Sanctuary Stories
The Stoic Research Chimp Who Finally Made It Out
Kareem spent his entire life in research facilities — now he’s focused on being a gentle leader in his new community
In 2015, the use of chimpanzees in biomedical research in the US legally came to an end. The change came after a two-year phase-out period, before and during which many chimps were moved around various facilities throughout the country, while others, sometimes in secret, were ushered off to sanctuaries.
For one chimp, Kareem, who had spent nearly thirty years in research, primarily for hepatitis, the law couldn’t change fast enough. Though he did ultimately find his way to Project Chimps sanctuary, in the mountains of North Georgia, executive director Ali Crumpacker says that his unique stoicism worked against him, keeping him in research longer than many others.
Originally a gorilla sanctuary, the move to acquire and refurbish the empty property that would eventually become Project Chimps was born out of great necessity. “The world didn’t really need a gorilla sanctuary,” Crumpacker says. “A handful of gorillas were used in research, but they weren’t good models for many reasons,” she explains. “There wasn’t a surplus of gorillas in captivity outside of zoos.” On…
