Sanctuaries provide lifetime care for chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat trade, retired from laboratories and confiscated from the illegal pet trade.
Chimpanzees in sanctuaries carry the accumulated trauma of human exploitation — research use, pet trade confiscation, or orphaning through bushmeat hunting. Meeting their needs requires specialist expertise, stable social groups, complex enriched environments, and decades of financial commitment. Many develop positive welfare indicators over time, including play, social grooming and curiosity, when given appropriate conditions. The sanctuary population represents both a welfare obligation — these individuals cannot fend for themselves — and an opportunity to demonstrate what excellent great ape care looks like. Supporting accredited sanctuaries is one of the most direct ways to improve chimpanzee wellbeing.