Individualized Care Plans for Sanctuary Chimpanzees

For this quarter of Hot Topics in Primate Welfare, we are featuring the research of Dr. Andrew Halloran, the Director of Chimpanzee Behavior and Care at Save the Chimps in Florida. Dr. Halloran specializes in chimpanzee welfare and works to create personalized care plans to enhance the care and welfare of the more than 200 chimpanzees housed at the sanctuary. In the work we are featuring here, which was also presented at the 44th annual meeting of the American Society of Primatologists in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Halloran utilizes behavioral baselines to create, implement, and evaluate individualized care plans. Because Save the Chimps is home to 227 chimpanzees of diverse backgrounds, it is critical that individualized care plans address the specific needs of each chimpanzee based on an individual’s unique history. As such, behavioral baselines serve as the foundation of care plans that address behavioral issues. To learn more about this project, watch a video presentation about this program narrated by Dr. Halloran.

For additional information, please visit the Save the Chimps website.