Chimpanzees retired from biomedical research require specialized sanctuary environments that address the psychological trauma of isolation housing and provide social and cognitive rehabilitation.
The post-research welfare of chimpanzees is a long-term obligation created by their use in biomedical experiments. Animals that spent years in barren isolation cages often carry lasting behavioral and psychological effects that require skilled, patient rehabilitation. Social reintegration is a complex, months-long process that requires expert management. The ongoing cost of providing quality sanctuary care for hundreds of long-lived individuals is substantial, but is an ethical obligation that follows from the decision to use chimpanzees in research. Underfunding of sanctuary care is a continuation of harm that began in the laboratory.