Hello, my name is
Ellie Mae

About Me

I was born August 13, 1988, at The Coulston Foundation research lab in Alamogordo, NM to my parents Linda and Cliff. I was raised by my mother for just over two years, and then on November 5, 1990, my mom and I were both anesthetized. When Linda woke up, I was gone. I woke up in a cage alone, separated from my mother forever. I was never assigned to a research study, although I was anesthetized up to four times a year for physicals. When I was eight years old, I was introduced to an unidentified “trainer breeding male” despite my young age. (Although chimpanzees can get pregnant at that age, a female chimpanzee in the wild typically would not have her first child until the age of 14.) Fortunately, I never became pregnant.

In September 2002, I was rescued by Save the Chimps, which took over The Coulston Foundation and gained custody of their 266 chimpanzees. Today I live on a spacious island home with my best friend Salina and other chimpanzees in my family called Tanya’s family. I am a very particular chimpanzee, preferring to keep to myself and my surroundings neat and clean. One of my favorite things to do is twirl like a ballerina from the toys in our bedrooms.