Freedom for Great Apes, a Central Oregon sanctuary for primates, has closed its doors and transferred its remaining animals to a larger facility in Texas.

Four chimpanzees who lived in the Tumalo facility, — named Herbie, Emma, Jackson and CJ — were transferred to Primarily Primates, a 78-acre nonprofit animal sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas. The new sanctuary posted April 3 that all had arrived and were settling in. 

Freedom for Great Apes made the decision to merge with Primarily Primates as their chimp family in Oregon got smaller. Due to the animals’ social nature, the organization decided that integrating the chimps into a larger facility would be in the best interest of the animals. 

“When we learned that Primarily Primates, a larger primate sanctuary in Texas, had the capacity to expand and welcome the entire Freedom for Great Apes chimpanzee family, we knew that this was the most supportive and best step toward their future,” the Freedom for Great Apes board said in a statement. “This ensures the chimps, who were all exploited by the pet trade, have access to a setting that supports their well-being, fosters social engagement and provides lifelong care.”

Freedom for Great Apes primarily cared for chimpanzees who were rescued from the pet and entertainment industries. In Oregon, it is illegal to own primates. That includes chimps, monkeys, lemurs and more. Laws against private ownership of primates vary from state to state.

The nonprofit took over the sanctuary in 2017 from Chimps Inc. after employees and interns reported safety and labor law violations ranging from choking attacks to having fingers bitten off. At the time, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health administration reported employees “were exposed to physical harm including, but not limited to, amputations, choking, grabbing and biting from chimpanzees.”

After the transition, Freedom for Great Apes created a new emphasis on safety. Before the Freedom for Great Apes transferred its four remaining residents to Texas, all staff and volunteers had radios on hand at all times in the event of emergencies, among other safety precautions.

At their new home in San Antonio, Herbie, Emma, Jackson and CJ have an enclosure that was designed by staff to feel familiar and comfortable for them, with climbing areas and elevated vantage points.

“With open arms, Primarily Primates and its board of directors welcomes Herbie, Emma, Jackson and CJ as its newest residents to our Texas sanctuary,” said Priscilla Feral, president of Primarily Primates’ board of directors.

Primarily Primates currently cares for 29 chimpanzees in addition to about 170 other primates, including macaques, spider and patas monkeys, lemurs, vervets and capuchins. The animals in their care were all exploited either by the exotic pet trade or the research and entertainment industries.