Primarily Primates

Since 2007, Friends of Animals has managed Primarily Primates, a sanctuary in Bexar County, Texas, that was incorporated in 1981 and provides lifetime care for 300 + animals, mostly primates, including 32 chimpanzees.
PPI was the first organization that established a sanctuary for primates in North America and rescued chimpanzees requiring lifetime care after being used for medical research.

All of PPI’s primate residents were exploited and then discarded by the research and entertainment industries, zoos, as well as the exotic pet trade.

Many of the animals—including capuchins, spider monkeys, macaques and lemurs—led limited, dismal lives and many were kept alone in small cages prior to coming to PPI. Now they are housed in compatible groups and have same-species companionship. They get to live the rest of their lives with dignity and can make choices about how they want to spend their days.

PPI’s devoted staff supports all dimensions of animal life from diet to medical care to social and behavioral observations. PPI has an innovative enrichment program to promote natural wild behaviors and mental stimulation. To ensure each day is unique, staff provides daily food enrichment treats using a variety of ingredients and enrichment methods that allow the animals to resourcefully seek food as they would in nature. Additionally, sensory enrichment activities like burning incense, playing music and painting are also offered to stimulate animal residents and prevent boredom.

To learn more about Primarily Primates and the animals who reside there, click here to visit their website.