On February 21st, 2006, The Ohio State University announced they were closing the 23 year old Chimpanzee Center where fascinating and important, non-invasive, insights into the chimpanzee mind were revealed. The researchers, carestaff, and chimpanzees formed an interspecies community and discovered that chimpanzees can can count, spell, communicate, solve problems, behave altruistically, and judge what humans and other chimps want, need, and even feel. In violation of a memorandum of understanding with Chimp Haven, OSU put the 9 chimps -- Kermit, Darrell, Sarah, Sheba, Bobby, Keeli, Ivy, Harper, and Emma -- and 3 capuchins, Jane, Rain, and Ulysses, on a truck with no care staff or veterinarians, and sent them to a substandard facility called Primarily Primates (PPI) outside of San Antonio, TX. The group was immediately separated. Within six weeks two chimpanzees, Kermit and Bobby, were dead and a capuchin monkey Jane, escaped and is presumed dead. Numerous experts agree that PPI cannot care for these animals and that some of them are in grave danger. On May 3, 2006, a lawsuit on behalf of the primates was filed which has led to the discovery of a great deal of information about the shocking conditions at Primarily Primates Inc. and the precarious status of the remaining members of Kermit's community. On October 13, 2006 the Attorney General for the state of Texas seized PPI and placed the dilapidated facility under receivership. On November 16, 2006 the 7 remaining chimpanzees of Kermit's Community were transferred to Chimp Haven. For more information and to learn how to help go to www.kermitscommunity.com.
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