Project Chimps Blog

The Pant Hoot Dog Park is an off-leash dog park in Morganton, Georgia, built at the Project Chimps sanctuary to encourage dog enrichment while supporting the care of over 100 chimpanzee residents who have been retired from biomedical research.

Chimp or Treat is an annual, family-friendly Halloween event near Blue Ridge usually held the weekend before Halloween by Project Chimps, a sanctuary for chimpanzees who have been retired from biomedical research.

Morganton, Georgia — Project Chimps successfully resolved a short-lived incident today involving a recently arrived chimpanzee who briefly left his primary enclosure, although at all times he stayed within the sanctuary’s perimeter fencing. The chimpanzee, Tory, arrived at the sanctuary earlier this year and was spending time in the South Peachtree Habitat alongside eight other…

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, meaning we share a lot in common. Self-recognition might be one of those things, because along with the other great apes, chimpanzee mirror recognition is a well-known phenomenon. They are one of the species to have passed the mirror test and even use mirrors like a human would.

Project Chimps is getting a new mural for the kitchen! Olivia Schreiber has painted a visual representation of the fruits and vegetables prepared for the former research chimpanzees. This kitchen mural is a fine addition to the meal preparation area, especially since it’s one of the first places visitors first see during their tours.

The Earthsong Garden is an outdoor classroom and demonstration garden at Project Chimps, where guests can learn about growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Thanks to a partnership with the North Georgia Master Gardeners and a $500 grant, ten trainee master gardeners will expand the garden with new planting areas in Fall 2026.

Out in the wild, chimpanzee tool use is necessary for their survival. It’s the same for humans and other primates as well. And just like us, chimpanzees have different cultures and tool usage depending on where they live. Different places require different innovations.

Congratulations! You are about to begin an unforgettable experience as an intern at Project Chimps. Everyone here is eager to meet you, and before long, this place will begin to feel like a second home for you. 

Arielle is the youngest female chimpanzee at Project Chimps and is loved by the keepers for her fun quirky personality. She spends much of her time socializing with the other chimps in the Chimps Ahoy villa, using the mock termite mound, and generally causing mischief.

The Chimp Trails Annual Pass is a new, more convenient way for hikers to support Project Chimps.

What makes a good father? While chimpanzee mothers often form strong bonds with their babies, fathers among chimpanzees often take a more hands-off approach. So, when a father and son were united by coincidence, we never expected to see a bond beyond shared genes.

From cats and dogs to small and large primates, the space race pushed countries to risky experiments in the name of reaching the last frontier for mankind. This blog will look at the history of chimpanzees in space and the impact they made for the humans that came after.

Termites are a natural part of chimpanzee diets, and big reason we understand how intelligent they are. They use tools like us! So how do we encourage this amazing behavior without the risk of our villas being eaten away? With artificial termite mounds of treats of course!

A new children’s book for Project Chimps is coming out, this time featuring Leo! I had the pleasure of interviewing author Brittany about the serendipitous events that lead to writing each of her children’s books including this one. We are pleased Brittany discovered Project Chimps and wanted to write about Leo’s unique story. She interviewed his caregivers to illustrate and write Leo and the Soft Place to Land.

When you spend your life in one place, a new environment isn’t just intimidating. It’s terrifying. Even if it’s the one you were born to be in. This is what many former research chimpanzees experience who never got to go outside. So when the opportunity is placed right in front of them, wouldn’t they be excited? For some, yes. For others, it can take a little while to warm up to the idea. That’s what we saw leading up to Kennedy’s first time outside.