Project Chimps Blog

By Marissa Pena If this question surprises you, you’re not alone! Longtime chimp-enthusiasts and animal advocates alike are no doubt immediately skeptical of the idea, and for good reason. But for new learners? Renting a chimp might sound like a great way to meet our closest relatives, especially if they have good intentions. Unfortunately, this…

As our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and humans share a lot of similarities. We both show our emotions through facial expressions, have strong problem-solving capabilities, and cheer each other up when we’re upset. But did you know that we see color similarly as well?

Project Chimps recently shared the sad news of two deaths of chimpanzees at its sanctuary in Morganton, Georgia. The organization fears there may be more deaths to follow as the cause is now known to be the bacteria Yersinia. Executive Director Ali Crumpacker reports: “My team has been under a tremendous amount of stress to…

I had lived on a boat for a year. I was tired of the nomad life and was in search of a change of pace. Looking for scenery that would compete with my native Pacific Northwest, I landed in the North Georgia Mountains at the end of 2021. I landed just outside of Blue Ridge, Georgia. The North Georgia Mountains is home to great hiking, including the Appalachian Trail and the Benton MacKaye Trail. It is also known for Brasstown Bald and white-water rafting on the Ocoee River where the Olympics were held in 1996. Hiking, fishing, hunting, and outdoor adventure sports are the thing here.

In search of work, I came across an ad for Project Chimps, just down the road from me. There, I discovered an amazing training ground for more hard-core hiking on the Chimp Trails. Here is my account, over the timespan of a year, of exploring the trails at Project Chimps in preparation for doing more hikes this area is known for!

By Gregory Rodriguez We recently helped Paul with an infected tooth that required specific dental tools. Paul is the smallest of his group and is among the lowest ranking. We know that sometimes low-ranking means being overlooked, but not at Project Chimps. Earlier in October our caregivers noticed that Paul wasn’t eating, he’s a chimp…

Drama seems to follow Jason. He is currently at work sorting out becoming the new alpha’s right-hand. Jason was a part of Stirlene’s efforts to usurp the current alpha in the group, Bo.

Recently Ray cut his lower lip; we don’t know how he did it but he presented the injury to staff. Which got us curious about just how long chimps could heal versus humans.

After spending 4 months at Project Chimps, James Haworth is proof that internships at any age have value.

As I spoke with Holly about her current aspirations, I had an opportunity to see who Holly is outside of work. Considering her background in film, I asked her who some of her favorite directors are. Her tastes are as weird as it gets! She revealed to me she is super into both Quentin Tarantino, and David Lynch. One of her more recent favorite films is titled “Cloud Atlas”.

How much fun can you really have by donating your time to us? One of our volunteers, Catherine Dunlap, had a moment to discuss our “Enrichment Parties”; a volunteer event held that is part social gathering and part volunteer work!

By Gregory Rodriguez Sometimes chimps rescued from labs can be a little bit of a handful. When Sheena first arrived, she was known for flinging poop at her caregivers! Although that’s not the only peculiarity about Sheena. She has recently started this new habit we’ve connotated as “potatoing”, giving her the title of Sheena the…

“Why can’t the chimps be sent back to Africa?” is a common question we get at Project Chimps. So, let’s explain why that is a complicated and sometimes fatal move. 

Born in 2007, Bobby is the youngest in his group of nine male chimps. He’s the last chimp, so far, to set foot in the sanctuary. If we numbered the chimps by their arrival seniority, Bobby would currently be #99.

Keith, a 19-year-old chimpanzee with a short, stocky build and a distinguished white beard, is easy to enjoy. “He’s a sweet one,” says caregiver Fred Rubio, who holds a masters degree in primate behavior. “Keith’s engaging and playful—with his group mates and with caregivers.” And he’s easy to identify. “Keith’s got a prominent brow ridge that juts out like an Easter Island statue!”

When his group was first given access to the outdoor Peachtree Habitat, It was great to see Lancelot taking full advantage of the opportunity—chest out, head high, eyes wide open, taking in this exciting new world. When he climbed the fire-hose ladder leading high up into the trees, he looked confident—courageous, even. On top of the world.