Rescued From the Brink: Inside the World's Largest Chimp Sanctuary

It's a stunning day in Fort Pierce, Florida, just north of Miami. Sunshine has nudged out the winter cold and there's green grass and blue sky as far as you can see. Only the words "Careful -- she's going to spit!" interrupt the postcard moment.

Just as Triana Romero says those words, Tammy does as predicted (neither of us gets hit).

Romero, director of communications for Save the Chimps, clearly knows Tammy, a 20-something chimpanzee, well enough to spot a spit-face when she sees one. Tammy is being silly, Romero says, and Tammy goes on being silly by blowing a stream of Bronx cheers that would impress even South Park's Terrance and Phillip.

Considering Tammy's background her silliness is pretty impressive. When the U.S. Air Force decided to stop doing chimp research, the apes and their progeny (deemed "surplus equipment") were sent either to the Texas sanctuary Primarily Primates or to the Coulston Foundation in Alamogordo, New Mexico, a biomedical lab with an abysmal record of animal care. Here's what Encyclopedia Britanica's Animal Advocacy blog page says about Coulston:

The conditions were horrendous: animals were confined in concrete and steel cages for years; the laboratory conducted unapproved research methods; and basic animal welfare protocols were disregarded. Three chimpanzees died in October 1993 when a malfunctioning space heater sent temperatures in their room soaring to 140 °F. In just eight years, 35 chimpanzees and 13 monkeys died as the result of experimentation, poor veterinary care, and preventable diseases. Many independent government bodies investigated and found that the Coulston Foundation had repeatedly violated federal regulations, including the Animal Welfare Act, but enforcement of the laws was poor, and fines, though levied, were not collected....

In reaction to the Air Force's decision to divest itself of chimps, primatologist Carole Noon founded Save the Chimps in 1997 and eventually sued the Air Force on the behalf of the Coulston chimps, counting Dr. Jane Goodall (who sits on STC's advisory council) among her supporters. They settled out of court and 21 of the chimps were en route to Florida by 2001. Tammy was one of them.

Today 187 chimpanzees call this sprawling property, with its platforms, swings, hammocks, and most importantly other chimps, their home.

"This is where it all began," says Romero of a small, white house on the edge of the sanctuary where Dr. Noon lived. With a grant from the Arcus Foundation, (which also funded the Fort Pierce property) Save the Chimps also bought the Coulston property and the 266 chimps that came with it in 2002, making Save the Chimps the largest sanctuary in the world. STC transformed the grim enclosures in New Mexico into a more spacious, colorful and connected environment. They hope to transfer all the chimps from there to the Florida location by 2011.

Dr. Noon died of pancreatic cancer last year but her legacy is an inspirational feat of engineering and empathy. Situated on 150 acres of former orange grove, the sanctuary is divided into 12 islands, each with family groups of up to 25 chimps. The islands are separated by lakes (chimps can't swim), so there's no need for bars and just enough fencing to go from the water to their hurricane-proof shelters -- each island has one, with interconnected cages; the chimps can go outside any time except for brief daily maintenance intervals.

How do they know they're hurricane-proof?

"If they're chimp-proof, they're hurricane-proof," says Romero, referring to the chimps' massive strength, seven times that of a human being (the staff has no direct contact with the animals, except for vet care).

It's impossible to think of that and not consider the recent tragedies involving wild animals in captivity. Last year Travis, a full-grown pet chimpanzee mauled his owner's friend and recently Tilikum, a killer whale at Sea World in Orlando attacked and killed trainer Dawn Brancheau.