HSUS Says they Will [finally] Be Committing $20 million to Project Chimps
Animals in Labs Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM Progress for Science
January 2022

With cautious optimism, we hope these funds will be used to upgrade the facilities and enhance care practices that impact the chimps’ day-to-day lives.

On January 10, 2022, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) published a press release announcing it will be committing $20 million to Project Chimps - $5 million in 2022 toward the creation of a new habitat space for the chimpanzees and $15 million in operational support to be distributed evenly over the course of 10 years. HSUS’s pledge comes 1.5 years after the activist groups Chimps Deserve Better, Progress for Science and Their Turn launched a national pressure campaign calling for improved living conditions, enhanced veterinary care, and increased outdoor access at the sanctuary.

We thank each and every dedicated activist who participated online and in person to help us make change possible. Without you, we would have been silenced many months ago.

We appreciate that HSUS is acknowledging its responsibility to Project Chimps and its plans to donate a significant amount of money to improve the sanctuary. With cautious optimism, we hope these funds will be used to upgrade the facilities and enhance care practices that impact the chimps’ day-to-day lives. While a new habitat space is greatly needed, it cannot be created overnight. We would like to know how Project Chimps will provide the existing chimpanzees with increased access to the current habitat in the weeks and months that lie ahead. We would also like to know if and how HSUS’s donation will impact the quality of vet care and facilities at the sanctuary.

Money can solve many, but not all, problems at Project Chimps. We are concerned that foundational and cultural issues will continue to compromise the sanctuary. Inexperienced management, a toxic workplace environment, and crowded conditions for resident chimpanzees cannot be fixed with money. These problems require a long-term, dedicated and reflective approach, which has never been used at the sanctuary.

Again, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for supporting us and the chimpanzees for the past year and a half. This must be seen as a significant step forward, but not the end-all solution. For now, we acknowledge the progress that HSUS and Project Chimps are making while keeping a watchful eye on the realities of day-to-day life for the chimpanzees at this sanctuary.

We’re still here, and we’re still watching. The chimps deserve better – and we’re getting there. 

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