PRC Press Release

June 30, 1999

Jessamine County Primate Sanctuary to Release Rehabilitated Chimps

Nicholasville, Ky. (June 30, 1999) - Four chimpanzees whose feet have not touched grass in more than 20 years will finally be able to frolic outdoors thanks to the Primate Rescue Center (PRC) in Jessamine County.

The chimps will be reintroduced to fresh air and sunshine at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 6. The PRC staff rescued the abused and neglected chimps last year after they had been removed from a private owner in Georgia.

“These chimps were malnourished and in overall poor health when we learned about them,” said April Truitt, founder of the PRC. “Some of them had lost most of their hair and were so thin you could count their ribs. With the help of a veterinary team from Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, we were able to remove them from their squalid surroundings to safety. Since their arrival in Kentucky our staff and Dr. Dan Bowling our local vet, have nursed them back to health, and they are now ready to enjoy the grassy enclosure here at the Center.”

The PRC was founded over a decade ago as a small, private haven for unwanted former pets and retired research subjects. As Truitt’s awareness of the enormity of the problems facing captive primates grew, so did the number of incoming animals. The Center now houses more than 50 monkeys and chimpanzees and would soon be overrun if the doors could be opened to the many other primates in similar unfortunate situations.

Part of the problem, according to Truitt, is that people buy monkeys as infants, when they are cuddly and highly dependent. But once the animals reach puberty, most owners find them hard to control, and that’s where the problems begin.

“The exotic animal trade endangers many, many animals each year while making the breeders and dealers very wealthy people,” Truitt said. “One of our goals at PRC is to try to end this barbaric trade in primates and enlighten the public about the plight of these unfortunate animals caught in the middle of it.”

The PRC is a 501(c)3 corporation and depends on donations to keep it in operation. The cost is about $100,000 a year, which includes two full-time caretakers plus all the Monkey Chow and fresh produce the primates can eat. The housing includes both indoor and outdoor facilities with hydraulic doors and tunnel systems for traveling between the two.

The Center’s caretakers are educated and experienced in animal behavior, with degrees in biology and anthropology. Before joining the PRC, both studied chimp behavior in the wild and in captivity. While a core group of interns and volunteers support the staff, the PRC is in need of additional dedicated volunteers to assist with the long-term care of these animals. For information on volunteer opportunities, call 858-4866.

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