New York Blood Center is a U.S. based non-profit that provides blood, develops blood related products and conducts medical research. In the 1970s, NYBC partnered with the Liberian Institute for Biomedical Research to create Vilab II in order to obtain and breed chimpanzees for use in research and testing. Many of the chimpanzees used in NYBC’s research were captured from the wild or bred in the lab. After experimenting on the chimpanzees for decades and financially benefiting from their use, NYBC decided the chimps were no longer useful and retired them to six small islands on the nearby Farmington and Little Bassa rivers.

NYBC promised to ensure lifetime care for these chimpanzees. But, in March 2015—during the height of Liberia’s Ebola crisis—NYBC withdrew all funding needed to care for the chimpanzees, providing no realistic or lasting arrangement for them.

These chimpanzees have been through so much already, from the research they endured to deaths incurred during Liberia’s civil wars and, ultimately, the complete abandonment by the very organization that profited from their abuse.

When it was discovered that New York Blood Center had so irresponsibly abandoned the chimpanzees it had used in research for decades, many organizations from around the world banded together to ensure the chimpanzees received emergency care and hold NYBC accountable. We are incredibly grateful for the collaboration of so many wonderful groups and organizations!

The chimpanzees are now receiving a highly nutritious and diverse diet every day and are ensured fresh clean water. In addition, we have been able to implement a birth control program to prevent additional pregnancies. One of the most significant improvements made possible by your support has been the development of a paid team of individuals responsible for the daily operations of our work in Liberia. Many of our current team members have been working with these chimpanzees for decades and, when NYBC halted all funding, continued to care for them and keep them alive without pay. In the past year, we’ve been able to acquire much needed equipment including a boat and motor to deliver daily food to the chimpanzees.

We urgently need your help to fulfill our commitment to provide these chimpanzees with the highest quality care and the lifetime sanctuary they deserve.