Nestled in the Eddie D. Jones Park in northwestern Louisiana, there’s an amazing chimpanzee sanctuary you should check out. They are dedicated to caring for chimpanzees that have retired from research. The sanctuary is home to more than 200 chimpanzees, all living out their retirement in style. Let’s take a closer look…

Chimp Haven was founded in 1995.
Chimp Haven/Facebook
There was a need for long term chimpanzee care for chimpanzees that were no longer used in biomedical research, the entertainment industry, or pet trade. Chimp Haven was created to fill that void.
Because chimpanzees are more closely genetically related to humans than any other species, they have been popular for researchers to use for testing.
Chimp Haven/Facebook
In 2000, the CHIMP Act (Chimpanzee Health Improvement Maintenance Protection Act) was signed, which established a Federal Sanctuary System.
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Caddo Parish provided 200 acres of land to build the sanctuary.
The first two chimpanzees to call Chimp Haven home, Rita and Teresa, moved into the sanctuary in 2005.
Chimp Haven/Facebook
In 2013, the National Institutes of Health announced that all but 50 federally owned chimpanzees were officially retired.
Billy Joe J/Yelp
This allowed for more than 300 chimpanzees to move to Chimp Haven to live out the rest of their days in retirement.
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Due to a law that was passed in 2007, chimpanzees are prohibited from returning to research, so these guys can safely live out their days without worrying that they’ll be sent back to a lab.
Chimp Haven/Facebook
This one is catching up on some light reading material.
Chimp Haven has a dedicated team of over 40 employees who tend to the care of the chimpanzees.
Chimp Haven/Facebook
As well as several volunteers. Without their dedication, Chimp Haven couldn't do what they do.

Chimp Haven is located at 13600 Chimpanzee Place Keithville, LA 71047.

Have you ever been? Share your experience in the comments below!

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