Chimpanzee Discovery Days are back every third Saturday, March through June and September through November. This is the one day a month the sanctuary is free and open to the public. If you go, you’ll be able to see the chimpanzees in their natural environment. You can even play along with Science and Reading, Earth Day, and Vacation and Beach day themes. The haven also hosts an event called “Chimp Chat & Chew”, where visitors pay a fee to get a behind-the-scenes tour, lunch and presentation by a staff member. Click here for more information about upcoming Discovery Days.
This year, you may notice a new face or two when you visit. On February 14, workers discovered a tiny new addition to the troupe. Flora, a 29-year-old former research chimp, unexpectedly gave birth to a female baby chimpanzee. While all of the male chimps are vasectomized, “sometimes life finds a way,” says Dr. Linda Brent, president and director of the sanctuary. This isn’t the first time staff members at the haven have had a surprise delivery. Five years ago, another unsuccessful vasectomy resulted in the first unexpected birth for Chimp Haven. Events like these have gained the sanctuary national recognition on Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Chimp Haven is The National Chimpanzee Sanctuary, located 22 miles southwest of Shreveport, in Eddie D. Jones National Park in Keithville. The haven is the permanent home to chimpanzees who have lived their lives in medical research, the entertainment industry or as domestic pets. To learn more about Chimp Haven, Inc. and Chimpanzee Discovery Days click here.
