facilities will be purpose-built from the ground up, and the project budget is estimated at $15 million. They’ve gotten a good head start but have reached out to AAVS for help.

Could you please help the chimps with a BUILD IT! contribution today? Every dollar will help to reach that challenging goal to enable capacity building at Project Chimps.

And thanks to the generosity of anonymous AAVS supporters, all gifts made through this special appeal will be matched dollar-for-dollar. When you give $10, the BUILD IT! fund will get $20. Your $50 gift increases to $100! And a $250 donation doubles to $500!