At the estimated age of 53, Boy is one of the oldest residents at our sanctuary. You can support his golden years by donating to our Giving Day for Apes campaign.
Like so many chimps rescued from medical research, he has somewhat of a mysterious past. The location of his birth and his parents are unknown, but it is possible that he was born in Africa. He spent some years at a research facility in Texas, and in 1982, he was sent to a now-defunct laboratory in New York State called LEMSIP, the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates. There he spent most of his life alone in a 5’ x 5’ x 7’ cage and was used in at least one biomedical research study. When LEMSIP closed in the 1990s, dozens of LEMSIP chimps, including Boy, were sent to the Coulston Foundation, a laboratory in Alamogordo, NM. It appears that he was used as a breeder there and fathered at least two children.
In 2002, he was among 266 chimpanzees rescued by Save the Chimps. He was found living alone in Building 300, dubbed “The Dungeon” due to its dark and miserable conditions. He showed signs of depression, often lying on his perch, and showing little interest in his surroundings. This came as no surprise, as his records indicate he had spent the bulk of his life alone, anesthetized at least 175 times over 20 years, and endured nearly 20 liver biopsies. The staff of Save the Chimps quickly removed him from isolation and introduced him to other chimps. He perked up immediately, becoming much more active and energetic, delighting in the company of his new chimpanzee friends.
He prefers the company of ladies over that of the males of the group. In January of 2010, his new chimp family took the journey of a lifetime to their new island home in Florida. While some of his family members were nervous on the journey, he laid on his back with his feet in the air, sensing that whatever was happening was well worth the effort. When they arrived in Florida, they learned they had a large island to explore. Boy loves relaxing in the sun and enjoys picking the cattails along the waterway to eat. His favorite activity is grooming, as long as he can find someone to sit still long enough to endure one of his marathon grooming sessions! It brings us joy to see Boy living his golden years to their fullest, on a sunny island with his family by his side. You can help support his golden years in sanctuary with a gift to our Giving Day for Apes campaign. Gifts of $500 or more will be matched, giving your gift twice the impact!
PS A great way to support our elderly residents and help us reach our goal is to create your own fundraising page! It’s easy and you can learn how with our fundraising toolkit. Your fundraiser can also help Save the Chimps win up to $2,000 from the sponsors! All fundraisers who raise more than $150 on their own fundraising page will get a free Save the Chimps tee shirt! Fundraise >>