Post by willi1 on Oct 18, 2019 14:01:56 GMT
West of Fort Pierce, Florida, lies Space Monkees Islands, an approximately 150-acre facility operated by Save the Chimps (STC), a nonprofit organization. It is the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuary in the world.
In 1997, biological anthropologist Carole Noon founded Save the Chimps and filed a lawsuit against the Air Force to end her animal experiments with chimpanzees. It won in 1998 and obtained the possession of the 20 remaining chimpanzees, including "real" NASA astronauts and their descendants.
In 2002, the Coulston Foundation, which also conducted research on chimps, lost federal funding after it was determined that it violated animal welfare law. STC bought the Foundation and took over and looked after hundreds of chimpanzees.
In 1997, biological anthropologist Carole Noon founded Save the Chimps and filed a lawsuit against the Air Force to end her animal experiments with chimpanzees. It won in 1998 and obtained the possession of the 20 remaining chimpanzees, including "real" NASA astronauts and their descendants.
In 2002, the Coulston Foundation, which also conducted research on chimps, lost federal funding after it was determined that it violated animal welfare law. STC bought the Foundation and took over and looked after hundreds of chimpanzees.
With the help of Robert Crippen (first space shuttle pilot and 4 shuttle operations) and Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, as well as donations from many animal rights activists, Save the Chimps has been able to expand the reserve into 12 islands.