Primarily Primates, Animal sanctuary in Bexar County, Texas, United States
Primarily Primates is an animal sanctuary in Texas that houses over 300 rescued animals, including chimpanzees, lemurs, small primates, and birds that came from research facilities or the entertainment industry. The grounds are designed around the animals' needs, with no breeding, selling, or public performances of any kind.
The sanctuary was founded in 1978 and became the first primate sanctuary in North America, set up specifically to take in chimpanzees coming out of medical research programs. That founding changed the options available for rescued primates, offering a path that did not involve zoos or further experimentation.
The sanctuary shows how animals rescued from laboratories or the entertainment world can live without performing or being used for profit. Those who arrange a visit can hear from staff directly about how each animal is cared for on a daily basis.
The sanctuary does not offer public tours and is not open for drop-in visits, so reaching out to the staff in advance is the only way to learn what access might be possible. Contacting them directly also gives the best chance of finding out about volunteer programs or other ways to get involved.
Oliver, a chimpanzee who had toured the world as part of traveling shows, spent his final years at this sanctuary. Researchers had once studied him closely for the way he walked upright and carried himself, making him a well-known figure in scientific circles long before he arrived here.
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