Chimpanzees Used in Hepatitis B Experiments Receive Comprehensive Health Checks in Liberia

At a sanctuary in central Liberia, chimpanzees once used in hepatitis B vaccine experiments are receiving detailed medical care intended to help them live out their lives safely.

Veterinary teams at Humane World for Animals’ Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge carried out dental examinations, X-rays, blood tests, heart and lung checks, nervous-system assessments, booster vaccinations and nail trimming. The procedures took place under anaesthesia and will help veterinarians identify early signs of disease and prepare individual care plans.

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The health checks are a vital part of caring for these chimpanzees who have been through so much.

More than 400 chimpanzees were used by American researchers in Liberia between the 1970s and the early 2000s, according to sanctuary director Liliana Pacheco Ricote. Many were captured from the wild as infants and subjected to invasive procedures. Humane World for Animals assumed permanent responsibility in 2015 for the 60 animals that remained after the research programme ended. They now live mainly on mangrove-covered islands at the sanctuary.

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They were used in very invasive research ... and went through a lot of experiments and pain.

“The health checks are a vital part of caring for these chimpanzees who have been through so much,” said sanctuary veterinarian Belen Perez Hernando. The animals are now generally between 30 and 35 years old, but the full findings from the latest assessments are still being compiled. Their long-term health effects therefore remain uncertain.

Ricote said the physical and behavioural consequences of the experiments could still be seen in some chimpanzees. “They were used in very invasive research ... and went through a lot of experiments and pain,” she said. The sanctuary describes the programme as part of its effort to provide specialized care for the former research animals for the rest of their lives. “Seeing how much they hurt about what we’ve done, it gives me a lot of pleasure ... to give them this second chance to live with dignity the life that they deserve,” Ricote said.

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Seeing how much they hurt about what we’ve done, it gives me a lot of pleasure ... to give them this second chance to live with dignity the life that they deserve.