Project Chimps Sanctuary Opens New “Chateau” for Retired Research Chimpanzees

interior room with fire hose ropes and hammocks for chimps

October 3, 2019/Project Chimps

NEWS – Forty former research chimpanzees will have a new home in permanent sanctuary as Project Chimps announced the completion of its fifth and largest chimpanzee house called, “The Chateau.”

Fourteen former research chimps moved into the new residence, led by 220-pound “gentle giant,” Kareem. They will soon be joined by another group of 14 chimps led by a well-known alpha male chimp named Hercules.

Chimpanzees Kareem and Babs crossing a grassy field — Former research chimpanzees Kareem, left, and Babs, right, led their group of 14 male and female chimpanzees into their new home, The Chateau. Their move will allow for the renovation of Harmony Villa and the arrival of new chimpanzees to sanctuary by year-end.

The Laurie and Carlee McGrath Chateau

The $1.3 million, 7,000-square-foot building was made possible by the McGrath Family Foundation of California and is named the Laurie and Carlee McGrath Chateau or “The Chateau” for short.

Aerial view of the Chateau building in the Blue Ridge Mountains — An aerial view of The Chateau, prior to construction completion. The 7,000-square-foot-building was built by local contractors.

The Chateau includes climate-controlled, large group enclosures and smaller bedrooms for up to 40 chimpanzees, as well as an open-air enclosed porch area that faces into the sanctuary’s forested, 6-acre habitat. The residence was uniquely designed to facilitate the introduction of chimpanzees previously separated in same-sex groups in the lab.

Interior chimpanzee enclosure with fire hoses hanging from the walls and ceilings and leafs stenciled on the walls — The Chateau includes eight, climate-controlled bedrooms, like this one, and two huge, multi-story play rooms, each decorated with fire hose hammocks and swings made by volunteers and guests.

Bringing 40 more chimps to sanctuary

The completion of The Chateau will allow Project Chimps to bring an additional 40 chimpanzees to permanent retirement over the next year. Those chimpanzees currently reside at the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) in Louisiana.

Research ended on chimpanzees in the United States in 2015. At that time, more than 700 chimpanzees housed in research facilities needed a forever home. Project Chimps’ founders purchased a defunct gorilla sanctuary that included a 6-acre habitat and five chimpanzee houses, with the goal of bringing more than 200 of NIRC’s chimpanzees to sanctuary by 2024.

Project Chimps volunteers look around the inside of the new chimpanzee house — Project Chimps’ executive director, Ali Crumpacker, points out the upper levels of the chimps’ large-group play rooms to sanctuary volunteers.

A community effort

Crumpacker says the sanctuary’s relationship with the community is mutually beneficial.

“None of this would be possible without the support of our local community,” states Crumpacker. “We’re grateful for the local contractors who helped to build the facility, as well as the more than 200 volunteers who help to care for the chimpanzees and maintain the sanctuary. We value our partnerships with local farmers, schools, area businesses, chambers, and visitors,” she added.

“When we started, two of the five villas were empty shells and the remaining three had to be retrofitted for chimpanzees’ unique needs,” said Ali Crumpacker, Project Chimps’ executive director. “As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of our founding, it is only fitting that we open our fifth group house for these deserving chimpanzees.”

Aerial view of the Project Chimps habitat and chimpanzee houses — Project Chimps’ first phase includes a walled, 6-acre habitat with four chimpanzee villas and The Chateau, right. Three of the five buildings were empty shells when Project Chimps’ founders purchased the property in 2015.

Local and regional economic benefits

Crumpacker noted that the project has boosted the local economy by providing short-term construction jobs, long-term sanctuary jobs, sales taxes, purchases of durable goods, and other revenue from the increase in sanctuary employees and visitors.

Better Building Systems, Inc., of Blue Ridge served as the general contractor for The Chateau project along with subcontractors BR Electric, Russell Plumbing, Cherokee Mechanical, Alarm Dog, Tru-Forms, and Stanley Creek Excavation. Welding of the chimpanzee enclosures was performed by a local team led by Max Pittman and Steven Cox.

Sanctuary’s first phase now complete

The Chateau is the final chimpanzee house in Project Chimps’ first phase. A second phase expansion is now underway to build two new chimpanzee habitats and housing from the ground up. Project Chimps is supported by private donors, foundations and giving campaigns, such as the upcoming global Giving Day for Apes on October 15.

View of the trees and grass of the habitat with the new building to the right — The open-air, enclosed “porch” of The Chateau opens into the sanctuary’s forest, 6-acre Peachtree Habitat. Here, caregivers stood on the roof of the porch to watch the chimpanzees approach their new home.

Project Chimps is located on 236-acres of forested land in the Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia, and is currently home to 59 chimpanzees who range in age from 8 to 34. The sanctuary is privately funded an offers former laboratory chimpanzees the opportunity to forage, play and socialize, much like their cousins do in the wild.

Former research chimpanzee Hercules with trees behind him — Former research chimpanzee Hercules heads the next group of chimpanzees who will move into The Chateau at Project Chimps.

Visit the chimpanzees

Project Chimps is a sanctuary and therefore not open to the public except for limited engagements that sell out months in advance. The next opportunity for members of the public to visit the sanctuary will be October 25-27, when Project Chimps hosts its Halloween-themed “Chimp or Treat” event for families. A few tickets remain for the sanctuary’s May 2020 Discovery Days. More information is available at projectchimps.org.

Project Chimps is the newest chimpanzee sanctuary in the United States and was founded to provide lifetime care to former research chimpanzees at its sanctuary on 236 acres of forested land in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Project Chimps is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization and is an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau. The sanctuary has achieved Guidestar Platinum status, is additionally accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), and is a member of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA).

There are still nearly 150 chimpanzees in the lab who are waiting to come to sanctuary…waiting for a chance to explore the outdoors, to forage with friends, to stretch their limbs and climb around. You can help make this possible by making a donation to Project Chimps, sponsoring one of our amazing chimpanzees, or purchasing an item from our Amazon Wish List.

Chimpanzee photos by Crystal Alba.