CHIMPS ARE FASCINATING.

THEY'RE SO MUCH LIKE US, THEY HAVE A VERY SIMILAR THOUGHT PROCESS.

CHIMPANZEES ARE NATIVE, YOU WOULD STILL FIND THEM IN THE WILD, ALBEIT ENDANGERED IN AFRICA.

THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES FOR MANY GENERATIONS AT THIS POINT.

THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN USED IN VACCINATION, TESTING, DISEASE TESTING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE YOU KNOW, MORE FAMOUS CHIMPS THAT WERE USED AS THE FIRST ONES TO GO INTO OUTER SPACE.

AND WHILE THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES ARE BEING PHASED OUT, LABORATORY CHIMPS ARE THE FIRST ONES TO BE FULLY PHASED OUT.

BACK IN 2015, THE LAWS ACTUALLY CHANGED TO MAKE THAT ILLEGAL BECAUSE THEY WERE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES.

BUT SOME OF THE ADVOCATES THAT HAD BEEN WORKING TO GET THOSE LAWS IN PLACE FOR YEARS REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NOW A NEW PROBLEM WHILE THEY WERE CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF MAKING IT ILLEGAL FOR CHIMPS TO BE USED.

THEY NEEDED TO FIND A SOLUTION TO WHERE WERE THESE CHIMPS GOING TO LIVE?

THE CHIMPS NEED OUR HELP BECAUSE THEY WERE BORN IN CAPTIVITY AND RAISED BY HUMANS, SO THEY DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO LIVE OUT IN THE WILD.

THERE WERE OVER 700 CHIMPANZEES STILL IN LABS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

THEY NEEDED SOMEPLACE TO GO.

AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR SANCTUARIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO TAKE IN CHIMPANZEES, AND THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH SPACE, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FUNDS.

AND SO THIS WAS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHEN THIS LAND WAS DISCOVERED.

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES, ALONG WITH SOME PASSIONATE DONORS AND ANIMAL ADVOCATES, WERE LOOKING FOR A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD HAVE AN ANIMAL SANCTUARY WHERE THESE CHIMPS COULD RETIRE FROM RESEARCH.

THIS PROPERTY ACTUALLY USED TO BE OWNED BY INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOU AND I JUST A PRIVATE COUPLE, AND THEY HAD A LOVE FOR GORILLAS.

THEY CREATED THIS SANCTUARY FOR GORILLAS.

FORTUNATELY FOR GORILLAS, THEY'RE NOT REALLY USED IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY OR THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY, SO THEY ONLY EVER RESCUED ONE.

BUT THE WHOLE PROPERTY WAS ALREADY SET UP FOR GREAT APES.

SO THEY REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A GREAT LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD VERY QUICKLY TO PROVIDE HOMES FOR THE CHIMPANZEES THAT WERE LEFT WAITING AT THE LAB.

SO DONORS CAME ALONG, THEY ESTABLISHED PROJECT CHIMPS AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE FIRST CHIMPANZEES HERE WITHIN A YEAR AND A HALF OF GETTING THE PROPERTY.

REALLY, ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE AT PROJECT CHIMPS ARE COMING FROM ONE LABORATORY THAT IS A NEW IBERIA RESEARCH CENTER.

AND THEY HAD THE LARGEST POPULATION OF PRIVATELY OWNED CHIMPANZEES.

FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THEY KNEW WHERE THEY WERE, THEY KNEW THE PEOPLE THAT WERE TAKING CARE OF THEM, THEY UNDERSTOOD THE ROUTINE AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL THIS STUFF HAPPENS.

THEY'RE ON A VEHICLE.

THEY'RE DRIVING 14 HOURS TO A PLACE UNKNOWN WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE, AND THEY COME HERE AND NOW THEY'RE GREETED BY SOUNDS OF OTHER CHIMPS ALREADY HERE.

AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE.

AND YOU CAN ALMOST SEE THE TENSION AND THE RELAXATION COME AS THEY REALIZE IT.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO A HORRIBLE PLACE.

WE'RE NOT OPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS, LIKE A ZOO.

YOU MUST COME THROUGH ON A GUIDED TOUR.

AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SANCTUARY AND ZOO IS THAT A ZOO IS TYPICALLY OPEN ON A DAILY BASIS FOR YOU TO GO AND LEARN ABOUT THE ANIMALS AND HAVE A VERY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE HERE AT A SANCTUARY.

IT'S THE OPPOSITE.

IT'S MORE ABOUT THE ANIMALS AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND THEIR GROWTH PROCESS.

NOW WE DO RELY ON PRIVATE DONATIONS, SO OF COURSE WE WANT TO INTRODUCE THE CHIMPS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS TO COME OUT AND VOLUNTEER OR VISIT US AND ONE OF OUR EVENT DAYS.

SOME OF THE CHIMPS REALLY ENJOY THE HUMAN CONTACT.

SOMETIMES WE CALL IT THE HUMAN PARADE BECAUSE WE'RE SORT OF THEIR TV PROGRAM FOR THE DAY.

AND THEN SOME OF THE CHIMPS ARE NOT REALLY ALL THAT INTERESTED IN HUMANS, AND SO THEY DON'T INTERACT, WHICH IS TOTALLY FINE.

THEY HAVE SO MUCH SPACE IN THE HABITAT THAT IF THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE OR INTERACT WITH HUMANS, THEY CAN GO DO WHATEVER CHIMP THING THEY WANT TO DO.

IT'S JUST BEEN A REALLY INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE TO BE A PART OF EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SANCTUARY.

JUST IT FILLS MY HEART.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO BE.

THE CHIMPS HERE HAVE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND OTHER CHIMPS.

THEY HAVE A VERY COMPLEX SOCIAL STRUCTURE.

THEY'RE REALLY SMART.

BEING HELD IN CAPTIVITY REALLY IS BORING FOR CAPTIVE CHIMPS ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

IN THE WILD, THEY FORAGE UP TO 70% OF THE DAY AND IN CAPTIVITY THEY'RE PROVIDED ALL THEIR FOOD.

SO THEY NEED PLACES LIKE THIS WHERE WE CAN ENCOURAGE THEM TO TRY NEW THINGS AND GO OUTSIDE AND MEET NEW FRIENDS AND HAVE THEIR OWN CHOICES TO BE ABLE TO EXPLORE AND LEARN NEW THINGS.

YOU.

OR THEY'LL STAND UP AND CHIMPS ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT ANIMALS, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THEIR MINDS STIMULATED TO THE DEGREE THAT THEY WANT ENRICHMENT ITEMS ARE PUZZLES AND TOYS THAT WE CREATE FOR THE CHIMPS TO KEEP THEIR MINDS ACTIVE AND ENGAGED.

A MORE COMPLICATED ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY MIGHT BE A PUZZLE LABYRINTH WHERE THEY HAVE TO USE A STICK AND A DEVICE AND USE IT DIFFERENT TOOLS TO MANIPULATE SOMETHING.

THE CHANGE IN THE CHIMPS IS ALMOST IMMEDIATE WHEN THEY ARRIVE HERE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE MOST SIGNIFICANTLY WITH ALL THE CHIMPS IS THEIR PHYSIQUE.

WHEN THEY COME IN THERE, THEY ARE ON A DECENT DIET, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE EXERCISE IN THE FIELDS, IN THE YARDS.

THIS FACILITY PROVIDES SO THEIR MUSCLES ARE A LITTLE WEAK.

THEIR HAIR ISN'T AS GLOSSY AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT IT TO BE.

AND ABOUT SIX MONTHS IN YOU'LL REALLY START TO SEE THAT NOTICEABLE CHANGE WHERE BEING ON THE DIET THAT WE HAVE THE ACCESS TO THE SUNLIGHT, THE ACCESS TO THE FRESH AIR AND THE EXERCISE REALLY CHANGES THE WAY THEY CARRY THEMSELVES, THE SPEED THAT THEY CAN RUN, THE ENDURANCE.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY CAN SENSE THAT THIS IS A CALM AND NON-HARMFUL PLACE.

THE REASON THAT I LIKE OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT I WORK WITH, PROJECT HIM FEELS REALLY FULFILLING BECAUSE YOU WILL, IN THEORY, GET TO SEE THE END OF THIS IN IN OUR LIFETIMES , WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET ALL OF THE REMAINING CHIMPS OUT OF THE LABS OUT OF THEIR CURRENT SITUATIONS, HAVE THEM IN THE SANCTUARY AND WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE END OF IT.

CHIMPANZEES DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE IN WHAT WAS DONE TO THEM, BUT THEY HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH TO HUMANITY.

I AM BLOWN AWAY BY THEIR POWER OF FORGIVENESS.

AFTER ALL THAT THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH, THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO SHOW KINDNESS.

THEY'RE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN WILD CHIMPANZEES AND HUMANS.

THEY UNDERSTAND A GREAT DEAL OF HUMAN LANGUAGE AND BODY LANGUAGE, AND THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO BE A WILD CHIMP.

BUT WE REALLY WANT TO GET THEM OUT OF THE LABS AND INTO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH MORE CHOICE AND PLAY TIME AND INTERACTION WITH THE DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH.

AND WE'VE GOT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GOING TO BE 41 THIS YEAR.

THEY MAY NOT HAVE TOO MANY MORE YEARS LEFT.

I HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE JUST TEN YEARS OLD.

THEY HAVE A FEW DECADES LEFT.

IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO COME HERE IN PERSON AND SEE THESE CHIMPS EYE TO EYE, TOE TO TOE.

AND SEE YOUR WILD COUSIN AND NOT TO FORGET WHAT THEY SACRIFICED IN ORDER FOR HUMANS TO ADVANCE THE WAY THAT WE HAVE.