Chimpanzees are the most cognitively complex great apes kept in captivity, with welfare needs that can barely be met in any zoo setting and that require lifetime care at accredited sanctuaries.
Chimpanzees share approximately 98.7% of their DNA with humans and exhibit correspondingly complex emotional, social, and cognitive lives. A chimpanzee taken from its mother, isolated in a domestic setting, and deprived of chimpanzee social companionship does not simply adapt; it suffers psychological damage comparable to childhood trauma in humans. Many confiscated former pet chimpanzees never fully integrate with chimpanzee social groups and spend their lives in a state of social limbo that causes ongoing distress. This is why organisations working with chimpanzees emphasise rehabilitation and sanctuary over zoo display.