Limbani the Chimpanzee Rescued! See How ‘Chimp Crazy’ and PETA Pressure Helped Lead to This Amazing Victory

Crazy victory! In the wake of HBO Max’s explosive docuseries Chimp Crazy and an escalating campaign by PETA, Limbani the chimpanzee has been rescued! Kept at the Zoological Wildlife Foundation—a notorious roadside zoo featured in Tiger King—he was one of the last chimpanzees in the U.S. kept in isolation from others of his own species. Now, Limbani is at the spacious, lush sanctuary Save the Chimps, where he will never be used for cruel photo-ops or exploited in any way ever again.

This win marks an even bigger milestone for PETA: Our work has contributed to the rescues of 25 chimpanzees from roadside zoos and the “pet” trade so far. PETA has pledged a donation toward his lifetime care at Save the Chimps, where he will be able to explore, play, climb, and socialize with others of his kind.

Limbani Endured a Life of Exploitation and Deprivation

Chimpanzees are highly social animals who, in nature, share lifelong bonds with their families. Limbani was torn away from his mother when he was just four days old and was forced to live alone since then. For years, the Zoological Wildlife Foundation exploited him for photo ops and dangerous public encounters. When the roadside zoo wasn’t treating Limbani like an Instagram prop, he was relegated to a small cage.

In 2020, the Zoological Wildlife Foundation was issued a warning by state authorities after Limbani bit a child. The facility was also instructed to stop allowing public contact with the chimpanzee, but evidence from social media indicates that it continued, even as he grew larger and more dangerous.

PETA’s Work Put Limbani’s Rescue in Motion

PETA submitted numerous complaints alerting state officials to Limbani’s continued exploitation at the Zoological Wildlife Foundation. And, after the release of Chimp Crazy—which put national attention on the dangers and inherent cruelty in private ownership of chimpanzees—PETA offered a reward of up $10,000 for evidence that would result in Limbani’s confiscation by law-enforcement authorities and enlisted nearly 200,000 of our members and supporters to plead for Limbani’s release.

More Rescues Are on the Horizon

To date, PETA has facilitated the transfer of 24 other chimpanzees—including seven who were held in solitary confinement; one who had eye issues after being held in the dark for years; and one whose teeth were all pulled to make him easier to handle—to accredited sanctuaries.

Limbani is the latest among the more than two dozen chimpanzees whose rescues PETA has helped facilitate—and he won’t be the last. YOU can help us by calling on your federal representatives to cosponsor the bipartisan Captive Primate Safety Act, which would ban private ownership, private breeding, and all commercial activity involving primates used in the pet trade.

PETA’s $10,000 reward still stands for information leading to the confiscation by law-enforcement authorities of any of the other (fewer than 100) chimpanzees across the country who are still languishing at roadside zoos or in the pet trade—including Bow, the last solitary chimpanzee held in a private home, and Ricky, a chimpanzee exploited for photo shoots and commercials by the notorious exhibitor Pam Rosaire-Zoppe.

Whistleblowers with information about Bow, Ricky, or other captive chimpanzees are encouraged to contact PETA.