Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives and share approximately 98.7% of human DNA. Their welfare in zoo settings demands the most sophisticated management of any species.
Chimpanzee welfare in captivity raises some of the most profound questions in animal ethics. Their cognitive sophistication, emotional complexity, and self-awareness make the conditions of captivity morally weightier for chimpanzees than for less cognitively sophisticated species. The welfare standards required for genuinely good chimpanzee welfare are correspondingly high: large, complex social groups with appropriate age and sex composition, extensive environmental enrichment, positive reinforcement training for healthcare procedures, opportunities for problem-solving and social complexity, and management that respects individual chimpanzee preferences and agency. The phase-out of chimpanzee use in biomedical research in many countries reflects growing moral recognition of their status. Zoo chimpanzee welfare deserves equivalent moral seriousness.