Save the Chimps’ Mission
To provide permanent sanctuary for the lifelong care of chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, entertainment and the pet trade.
Our Beginnings
Ham, one of the original "astrochimps," captured in Africa.
Save the Chimps was established in 1997, under the leadership of founder Carole Noon, Ph.D., in response to the U.S. Air Force's announcement that it was getting out of the chimpanzee research business. At the end of the long giveaway process, most of the chimpanzees, described by the USAF in a Wall Street Journal article as "surplus equipment," were sent to The Coulston Foundation (TCF) in Alamogordo, NM, a biomedical laboratory with the worst record of any lab in the history of the Animal Welfare Act. Save the Chimps sued the Air Force on behalf of the chimpanzees given to TCF. After a year-long struggle, Save the Chimps gained permanent custody of 21 chimps, survivors and descendants of the baby chimps captured in Africa in the 1950's and used by the Air Force in the original NASA space research program.
A generous donation by the Arcus Foundation enabled Save the Chimps to purchase 150 acres for a permanent sanctuary in Ft. Pierce, Florida, and to construct a new three-acre island home, complete with hills, shelter, and climbing structures for the Air Force Chimps. Attached to the island is a secure, hurricane-proof indoor housing area, where the chimps are served meals three times daily. The indoor housing connects via tunnel to a second building, the Introduction Building, where the Air Force Chimps were first united as a family.
Not long after The Air Force Chimps’ release onto their new island home, Save the Chimps rescued five former
pet chimps, and two former entertainment chimps, expanding our mission to include the rescue and permanent retirement of chimps used in biomedical research, entertainment, and the pet trade.
The vision of Save the Chimps was -- and remains -- to create a sanctuary where rescued chimpanzees can live out their lives without the threat of ever returning to a laboratory, entertainment, and the pet trade. By 2002, 28 chimps called Save the Chimps home, but knowing there were more chimps in need , Dr. Carole Noon anticipated the construction of a second island, the rescue of more chimps, the formation of another social group. She expected to grow slowly but surely over time.
But an unexpected event rapidly expanded the scope of Save the Chimps--overnight.
Rescuing The Coulston Chimps and
Transforming a Lab into a Sanctuary
At the Coulston Foundation, Mickey languished alone in her windowless cell for decades.
In 2002, The Coulston Foundation (TCF), with funding withdrawn due to violations of the Animal Welfare Act, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Frederick Coulston contacted Dr. Noon and offered to sell the laboratory land and buildings to Save the Chimps, and "donate" all its 266 chimpanzees. With the future of the primates in jeopardy, Save the Chimps received an unprecedented grant of $3.7 million from the Arcus Foundation to purchase the New Mexico laboratory. Additional funding from the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, Doris Day Animal League, Friends of Washoe, In Defense of Animals, New England Anti-Vivisection Society, and others made this the largest ever single effort on behalf of captive chimpanzees. On September 16, 2002, Save the Chimps took over TCF, overnight becoming the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary.
Dr. Noon and her staff modified the stark TCF facility into a healthier and happier environment for the chimpanzees, including, for the first time in their lives, fresh food, enlarged cages, enrichment activities, compassionate caregivers and, most importantly, the establishment of social groups. Chimps who had lived alone or in very small groups for decades now had the opportunity to become part of large chimp families. Once these families are complete, they can then make the journey to Florida via The Great Chimpanzee Migration, where they will live out the rest of their lives on their Islands in the Sun.
Islands in the Sun: A Permanent Home in Florida
Aerial view of the sanctuary in Florida.
With the rescue of over 250 additional chimps, planning began for the expansion of the Florida sanctuary. Construction of 11 additional three-acre islands was completed, each connected to a secure, hurricane-proof indoor housing area. With a total of twelve islands, Save the Chimps’ Florida sanctuary can now accommodate 300 chimpanzees. The islands of grass, palm trees, hills, and climbing structures allow the chimps to run and roam, visit with friends or find a quiet corner to relax, bask in the sun or curl up in the shade. The islands give the chimps choices and control over their own lives, choices that were lacking during their years of confinement in small cages.
Over half of the chimpanzees have already moved from New Mexico to their new outdoor homes in Florida, and
The Great Chimpanzee Migration continues...
Governance
Jason North - Board Co Chair
is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he received a degree in Business Administration. Mr. North founded JSN Consulting. providing strategic planning and business development to hospitals and the medical industry. Mr. North’s credentials also include being a contributing editor to the publication, Health Matters, as well as other healthcare related publications. Jason has served on other not for profit boards such as The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, Angels of Charity and the Professional and Business Forum. His committee involvements include the Human Rights Campaign, Make a Wish Foundation and the March of Dimes. Currently, Jason North is the Executive Director of After Hours Pediatrics, Urgent Care for Team Health, Inc. TeamHealth is the nation's largest provider of hospital-based clinical outsourcing.
Chip Owen - Board Co Chair
resides in San Diego, California and is an investor in commercial real estate. Mr. Owen is an active supporter of animal conservation and environmental projects both in the United States and Africa. Mr. Owen has a degree in finance and serves on the board of several non-profit organizations.
Jeff Arnstein
graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. After graduation, he moved to San Diego where he joined the "Big Four" accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche, and earned his CPA designation. Mr. Arnstein lived in Los Angeles for six years before moving to his current home of New York. Mr. Arnstein’s 25+ years of professional experience include working in public accounting, real estate investment, management, finance and private equity investment for high net-worth families. Mr. Arnstein’s passions include his life partner of 14 years, Michael Field; progressive politics; and freedom of speech, thought and expression.
Tracey Lovitz, CFP®
is a Certified Financial Planner™ with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and has been with the company since 1988. As a Financial Advisor, Ms. Lovitz assists individuals in achieving their short and long term financial goals. Ms. Lovitz is a member of the Financial Planning Association.
Jon Stryker
is the Founder and President of the Arcus Foundation, a private foundation with offices in Kalamazoo, Michigan, New York City and Cambridge, UK that supports groups advancing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) human rights and groups working globally to promote great ape conservation. He is a founding Board Member of the Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy in Northern Kenya, Save the Chimps in Ft. Pierce, Florida and Greenleaf Trust, a trust bank in Kalamazoo. Mr. Stryker is also a registered architect in the State of Michigan and is President of Depot Landmark LLC, a development company specializing in the rehabilitation of historic buildings.
April Truitt, CRL
is a security specialist, safe technician and the co-founder of the Primate Rescue Center. The Center is a non-profit sanctuary and advocacy organization based in the Bluegrass region of Central Kentucky. Ms. Truitt also serves on the board of Animal Charities of America and provides free security consulting services to primate sanctuaries nationwide. Ms. Truitt looks forward to the day when primate sanctuaries are no longer needed. This will only happen when primates are no longer kept as pets and exploited for human entertainment and financial gain.
Robert L. Crippen (Captain, USN, Ret.)
is a former Naval Aviator and Astronaut. He was pilot of the first Space Shuttle flight into orbit and Commander of three subsequent flights. He also served in NASA management where his last government job was as Director of Kennedy Space Center. In industry he served as President of Thiokol Propulsion, a company that builds large Solid Rocket Motors. He is currently retired living in Florida.
Jane Goodall, Ph.D.
is widely recognized as the world's authority on chimpanzees. She spent more than forty years living with the chimpanzees of the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania. Her popular books, National Geographic documentaries and scientific publications provide a decades-long picture of the development, social behavior, ranging patterns and lifecycle of wild chimpanzees. Dr. Goodall has established several sanctuaries in Africa for chimpanzees confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade.
Sarah Haney
is a retired registered nurse residing near Toronto in Ontario. She is co-founder of the Canadian Whale Institute and has been involved with several cetacean conservation groups since 1992. Sarah supports Salmon Coast Field Station in its efforts to save the wild Pacific salmon on Canada's west coast.
Gary Mastro
former Corporate Vice President of Brand and Product Marketing for UPS™
Under Gary’s direction, UPS launched its most aggressive advertising campaign in its 100 year history. The “What can BROWN do for you?” campaign. He also guided UPS through the largest rebranding program in U.S. Corporate history, and established the company’s International Sales and Marketing organization.
Gary served for 7years as a board member for the Georgia Economic Development Council, and was a member of The Conference Board.
He is currently the Managing Director of a Marketing Consulting firm and resides in Florida.
Geza Teleki, Ph.D.
is a primatologist whose career spans nearly 4 decades and started with field study of wild chimpanzees at Gombe National Park, Tanzania, under the guidance of Jane Goodall. Dr. Teleki founded and headed the Committee for Conservation and Care of Chimpanzees with Jane Goodall and other field scientists. This organization spearheaded the addition of chimpanzees to the U.S. Endangered Species List and revision of captive care legislation governing laboratories in America and the European Community. Dr. Teleki’s other posts include serving as Director of National Parks for the government of Sierra Leone and Director of Africa Programs for the Jane Goodall Institute.
Financial Statements
For Save the Chimps' most recent financial information, including IRS Form 990, please visit www.guidestar.org and use our tax identification number 65-0789748 in the search feature for our profile.
Click here to view a PDF of Save the Chimps' 2007 Annual Report.
Frequently Asked Questions
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