“Champions of Chimps”

Published Wednesday, July 7, 1999, in the Lexington Herald-Leader

Wilmore caregivers run refuge for dozens of primates from laboratories and zoos

By Karla Dooley HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER WILMORE — Donald ran screaming from the shelter at the Primate Rescue Center in Jessamine County yesterday afternoon.

He flung himself onto the fence encircling a large grassy enclosure and bared his teeth for TV cameras, as fellow chimpanzees Hazel, Victoria and Zulu followed.

The four aging chimps hadn’t set foot on grass in more than 20 years.

“They’ve never had access to this much space,” said April Truitt, who founded and runs the center with her husband, Clay Miller. She said the animals were exhibiting signs of both fear and excitement at their release.

Truitt and Sarah Boysen, director of the Chimp Cognition Lab at Ohio State University, rescued the animals in late 1997 from an owner who was unable to care for them.

They and another chimp, Debbie, had been living in a 20-by-25-foot concrete block building in rural northwest Georgia for about 20 years. There was no permanent water source, no veterinary care and no ventilation in their cages, which were piled high with excrement, Boysen said.

The chimps were moved to the rescue center last fall after spending six months recovering from malnutrition, oozing sores and other health problems at the Yerkes Regional Primate Center in Atlanta.

Debbie, the oldest female, died last winter after enduring years of an untreated respiratory ailment. She is buried near the enclosure where the animals with whom she spent her life played yesterday.

“Victoria, it’s OK, sweetie. It’s OK,” Truitt cooed as a chimp rocked gently back and forth, peering out at the crowd.

Although “Vicky” had lost much of her hair from so many years of unhealthy captivity, Truitt said she’ll gain some back and get a tan from playing in the sun.

The center, situated in a 25-acre valley, is home to seven other chimps, given by a biomedical research lab in New York, as well as 41 other primates, which came from labs, private owners or zoos across the country.

Miller said he and his wife started the sanctuary 10 years ago at their home, after realizing that their own monkey, Gizmo, was unsuited to life as a pet.

The facility is licensed and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Until last year, Miller and his wife had supplied all the support for the $1 million facility, which does not permit visitors. They decided last year to become a nonprofit organization to ensure that their work continues. They invited the news media to their center yesterday, hoping to generate interest -- and funds.

“Some of the monkeys will outlive us, and it has to be an entity that will live on,” Miller said.

The chimpanzee area is composed of a building with a playroom and sleeping areas. Wire tunnels connect it to the outdoor playground.

In addition to operating the rescue center, Truitt is lobbying to close what she called a loophole in the Endangered Species Act that allows such animals to be bought, sold and traded in the United States. “It’s like a finger in the dike,” she said, gesturing to the animals behind her. “The worst possible thing is that people still can buy and sell these guys.”

This summer, Donald, Victoria, Hazel and Zulu will be introduced to the seven younger chimps in hopes that they’ll form a community like those in the wild.

Hazel, who is obese, commandeered a watermelon and sat in the sun, poking the fruit’s red flesh out from between her lips, and Zulu, who is crippled, limped around exploring.

“Donaallld,” Truitt called as the large male showed his dominance by slapping and stomping atop the play area, a piece of watermelon in hand.

“These are the world’s luckiest chimps,” Boysen said.

If you’d like to help: The Primate Rescue Center is a non-profit organization. It accepts dedicated long-term volunteers, as well as monetary donations. Donations should be addressed to:

Primate Rescue Center Inc.
5087 Danville Road
Nicholasville, KY 40356