From CBSnews.com: Meet Crystal, a 25-year-old chimp who remains playful despite having been infected with HIV years ago as part of biomedical research. She’s one of countless chimps who have been used to study diseases ranging from polio to malaria to high blood pressure. But as scientists find new research methods, the role of chimps is declining – and the apes are aging.
Where do the chimps go to retire? The lucky ones (including Crystal) end up at Chimp Haven, a chimpanzee sanctuary in Keithville, Louisiana. There, 132 chimpanzees – many with chronic health issues – live in an environment that simulates life in the wild but also provides the apes with veterinary care. There’s no shuffleboard, but the senior chimps keep active.
Click the link to meet 17 residents of the sanctuary, as described by the caregivers at Chimp Haven:
