Friday, July 24, 2015

Battle to save the hugging chimps: Heartbreaking story of 66 apes and a baby 'abandoned' on island by medical firm after they finished experimenting on them

  • The New York Blood Center set up virus-testing laboratory in Liberia in 1974 and began trapping wild chimpanzees
  • Scientists infected them with diseases like hepatitis and 'river blindness' to help develop vaccines for the illnesses
  • It left the the facility in 2005 and cut the funding in March this year, despite 'promising to care for the chimps for life'
  • Chimps deserted on six small islands which have little natural food and are surrounded by undrinkable salt-water 
  • Animal protection charity now need £20,000-worth of donations every month to feed and care for the animals daily
  • New York Blood Center said it left after 'unproductive discussions' with Liberian government, during which time it incurred 'millions in costs'

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