Chimpanzees, macaques, and other primates retired from biomedical research face significant rehabilitation challenges, and specialized sanctuaries provide welfare-centered care for these complex animals.
Primates retired from research carry the psychological scars of their laboratory experience. Social isolation, barren environments, and repeated experimental procedures cause lasting behavioral abnormalities including self-injurious behavior, stereotypies, and social deficits. Rehabilitation requires patient, skilled care in complex social environments. The welfare needs of post-research primates highlight both the costs of research use and the responsibility of researchers and institutions to provide for animals throughout their lives, including after research ends.