This year, the New York Blood Center (NYBC) abandoned a colony of 66 chimpanzees that it had used in research and testing for three decades. These animals, located in Liberia, West Africa, are now in danger of dehydration or starvation.
In the 1970’s, NYBC worked with the Liberian Institute for Biomedical Research to create Vilab II a laboratory that obtained and bred chimpanzees for use in research and testing. Once NYBC decided that the chimps were no longer needed for research, it was determined that they would be permanently retired on islands near the lab in Monrovia, Liberia. The chimps still live there today and are completely reliant on humans for their survival, as there is no natural fresh water supply throughout the year, nor enough food.
NYBC withdrew all funding and oversight for these chimpanzees in early March 2015, despite previously committing to a lifetime of care. Since then, the situation has quickly deteriorated. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International have given emergency funding to help provide food and water for the chimps, and several dedicated individuals on the ground are doing what they can to help these chimpanzees survive.
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