Tomorrow is the big day! The first-ever World Chimpanzee Day is a celebration of chimpanzees and an opportunity to raise awareness about the vital need for worldwide participation in their care, protection, and conservation in the wild and in captivity.

You may have seen our video message from Dr. Andrew Halloran on chimpanzee conservation, and today we have a message from our own Director of Behavior & Research, Dr. Debra Durham, on the importance of understanding chimpanzee behavior and providing choices and self-determination for our beloved chimpanzee residents. You’ll even get a sneak peek of our brand new camera system our Behavior Department uses to document important chimpanzee behaviors!

To learn more about chimpanzees both at Save the Chimps and in the wild, visit our website. And don’t forget to tune into Facebook this Saturday, July 14, at 1:00 p.m. EST to learn more about Save the Chimps in a special live event hosted by our staff veterinarian Dr. Bezner. Follow us on Facebook today!

Did you know?

In the wild, chimpanzees live in groups of 15-120 group members in “fission-fusion” societies in which all community members know each other but feed, travel, and sleep in much smaller groups of six or fewer. By providing our residents with large 3 to 5-acre island habitats with a variety of trees, climbing structures, and shaded areas, the chimps are able to choose who to spend their time with and where. Through careful observations, we are able to understand friendships, alliances, and hierarchies that are vital to group-level stability.

Every time you donate to Save the Chimps, you support our mission to provide lifetime care for the chimpanzees in our sanctuary. Please consider making a gift now in honor of World Chimpanzee Day.

Thank you for your support!

Also watch, a video message on conservation with Dr. Andrew Halloran.