Starving Liberian Chimps Saved by $6 Million Deal

Earlier this week, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) announced that it had come to an agreement with New York Blood Center (NYBC) regarding more than 60 chimpanzees who NYBC left to die on islands in Liberia in 2015. NYBC agreed to contribute $6 million—half of the funds needed—for the long-term, daily care of the primates it used for animal experiments. HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle said that the deal “provides financial resources for the careful stewardship of these chimpanzees, who deserve every measure of human mercy after the travails they’ve endured.” Pacelle reveals that HSUS will use the funds to set up an endowment for the animals, expand and improve sanctuary facilities, and work with animal care specialists on the ground in Liberia—as well as the government—to assure the chimpanzees are receiving proper care for the entirety of their estimated 40-year lifespans. HSUS is working in partnership with several other animal-rights organizations and individuals including Humane Society International, the Jane Goodall Institute, and sister actresses Kate and Rooney Mara to end the suffering these chimpanzees have endured.