Research Chimps Reunited after Separation in the Lab

Male and female research chimpanzees are reunited after being separated into same-sex groups in the lab. Watch them meet one another and play together in a forest for the first time at the Project Chimps sanctuary in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
You can support the chimpanzees and help Project Chimps introduce more groups of male and female chimps by sponsoring a chimp or donating today at projectchimps.org
Still photos by Crystal Alba.

[@phoenixrisingme]

A thousand lifetimes would not be enough to undo what's been done to these angels....💗

[@msmith2568]

Many thousands of lives have been saved because of it.

[@chimplove2006]

Angles? Do you see what these things do? They eat there own kill murder and kill humans to!

[@kokorox61]

@@chimplove2006 Because humans don't? By that "logic" all human race should be wiped off the face of the earth (and that would only be a good thing, anyway) being the most vile of all life on this planet.

[@cacogenicist]

@@msmith2568 - Ambivalence is not an unreasonable position. Hopefully the time is near when new bio-tech, like organoids, will make most all non-human primate experiments for the benefit of humans unnecessary. I would hope in the meantime there is a _very_ high bar that must be cleared to gain access to chimps. And I'm sure we can do a far better job housing and caring for the last of the lab chimps.

[@ireland1953]

I weep every time I see chimpanzees hugging each other for comfort and reassurance.

[@margaretlafleur90]

Give me two meals a day & a place to sleep. I will literally work for these chimps for the rest of my days.

[@kylehubbs651]

As many videos as you can create, we will watch. Its a dramatic story unfolding.

[@bevandron]

Why,why,why. So much technology out there. No need to put innocent through all this pain

[@brianhubis3988]

Im glad that we are giving them a good place to live now. They need to be together and have room to roam and forage. We owe them big for what they went through.

[@SpinSatx]

It always amazes me how human like they are... from being excited about being out of a cage, to comforting one another, to their language... simply amazing animals.

[@marianna8100]

They not like human! They has heart and wonderful feeling! people sucks! use this poor animal for resource and and many different way just for abuse them!

[@tammym7940]

Humans are so rotten but some humans are angels...we know who's who and so do these beautiful newly homed intelligent chimps.

[@katereid2721]

I love you guys and everything you do♥️♥️ GOD bless you all!!!

[@markrowe5992]

So wonderful. Thank you for caring for these fellows. What has been done to them and others is unforgivable.

[@jamesbarton2065]

My sister volunteers there and the love for those chimps are amazing 😉!!! That’s awesome 👏

[@PlayNiceFolks]

Would it be possible to install live video cams for more lengthy if not continuous video? I'm definitely going to donate as much as my budget allows. Watching these videos has literally enriched my soul quite a bit. They are the kind of thing that will bring an immediate smile to my face throughout my days as I remember what I've seen.

[@oldrvr]

So sad that they were used in research, and lived in captivity!😥

[@angelamakley4720]

Ooh y'all are just Angels for helping these precious babies !!!!!! I live in Fernandina Florida and no idea there is a sanctuary up there in Georgia. I would love to come and just see them and maybe give them all a hug !!!!! Thank you y'all and may you be blessed ten fold !!!!! Sending much love !!!💙💚💛💜🦍🦍🦍

[@winterweib]

You cannot give Chimps a hug, it is sadly way too dangerous. But I do I deed understand you :)

[@jillyd2807]

Thank you for doing what you do🤗

[@trevortaylor5501]

What we have done to animals is just so cruel. I know we can act better.

[@TheAnemarie]

where are all this chimps in 2020?

[@emilia6595]

Amazing work you do

[@AlexJacksonSmith]

The videos show what I can only, as an untrained eye, consider to be empathy, compassion, protection and fear. Is this normal or is it a consequence of their treatment or their proximity to humans in the labs? Do wild chimps behave in such a blatant fashion? Would really be interesting to know if they are, or have been forced by circumstance, or learnt to be like this! A.,

[@ProjectChimps]

Thanks for the question, Alex. Chimpanzees are capable of feeling and expressing a wide range of emotions, both in captivity and the wild.

[@petermoody6147]

To @AlexJacksonSmith - That you can observe these emotions demonstrates that they naturally possess them. No doubt their life experiences heightens them to a greater degree but their emotional and intellectual capcacity undoubtedly makes them susceptible to the same psychological and physical stresses that humans would likely be subject to after having endured such treatment. It is not unknown for chimpanzee mothers, in the 'wild', to carry their still-born offspring around on their backs, sometimes until mummification. The witnessed, documented and tragic case of Flo and Flint, although both 'wild' chimpanzees, highlight the depth of their capacities.

[@AlexJacksonSmith]

@@petermoody6147 Thx for sharing that.

[@petermoody6147]

To: @AlexJacksonSmith - You are most welcome.

[@swissmaid]

So, so glad, they are out of that lab hellhole! How inhumane, they suffered and suffered!! Thank-you for their new home, without pain and loneliness!

[@joanpetts1430]

God bless them all they shouldn't use the poor chimps there's no need for them to do that they could find another way bless them all there free now 🐒🐒❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@annatrog56]

I love to watch them. It brings tears to my eyes when I watch how excited and amazed they are, to be where they are.

[@trudergilds7044]

I am so . Wwwww . Love this animals. No mather what. I am gonna do somthing If u dont think seruoisj U

[@smokedoliver1]

You’re doing God’s work. God Bless you

[@blt4239]

It saddens me the way chimps were treated. We should feel obligated to provide them everything they need, to make up for the mistreatment.

[@daryl6659]

Poor things

[@elementel2699]

$22,000 a year to feed and care for each animal. Is there lots food grown within the sanctuary?

[@somosgenel]

Chimps in the Blue Ridge Mountains ???... And thus, Hillbilly Chimps were born.... In all seriousness, I think this is a great way to pay them back for the way they helped humans out.. Yes, I know that this is but a miniscule gesture... It be great if they all could be repatriated to Afrika. Sadly, this is NOT possible... At least in this new setting they will be capable of roaming freely..

[@Trump20244thewin]

Fingers in the mouth showing they trust each other. 💓

[@MariaGarcia-mq3rr]

God Bless u all.

[@elementel2699]

❤️ What kind of research/testing was being done on the chimps that are rescued?

[@linebrunelle1004]

do you wear makeup, perfume, other artifices? lotions and potions?

[@LonEr4evah]

❤ thank you to all those who worked and succeeded in freeing the chimps 👏

[@suziperret468]

Wow, so awesome that they finally got a chance to live a better life on their six acres...

[@MelindaPearson-o3c]

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE 😊😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@REPSDirect]

It's amazing they're still alive...

[@fredsnyder3063]

😁 once again compassion and love shine bright, thank you. Keep up the important work everyone.

[@lfselzler]

Only 6 acres. Should be bigger, just saying 🤔

[@pamelasharkey7653]

Sorry but thru my tears and incredible sadness for them and sheer happiness that this rescue happened i cant help but focus 9n the bastards who did and do this to these beautiful souls. I want them prosecuted and put in cages same size as theirs were. For 30 years!!!! Thats just me.

[@tiffinyanderson4403]

On their website they have a blog that gives the details of the introductions of the males and females and making a large community which I found interesting to read.

[@cybens1]

It’s so sad what we do to animals. They are only innocent creatures and we do nothing but abuse them.

[@howiegrossman1546]

I would give my life for them

[@secretariatgirl4249]

Bittersweet ...

[@TheBrickTavern]

Beautiful to see...

[@toshmarie3499]

Thank u for allowing them 2 mingle as it appeared in all da othr vids i've seen theyve remained separate. Prayers & blessings

[@shellos8]

It's shocking that it took the US Gov't until 2015 to stop using these beautiful animals for medical research. They never should have been in the first place! My heart breaks thinking about the horrors, the pain, the loneliness they were subjected to. I'm sure there were many who died in the name of "research". Thank you for giving them a safe home and taking care of them.

[@linebrunelle1004]

do you wear make up? perfume or other artifices? because they are often tested on chimps since they are our closest relatives.

[@jamesrougeau]

Amen...

[@alancarter8396]

Absolutely fantastic, such progress.

[@PaulJansen1972]

Why music at your video’s? For me the reason to stop watching your Chanel.

[@ProjectChimps]

Thanks for the feedback. Sometimes the audio is of poor quality or has loud, distracting sounds. We remove it and sometimes use music tracks instead.

[@lisawhiteman9780]

😍😍😍😢😢👍👍👏👏💝💝

[@ORUBAA]

Let the animals go.. Pure animal abuse.

[@flaminggarbage]

These are chimps that have been raised in captivity... they can't care for themselves.

[@jimbobojim4634]

Retired to their new maximum security prison.

[@8bennaboo]

So what do you suggest for them?

[@shirleyleavitt1833]

@@jimbobojim4634 are you paying for that 😶

[@AlphaGoII]

@@jimbobojim4634 They'll become bushmeat.

[@missapippin9020]

Project chimps is doing their very best for these chimpanzees that should never have been experimented on in the first place They can now live out the rest of their lives in safety Goodness knows what these sentient chimpanzees have had to endure A huge thank you to Project Chimps Org you are incredible people and work tirelessly for these chimpanzees. ❤️❤️❤️

[@jimbobojim4634]

@@shirleyleavitt1833 I'm sure if we lobbied enough, we could come up with the money.

[@jimbobojim4634]

It would be fantastic if you would start working to reintroduce them to the wild.... You know... Where they belong.

[@LauraTeAhoWhite]

Only for them to vulnerable to habitat destruction, poaching, and disease? It would be inhumane to release laboratory chimps into the wild as they may not be able to adapt in the wild. They appear to be very dependent on human care, so they're already in the best place possible where they are going to receive the best quality of life.

[@Ompe8]

Why would Africa want chimps used in lab experiments in America? Because they were used for laboratory experiments they can't be released for fear of contamination.