Chimpanzee sanctuaries across Africa provide lifetime refuge for hundreds of orphaned and confiscated chimpanzees who cannot be returned to the wild.
Chimpanzee sanctuaries address some of the most acute welfare needs in African wildlife care. Orphaned chimpanzees arrive severely traumatised — having witnessed their mothers' deaths, often malnourished and carrying disease. Sanctuary staff provide intensive psychological and social rehabilitation, including mother-substitute relationships for young infants. The long-term goal is social reintegration into stable sanctuary groups where chimpanzees can express species-typical social behaviours including grooming, play, and coalition formation. Funding is chronically insufficient relative to the scale of need; many sanctuaries operate near capacity with limited resources. The bushmeat trade continues generating new orphans faster than sanctuaries can absorb them.