Kate’s job as Behavior Coordinator at Project Chimps is to observe and assess chimp behavior as well as run the Positive Reinforcement behavioral training program. Kate closely with the chimpanzees and caretakers to monitor the well-being of the chimps and determine whether or not there are any signs of abnormal behavior

One way sanctuaries and zoos gauge a chimp’s emotional and physical well-being is to look for signs of abnormal behavior. Abnormal or atypical behaviors are scientific terms that describe behaviors that are often indicative of stress.

June is National Safety Month. At Project Chimps, we use safety drills to prepare for scenarios that we hope will never actually happen. And, while these hypothetical scenarios are serious, we do our best to make the drills fun!

Chimps are extremely similar to humans. They may look different, but we share many similar mannerisms, including sunbathing. Learn more about our similarities with chimpanzees.

A well-known behavior of chimpanzees is their act of spitting and, you guessed it – throwing poop. But why do they spit and spatter?

Nell Triggs combined fond childhood memories with her professional career in her mural “Jane and Flint” inside a Project Chimps villa.

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, it is more important than ever to use drug therapy wisely. Chimpanzees have amazing powers to heal, out in the wild wounds would have to take care of themselves. But Collin is not in the wild, he is under our care at Project Chimps.

There’s no denying that chimps love to eat! Here at Project Chimps, their diet consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. In addition to daily breakfast and dinner services where each chimp gets a full meal, caretakers also scatter different food items like cabbage, nuts, seeds, carrots and tomatoes over their enclosures for lunch and dinner enrichment. This allows the chimps to engage in one of their natural behaviors — foraging.

Perhaps dealing with chimp feces isn’t the most glamourous part of a chimpanzee caretaker’s day, but it’s certainly one of the most important. Like in other species (including us!), fecal consistency is a great indicator of overall health, so, caretakers must constantly assess the quality of, well, chimp poop!

After 40 years in the medical field, Mike Vaughn decided to take some time off from the emergency room. In the meantime, he’s putting his skills to use with a new type of medical clinic. Following an Appalachian Trail hike with his son in April 2020, Mike spent the past year pouring himself into volunteer work…

Grooming is a highly important task for chimpanzees. By observing their techniques and behaviors when grooming, we are able to understand chimpanzees better, as well as ourselves.

The chimp trail system has been many years in the making. Its strengths lie in its accessibility, safety, and navigability.

We all have these preconceived notions of what we think we know about chimps, myself included. It’s not our fault, really; we only know what we are taught. But trust me when I say that no carefully crafted nature documentary or Hollywood film could do them any justice.

“Kareem’s Dream.” That’s what artist Leslie Kneisel dubbed the eye-catching mural she painted inside the newly-renovated Dorothy Jo & Tilly Villa at Project Chimps. Her work combines a colorful, expansive forest scene with elements of Project Chimps’ outdoor habitat. It also features its namesake, Kareem, one of the sanctuary’s most notable residents. “The chimps have…

In the chimp world, females control a lot. Even though chimps live in a patriarchal hierarchy, the girls have a lot of influence. This understanding allows us to perceive chimp life and how it works.