Great ape sanctuaries across Africa provide refuge for orphans of the bushmeat and pet trade, requiring sophisticated social management to meet complex welfare needs.
Great ape welfare in sanctuaries requires understanding their complex social needs including dominance hierarchies, coalition formation, and individual personality. Trauma from witnessing family deaths requires appropriate recovery support. Cognitive enrichment through foraging challenges, social complexity, and novel objects prevents boredom in these highly intelligent species. The best sanctuaries provide genuine social groups in large, naturalistic enclosures.