Posts by Leslie Wade
Focus on Chimps
Project Chimps sanctuary now hosts a one-day wildlife photography workshop. In the first session, held in Oct. 2019, eight participants get to went behind the scenes to photograph chimpanzees in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.
Read MoreWorking fast and furious to help chimps
It was a warm spring morning and Christy Jellets was waste deep in muddy water. The dirty liquid roiled around her as she worked, hands well below the surface and out of sight, to repair a clogged culvert at Project Chimps.
While her team members were busy welding chimpanzee enclosures and clearing fallen brush, Christy noticed a job that needed immediate attention. So she jumped in…
Read MoreChimpanzee Maverick Braves the Danger Zone
Mid-ranking male chimpanzee Maverick went right into the “danger zone” this week as two new males joined his social group of eight. Introducing new males into an existing chimpanzee society can be risky business, all Tom Cruise puns aside, so the chimpanzee care team at Project Chimps created a tactical plan for bringing the males together.
Read MoreChimps Living in Harmony
Project Chimps’ facilities team, care staff, and dedicated volunteers have been working tirelessly to make the south yard of the outdoor habitat a fun and enriching place for the former research chimpanzees in our care. Their hard work was worth it – the chimps are thriving outdoors. And they’re having a blast!
Read MorePrecious Moments: Mother & Son Chimpanzees Reunited
After years of separation in the lab, mother and son chimps, Jill and Arthur, are reunited at the Project Chimps sanctuary for former research chimpanzees.
Read MoreSeeing the Forest for the Chimps
Ryan Kennedy combines his expertise in horticulture with his passion for chimpanzees. On any given day, you’ll find Ryan bushwhacking through tall stands of invasive bamboo or climbing ladders to carefully prune native trees in the forest. His cuttings then become a major source of enrichment for former research chimpanzees.
Read MoreEnrichment Means Fun for Former Research Chimps
Would you eat an Icee in the dead of winter? Chimpanzees will and they seem to love it!
Noel and the other former research chimpanzees at Project Chimps didn’t hesitate when caregivers served them giant frozen blocks of juice and other enrichment items as part of a special February celebration for the chimps.
Read MoreFarm to Forage: Volunteer Feeds Chimps and the Soul
Volunteer Shannon Michael helps feed former research chimpanzees locally grown, farm fresh produce at the Project Chimps sanctuary in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Read MoreLandscape Architecture Intern Visits from Germany
Jan Schoepe is helping to design Project Chimps expanding chimpanzee habitats as an intern on loan from Zoo Design Inc. He is a landscape architecture student from Cologne, Germany.
Read MoreGetting Ready for Group 7!
Chimpanzee caregivers Joseph and Brooke are getting the transport trailer ready for…Group Seven! The Project Chimps transport trailer can accommodate up to ten former research chimpanzees in individual carriers for the one-time journey from the lab in Louisiana to their forever sanctuary home here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In a few days, we’re going…
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