Great apes used in biomedical research have complex psychological and social needs that create profound welfare obligations for their care during and after research use.
The retirement of former research great apes represents a profound welfare obligation created by decades of research use. These individuals may have spent years in socially isolated laboratory conditions and carry lasting psychological effects of that experience. High-quality retirement care requires patient socialization programs, large outdoor spaces, complex social groupings, and veterinary support for age-related conditions. The challenge is funding — retirement can last 30-40 years per animal and requires sustained investment. Adequate funding for sanctuaries caring for former research apes is a moral debt owed by the research enterprise that benefited from their use.