0:00:02 > 0:00:05This programme contains scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06This is Chimp Haven,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08the American National Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Louisiana.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10- Now who's this?- That's Agnes.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Agnes. Well, hello.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Meet extrovert Whitney,
0:00:15 > 0:00:1824-year-old shy and retiring Jill,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20and playful teenager Tessa.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24These girls are no ordinary chimpanzees.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29They've spent their entire lives in laboratories
0:00:29 > 0:00:32being used for medical research.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34It's a hell of an autobiography, isn't it?
0:00:34 > 0:00:37- Data and... - Absolutely.- ..procedures.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42In 2015, the US government ended all testing on chimpanzees.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Now, 550 chimps are leaving the labs forever
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and moving to new homes where
0:00:49 > 0:00:52they'll have experiences they've never had before.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Tree climbing!
0:00:54 > 0:00:55SUE GASPS
0:00:55 > 0:00:57That makes me so incredibly happy.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00It's time for us to give them a great retirement.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I'm going to have to, I'm afraid, look at some of those costumes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05There are some good ones. We have a big giant banana.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06Of course you do.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08To follow their rehabilitation...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12..as they adjust to their new forever home.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16That was to the face. I won't lie.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I do know how you feel when you look at an animal
0:01:19 > 0:01:21and they look right back at you.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24That I do know, and how brilliant that is.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27I'm here to meet Whitney and her gang of girls...
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Jill, Martha, Paula!
0:01:31 > 0:01:34..as they prepare to meet a group of boys
0:01:34 > 0:01:37for the very first time...
0:01:37 > 0:01:40..and hopefully form a family troop.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43It's like they've been waiting for each other all their lives,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46you know, it's like it's completed the group.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50I want to find out if there really can be life after the lab.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52They had a little kiss. I can't bear it.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So, it was just 18 months ago that the federal government
0:02:10 > 0:02:12here in the States finally decided to retire all the chimps
0:02:12 > 0:02:16being used for experimentation in medical facilities.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And they're going to come here to a retirement sanctuary
0:02:19 > 0:02:20known as Chimp Haven.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23And of course I'm excited to get to see the chimps up close.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25It's something I've always wanted to see,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27but there's a degree of fear within me because in doing so I'm going to
0:02:27 > 0:02:30have to actually confront their back stories.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I'm going to have to find out what we did to them,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35what sacrifices they made for us,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and ultimately, on balance,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39whether or not it was worth it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Is it possible for a 47-year-old woman to be too excited?
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I think it is.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52I'm feeling it.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54PHONE RINGS
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- Chimp Haven, may I help you? - Hey, this is the BBC team.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01OK.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Already I feel like I'm going to have to emotionally pace myself
0:03:03 > 0:03:05cos I nearly burst into tears just at the signage.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07"Chimp Haven - a new beginning."
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Let's not throw all the tears into the mix before we start.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Oh, man, I can see chimps.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Hello!- Hello.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- You must be Sue.- You must be Amy.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33- Yes, I am.- It's good to see you. I'm more of a hugger.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I'm meeting Amy Fultz.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38co-founder of Chimp Haven and head of behaviour.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Already I'm very drawn...
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- Yeah?- I've seen my first chimp.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Is that a good kicking off or a bad kicking off?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- Yes. It's a good kicking off. - OK, good.- Always good.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52For almost a century,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56humans have subjected our closest animal relatives to medical testing,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01in search of cures for diseases like polio, HIV and hepatitis.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Amy, is it wrong that I feel very at home in this outfit?
0:04:07 > 0:04:08- You look great.- I'm feeling it.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I'm running a sort of Holby City vibe. This is good.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- So, take me to the operating theatre, I'm ready to go.- All right.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19In the '90s, as the UK banned testing on chimpanzees,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21US research reached a peak,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24with 1,500 chimps living in labs across the States.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Chimps have been retired to Chimp Haven for the last 12 years,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35but since testing ended, new arrivals are increasing rapidly.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39It's now home to 214 chimpanzees.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- They're saying hello.- Hello.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50That's Agnes.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Agnes. Well, hello. What gives?
0:04:52 > 0:04:53Good girl, Agnes.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I think that's why I'm so drawn to chimps.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58It's like you mirror them, they mirror you, yeah.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Like you would with a child, you know?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I have always been against animal testing
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and have deliberately avoided talking to anyone
0:05:06 > 0:05:09involved in that world.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12However, Amy first started working with chimpanzees
0:05:12 > 0:05:15in a laboratory in the early '90s.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17I was actually a behavioural person.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I was a research assistant doing behavioural work.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25Part of my job was helping the chimpanzees to psychologically
0:05:25 > 0:05:30be happy as well as, you know, the veterinarians taking care of the physical care.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31You see, damn you, Amy.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34You're the first person I've actually met
0:05:34 > 0:05:37who's worked with laboratory champs, and in my head you're demonic.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39AMY LAUGHS You can't be a decent person
0:05:39 > 0:05:44who wants to... Who wants to provide aftercare for these animals.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47You're the bad guy. How dare you be so nice and considered?
0:05:51 > 0:05:56So, we're going to go meet our six newest girls, Whitney's group.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- Whitney's group?- Whitney's group, yes.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00They're getting ready to meet some boys for the first time.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- And when the last time the boys saw girls?- I don't know.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06OK. That, that's going to be
0:06:06 > 0:06:08a heady surge of testosterone coming at you, then.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Whitney and her girls arrived from a laboratory in New Mexico,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17where they lived together for ten years.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Usually when the chimps are introduced to one another
0:06:19 > 0:06:22they have to establish who's going to be the boss.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And that may end up being one of the girls in this group.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28We have some very strong female personalities...
0:06:28 > 0:06:29- Do they?- ..in this group.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33And we also have a strong male personality in Pierre,
0:06:33 > 0:06:34so there might be a little bit of...
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- Pierre?- Pierre is one of the boys.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Oh. Do you know what? I am gagging on meeting Pierre.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Pierre has already piqued my interest.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- Are you ready?- I'm absolutely ready.- Great.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53New arrivals spend three weeks in quarantine,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55where their health is assessed.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59The next stage for the girls is to be gradually introduced to the boys.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02OK, Lindsay. I want to introduce you to Sue.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Hey, Lindsay, I'm Sue. Good to see you.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05- Sue.- Can I see them?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- Sure.- Or can we go straight in? What's the procedure?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Well, we need to get on what we call PPE,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11which is personal protective equipment.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14One thing that probably Lindsay and I both agree on
0:07:14 > 0:07:16when you're meeting these guys,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19it's good to sort of make yourself a little bit smaller.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20You can nod to the chimps.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22So I'm just doing a sort of, crab like...?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24THEY LAUGH
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Once they kind of get used to you, but you're just making yourself
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- kind of small.- Sure.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31You can also reach your hand out.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33So, firm like that, or more like that?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- Kind of like that.- Like you're being submissive.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I'm just in the shadow of quite a large biohazard sign.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39That always very reassuring.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43These chimps have been used in hepatitis and HIV studies
0:07:43 > 0:07:44in the past.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- So, another reason for all of the...- Sure.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- Let's do it.- All right. Ready?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Oh, man, I'm so excited.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Pierre and his boys have been waiting six years
0:07:57 > 0:08:00for the right group of chimps to be introduced to.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I think the girls are on the right, the boys are on the left.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05They've been placed in holding pens opposite one another
0:08:05 > 0:08:07to get acquainted from a safe distance.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11CHIMPS RATTLE CAGES
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Already you can see the difference between the girls and the boys.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30The girls have taken on their role of, lay low.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I just got a good bit of spit on me, that's good.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39AMY LAUGHS
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- The spitter was who?- Well, Pierre is usually the spitter.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49He's going to tell you that he's the boss.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50Yeah, I believe him. I believe him.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53He probably will do that a lot of times whenever you're in here.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56But for all those people who look at chimpanzees and say, "I want to hug one,"
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- just the power, the raw power.- Exactly.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02You realise how strong they are. You've entered their area.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- For sure, this is their bedroom. - Their bedrooms.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- Exactly.- In terms of looking directly at a chimp,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10particularly the male chimps, is that advisable?
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I wouldn't look directly in their eyes,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14it's a form of, you're challenging them.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16- Sure.- So, you kind of just want to look around them,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19but you can look at the girls, you know,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23it's more for the alpha males and things like that.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Yeah.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Did you...?- So that's sort of like a greeting, is it?- Exactly.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31That's way better than spitting.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Yeah, can I just say, lads, you should be ashamed of yourselves.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- Yeah, he's got a mouthful of water. - Oh, yeah.- You're in trouble.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40CAGES RATTLE
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Oh!
0:09:42 > 0:09:44And I was even shielding you.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46THEY LAUGH
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- That is Pierre.- Oh, that was Pierre, yeah.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54- That is Pierre.- And it's kind of warm, too.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- I think he held it in his mouth for a little while.- Oh, that's good, yeah.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Chimps usually don't spit in the wild.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02That's something that is kind of, they do in captivity.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04It just, it's to get your attention.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07They probably want to say hi in their own way.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08I mean, there are different ways.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Look, I mean this technique is much more effective at me saying hello.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- Yeah, it's way better. - Just nodding.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Jill, she's the sweet one.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17She lays back really quiet.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18She watches out for her group.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21She alarm barked whenever the boys were about to spit on you,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23so she has your back, too.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Jill. Jill, you are fast becoming my favourite.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29You sort of come in first of all with Whitney, whose giving it some,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31but it's... You stay for Jill.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I'm no behaviourist, but I'm thinking that Jill's pretty relaxed now.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36We've got Jill to a very chilled-out space.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- She's relaxed, yeah.- That I'm happy with.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Yeah, exactly.- Jill, you've taken my heart.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I can't leave Jill now. I'm overinvested.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47CAGE RATTLES
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Whoa.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And Pierre once again.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55That was to the face. I won't lie.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- That was...- He gets his point across that he would like your attention.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- Well, yeah.- He's like, "Stop turning your back on me."
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I'm all yours, pal.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04What's next?
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Very submissive. Please don't spit on me again.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12You go into an environment like that and you've got no idea what
0:11:12 > 0:11:15you're going to get, and it was so intense. It was frightening.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Properly frightening.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19When those male chimpanzees start throwing things
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and start smashing at the bars,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23the primal part of your brain just wants to run.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Run, run, run, because they are dangerous animals.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29But then just when you're dealing with all that,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I had this extraordinary connection with Jill,
0:11:31 > 0:11:32and it's just lovely.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34I don't understand anything about genetics,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38but I do know how you feel when you look at an animal
0:11:38 > 0:11:41or a fellow human and they look right back at you.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43That I do know. And how brilliant that is.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47If all goes to plan,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50the hope is that Jill and Pierre's groups will live together in a
0:11:50 > 0:11:53mixed-sex troupe just as they would in the wild.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Eventually, they'll move into one of the three forest enclosures
0:11:58 > 0:12:00at the heart of the sanctuary.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- Where is this?- So, we're at one of our forested habitats.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It's approximately four acres.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Part of Chimp Haven's ethos
0:12:10 > 0:12:14is that we allow the chimpanzees to be chimpanzees.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17All the chimpanzees at the sanctuary
0:12:17 > 0:12:20are still reliant on humans for food.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Hey, Mark, we are ready for the Robinson release, please.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27They've been waiting in their bedrooms while staff
0:12:27 > 0:12:28distribute their dinner.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Oh, there they are, there they are, there they are!
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Great.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41When we started Chimp Haven we didn't really know
0:12:41 > 0:12:43how these habitats would work,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47cos the chimps really hadn't had access to a forest.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50And we were pleasantly surprised.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The second day that they were in the habitat, this group...
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It's a very different make-up now, over the years,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00but they were climbing trees, and within a month we had found
0:13:00 > 0:13:04the first nest. So, the habitats work.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Oh.- Tree, tree climbing, tree climbing!
0:13:11 > 0:13:12That's a lovely sight.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Look how high she's climbing.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18SUE GASPS
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Look at that. That makes me so incredibly happy.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25It is magical to watch these captive-born chimps climbing trees,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Something they would've never before coming here.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- Isn't that beautiful?- Yes, it is.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And wouldn't it be great if one day Jill and her group
0:13:35 > 0:13:37could pick up these skills, too?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Why isn't it possible to take these animals back
0:13:52 > 0:13:54to environments in Africa?
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Well, first of all, chimpanzees are an endangered species...
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- Yeah.- ..and part of the reason that they are endangered is because we're
0:14:00 > 0:14:03losing habitat. They're also a territorial species,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06so they might not be welcomed into a chimpanzee group.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- You can't just plunk them back into...- Right.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10But I think more importantly,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13most of the chimpanzees here have been raised in captivity,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15with people providing their food.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20So, trying to kind of take them from this captive environment
0:14:20 > 0:14:24into the wild might be a really big challenge.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28To prevent the mixed-sex groups breeding,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31all male chimps are given vasectomies,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33but staff discovered it doesn't always work.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38We do have what we call some oops babies in this group.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43Three half-sisters, Tracy, Natalie
0:14:43 > 0:14:44and Valentina Rose.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46And their father was Conan.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And then our youngest is approximately six-month-old,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52named Carly.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- There's the baby.- Where, where? - Little hands under the belly.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- Walking.- No way!
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Part of the reason that we don't want them to reproduce
0:15:04 > 0:15:06is because they live a long time.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08They can live up to 60 years.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12And every birth of a baby could potentially take the place
0:15:12 > 0:15:14of a chimpanzee being retired from research.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I would just be going, "Yeah, billions of babies,
0:15:19 > 0:15:20"beautiful chimp babies!
0:15:20 > 0:15:22"Let's restock the world!"
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Jill and the girls are due to be introduced to Pierre
0:15:30 > 0:15:34and his boys and ten days' time.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Amy, I just wanted to, like,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38find out a little bit more about introductions.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42It might seem as simple as chimp A meet chimp B,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46but of course there's a whole network of complexity that surrounds that.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Yeah, the planning actually starts very early.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53We have to get to know the chimpanzees and determine
0:15:53 > 0:15:55what family is going to be best, sort of, for them.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58What was it about Whitney's group that made that the perfect fit?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I think particularly that they are so cohesive with one another.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07They are such a group of very strong-willed girls.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11With Pierre's group, Pierre's very dominant.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Very dominant!
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- You know, Jill is a little more timid.- I know.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20And so say Pierre decides that he wants to bully her a bit.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23My guess is that then Whitney and Paula...
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- Martha...- ..and Martha, yes, are all going to come to her aid.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29When you introduce the group,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33what sort of behaviours will you be looking for?
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Chimps, just like people, touch is very important.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41Something that happens that's, you know, maybe harder for people
0:16:41 > 0:16:43is that chimpanzees sometimes fight.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47That's sort of a worst-case scenario situation.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Chimpanzees can be killed.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I don't think I'd adequately taken onboard
0:16:56 > 0:16:59how much process there is in taking
0:16:59 > 0:17:02a chimp that is only used to a sterile laboratory environment
0:17:02 > 0:17:06and then gently weaning it off its relationship to man
0:17:06 > 0:17:09so that it can live in social groups in the forest.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18Those girls, Whitney and her crew, and lovely, gorgeous, lovely Jill,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21are embarking on a new phase of their lives.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It's a humbling thing to see them at the start of retirement,
0:17:24 > 0:17:25learning all these new things.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And move from these almost, like,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31holding pens where they are now, awaiting introductions,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34into one of those extraordinary forested habitats
0:17:34 > 0:17:37where they can live the rest of their lives peacefully
0:17:37 > 0:17:39in the way they should.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03With Jill and Pierre's groups set to be introduced
0:18:03 > 0:18:04in eight days' time,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07I want to learn more about the unique relationship
0:18:07 > 0:18:09the staff have with their chimps.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15The sanctuary has a dedicated enrichment team
0:18:15 > 0:18:19who provided toys to engage and entertain the chimps.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21They also give them special feeding devices
0:18:21 > 0:18:24which replicate foraging in the wild.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Hello. Are you Leilani?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- I'm Leilani.- I see. Nice to see you. - Nice to meet you.- How's it going?
0:18:34 > 0:18:35- Good, good.- Good.- How are you?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37I'm really good. So, this is your special closet?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Yes, this is the closet of fun.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40What the hell's it for?
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Well, it has all of the puzzle-related feeding devices,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47but also some of the non-food related stuff,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51so the skirts and the puppets and things they like to look at.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54We have bubbles for bubble machines.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Of all the things I expected to be involved in chimp fun...
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- Yeah.- This is like a sort of, a sort of waist adornment and you just...
0:19:02 > 0:19:04What would you do with that for chimps?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Well, you dance. Like, to a drum.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Does that happen a lot in the wild? LEILANI LAUGHS
0:19:09 > 0:19:12You just find that sort of rogue women walk up,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15come out of the forest with sort of heavily jewelled pants on
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- and just give it some?- No. No.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21The reason we do unusual things like that is because in the wild
0:19:21 > 0:19:25you would encounter several different scenarios
0:19:25 > 0:19:28as you trek through.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31In the wild, chimps are stimulated by the search for food
0:19:31 > 0:19:35each and every day. Here, the team have to find more creative ways
0:19:35 > 0:19:37to engage their curiosity.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42What on earth have you got above the foragers?
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Those are DVDs.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45And we have some other DVDs over here,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48which is the Planet Earth and then the Bollywood,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51which is Pierre's favourite movie.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- It's Bride And Prejudice.- So, let me just... That was quite a lot to take on board.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Pierre's favourite is the Bollywood classic, Bride And Prejudice?
0:19:58 > 0:20:02- Yes.- What does he do when he... When he sees Bride And Prejudice?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Well, any Bollywood,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08but Bride And Prejudice in particular, he likes to just watch.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11I think that it has something to do with the fun dancing
0:20:11 > 0:20:13and the singing.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Garfield. Who likes Garfield?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- Oof. Um...- I mean, obviously... - The babies do.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Obviously everyone loves Miss Congeniality 2.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- LAUGHTER - That one's actually less popular.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23Yes, well, that's a hell of a selection.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26So, are you working on new outfits? LAUGHTER
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- You've got a whole raft...- We actually have, like, we have costumes.- Oh, I knew you would.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- And masks.- I'm going to have to, I'm afraid, look at some of those costumes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- I know it's a climb, but I... - Oh, there's...there's some good ones.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- We have a big giant banana. - Of course you do.- And...- Up we go.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Let's go. This is good. - That's the banana.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42This is great. This is great.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45I don't even know what that is. Oh, I think we have a gorilla outfit
0:20:45 > 0:20:46somewhere. Yeah, that one.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Yeah, no, I feel... I personally feel enriched.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56I don't know how a chimp would feel, but I feel thoroughly enriched.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58LAUGHTER
0:21:03 > 0:21:05SHE PLAYS "TIWNKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR"
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Bearing in mind, when I arrived, the folks at Chimp Haven said that
0:21:18 > 0:21:21their mission was to get chimps turned as much as they possibly
0:21:21 > 0:21:23could into their wild state,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27it seems deeply ironic that I've spent most of the day dressed as a
0:21:27 > 0:21:29banana, playing the steel drum.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35- No clapping!- Jill's looking as if she feels suicidal. LAUGHTER
0:21:35 > 0:21:36But, to be fair to them,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39what they're trying to do at least is replicate the stimulus,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42the constant stimuli that these chimps would have,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and, you know, by any means necessary.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47So, good for them. It entertains them, it entertains the chimps.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49It keeps them quiet, it keeps them engaged.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51And to be honest, I've got to go, cos I've got a Zumba class
0:21:51 > 0:21:53with Hulk, so adios.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Looking after chimps is expensive.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03It costs 18,000 a year to look after one animal,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07and they get through two and a half tonnes of food every week.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11We have a diet board, which we'll be looking at and we'll be kind of
0:22:11 > 0:22:13- going through.- They have a menu!
0:22:13 > 0:22:15- Yes, they have a menu.- They eat better than I do!
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- Absolutely.- Look at that! - They eat better than a lot of us.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22One thing that's always the staple is the banana. They're going to get that banana in every single bucket,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- because that...- That's contractual for chimps.- Yes.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27They will not work if there's no bananas on the horizon.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Yes, that is the highest value item we have. Number of chimps
0:22:29 > 0:22:32in the bucket. You'll put that number of bananas in the bucket.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- That I can do.- OK? I might sneak a fruit in there, extra for him.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- So everybody loves Pierre? - Yes.- What it is about, I mean obviously the name...
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Everybody, when they meet Pierre, are kind of intimidated by him
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- because he does a lot of displays and he spits. - He does a lot of spitting.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48And he looks very intimidating when he gets all kind of erect and he's all poofy.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50But he has the heart of a teddy bear.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57Pierre and his friend Murphy were taken from West Africa as infants in
0:22:57 > 0:23:04the 1970s, to be used in US labs for hepatitis B and HIV research.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07CHATTERING
0:23:07 > 0:23:08When the lab closed,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11both chimps were moved to an animal orphanage in Texas,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14where Michelle used to work.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16When the sanctuary went bankrupt six years ago,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19they all came to Chimp Haven together.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Now, this, I imagine, is your favourite part of the day.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26- Absolutely.- A little bit of Pierre time.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28This is what look forward to every day.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- Hello, Pierre!- Hey, Pierre! - THEY MAKE CHIMP NOISES
0:23:33 > 0:23:34Hello, my boy.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- You're such a...- Don't you spit at me, Pierre.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Don't spit at me, baby.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Oh, man, now this is...
0:23:42 > 0:23:44That's the difference between someone who doesn't know a chimp and
0:23:44 > 0:23:46somebody who really is familiar.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Look at that. He's getting tickled with a spoon.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It's quite a specific form of play, but...
0:23:51 > 0:23:52Oh, Pierre. Yeah.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Just going to keep my eyes down,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00going to defer to the beautiful Gallic boy.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02So far, there's no spit, so...
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Yeah, you're doing great.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06He is extremely chilled with you guys.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- Yes.- The Pierre I saw yesterday was really revved up.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Michelle's sister, Mary,
0:24:12 > 0:24:17also works here, and has a long history with Murphy and Pierre, too.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Is it fair to say that this is a landmark moment
0:24:19 > 0:24:21coming up for Pierre, because...
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Yeah. Very shortly, he's about to meet the ladies.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26- Yes, the ladies.- So, in 16 years,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30he's never been in the same enclosure as a girl?
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Er, yeah. We've...
0:24:32 > 0:24:35I'm not sure if actually he's ever been with ladies.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Do you think Michelle's going to be devastated if Pierre's eye falls
0:24:38 > 0:24:40upon, say, Whitney or Jill? LAUGHTER
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Is that... I worry for her sanity because, if Pierre's eyes...
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- I think she'll be OK.- You think she's OK? Cos look, she's...
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- Yeah, I think she'll be OK. - I'm not sure. LAUGHTER
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- I think it's actually...- A little, I'm sure she'll be a little heartbroken.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53I think Michelle might need some after-care.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Yeah, the bond they have is really, really a cool bond.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- He is a beautiful soul.- Yeah.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The chimps here are still captives, and that's important to remember.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06You know, they're not free in the sense that they rely on human beings
0:25:06 > 0:25:09to deliver their food and a lot of their basic needs.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11But, getting to know the care staff...
0:25:13 > 0:25:16you come to realise that, if they can't be in the wild,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18then surely this is the next best thing.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21The amount of love that is given to them.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Come on, Papa.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Mary and Michelle's slavish adoration of spitty Pierre.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32This isn't just a job for the people here. It's a vocation.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34CHIMPS HOOT
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- Hey, Papa.- Yeah, if you just want to kind of toss it in to...
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- Oh, Papa! - SUE SNIGGERS
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Still, it's a work in progress, my relationship with him.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01You know, I gave him half a lettuce and that's what I got for it.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06It's a week until Pierre and Jill's groups meet each other for the first
0:26:06 > 0:26:10time. Staff are keen to create larger, mixed sex groups, like in
0:26:10 > 0:26:13the wild, as it makes the chimps less stressed
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and more cooperative with one another.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Henry arrived at the sanctuary in 2009,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33and his group have just joined a larger chimp family in a new,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35more spacious enclosure.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- Hi, Steve?- Hi. - I'm Sue. It's good to see you.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- Nice to meet you, Sue.- How's it going?- Very well, thank you.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Tell me about this fellow here.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Well, right at the top is Henry and, you know,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47it's interesting to see him here, you know, at Chimp Haven,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50because he is a little bit different than all the other chimps here.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- He's an ex-pet.- Oh, OK.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54So his life was very different.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57You know, a lot of people have opinions about what the life of
0:26:57 > 0:27:00a laboratory chimp is like.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02His existence prior to coming to Chimp Haven was undeniably
0:27:02 > 0:27:07terrible. He lived, probably about 15 years, just in someone's garage,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- not with any other chimps, not with the proper conditions...- Oh!
0:27:11 > 0:27:13..without the proper diet, that's for sure, we know that.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17And, when the authorities found him, he was completely malnourished.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21But not only that, he had no idea, probably, that he was a chimp at all.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22Tell me about his personality.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I mean, what kind of guy is Henry?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26He picks his friends carefully.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30He's unsure, you know, as we're introducing him to this new group,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32about which of those other chimps might be his friends,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35might not be his friends, so he wants to take the time to figure it out,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39so you'll often see him separate himself voluntarily from the rest of
0:27:39 > 0:27:42the social group while he sort of considers his options.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46So have there been any studies in terms of the detrimental effect that
0:27:46 > 0:27:49we have on the chimp population when they're in captivity?
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Well, we've known, actually, for a long time that chimps that are taken
0:27:53 > 0:27:56away from their mom develop in very different ways,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and very difficult ways.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02And when we measured the cortisol levels in chimps that had a lot of
0:28:02 > 0:28:05humans in their past lives versus chimps that had always been around
0:28:05 > 0:28:08chimps, we found huge differences in stress.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13So I can see there that he's reaching for
0:28:13 > 0:28:17a blanket. Not a lot of blankets available in West Africa.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21He lived so long on his own, he probably has attachment problems.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Maybe that blanket is serving the same way like a little teddy bear.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- It's his security blanket.- It's his security blanket.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- I can't bear it.- That's right.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34I'm really mindful of the fact that, throughout our discussion,
0:28:34 > 0:28:39he has remained up on the top, staring at you, staring at me.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43That has a lot to do with his past and how he was raised, and just not
0:28:43 > 0:28:48learning how to be a proper chimp. We have confidence that we're going to put him in certain circumstances
0:28:48 > 0:28:52where he eventually will succeed, but it might be a bit slower for a chimp like Henry compared to another
0:28:52 > 0:28:54chimp that was raised with others.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Seeing how Henry is struggling in his new group makes me worry about
0:28:59 > 0:29:02how quiet and introverted Jill will cope when she's introduced
0:29:02 > 0:29:04to the boys.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07CHIMPS HOOT
0:29:18 > 0:29:19Good morning.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23You going to run? It's OK, Mama.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26It's OK, Phyllis.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28No, you don't feel safe?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30I don't blame you.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Today, I'm going to meet the vet tasked with keeping the chimps
0:29:33 > 0:29:37healthy, to understand the profound consequences of a life
0:29:37 > 0:29:39lived in the lab.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42All right, so welcome to the pharmacy.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46Look at this! It's all go. I mean, this is well kitted out. LAUGHTER
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Some of these tablets look a little familiar, at least to...
0:29:49 > 0:29:53- Yes.- So something like doxycycline would be...
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Is that a sort of, kind of antibiotic?
0:29:55 > 0:29:56It is an antibiotic.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59And, if you think about it, it's because we're so genetically
0:29:59 > 0:30:02similar, our organ systems function the same way,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05so we have some of the same medication options
0:30:05 > 0:30:07and treatment of the same diseases.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13This genetic similarity to humans is the reason chimpanzees like Jill
0:30:13 > 0:30:16were used for medical research for so many years.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18- Here's Whitney.- Where's Jill?
0:30:18 > 0:30:21There's your girl, right here.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Hey, darling. Hey, darling.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26- Hey, Jill.- Did you say hi?
0:30:26 > 0:30:28- She's always curious.- Yes, she is.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30She's always just silently watching on.
0:30:30 > 0:30:36- Yes.- Each lab chimpanzee was assigned an identification number.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Jill was number 1555.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43She has medical records spanning over 250 pages.
0:30:43 > 0:30:48- Well, we know she was born on the 9th of February...- February of 1993.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52..of 1993. By C section. Her genitalia is normal.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- Yes.- Just if you...Don't give me that look. I'm just, you know... LAUGHTER
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Two nipples on the right side!
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Yeah, so that's one of the identifying characteristics of Jill,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04is that she has super...what we call supernumerary nipples on the right side.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06So has she got one more than she...?
0:31:06 > 0:31:09- She has one more than she's supposed to.- She's the Scaramanga of the...
0:31:09 > 0:31:11She's the full James Bond villain. LAUGHTER
0:31:11 > 0:31:13See, here, it also says that she was slightly blue at delivery.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15They probably took her directly to the nursery.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17So she never saw her mother?
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Er, she probably saw her mom, but probably not for an extended period
0:31:20 > 0:31:24- of time.- So she's born in captivity, born into the laboratory...
0:31:24 > 0:31:28- Mm-hm.- At what age would the laboratory technicians
0:31:28 > 0:31:30start infecting her?
0:31:30 > 0:31:33She was utilised in hepatitis C research.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36She was about two years old when she was utilised in those studies.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39- It's a hell of an autobiography, isn't it?- It is. You know, it...
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- Data and...- Absolutely. - ..procedures!- But one thing I can
0:31:42 > 0:31:44say is that, having worked with chimps,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47they're a very forgiving species.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49But that makes it all just worse!
0:31:49 > 0:31:53We may never know exactly what this chimpanzee has experienced
0:31:53 > 0:31:55throughout its lifespan, but you know what?
0:31:55 > 0:31:59This is a resilient species and this is a forgiving species,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03and our goal is to make sure that these days are the best days of
0:32:03 > 0:32:05- their life, if we can.- Yeah.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10In the first ten years of Jill's life,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14she was moved between labs around the country seven times.
0:32:32 > 0:32:33This is, er...
0:32:35 > 0:32:37This is going to be very difficult for me.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40I have... I bury my head in the sand when it comes to animal cruelty.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44I don't want to see it, I don't want to hear it, I don't want to have anything to do with it.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48I know it exists, but I have absolutely no desire to interface with it.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53But, of course, in this context, it is extremely important I do, so
0:32:53 > 0:32:56we've managed to get footage of a laboratory.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Er...
0:32:58 > 0:32:59This was filmed in 1986.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03It turns out that it's exactly the same lab that Jill was at,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05eight years later, aged one.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10You know, I connected with Jill, and now it's time for me to watch what
0:33:10 > 0:33:13she went through - or, if she didn't go through it,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16what the chimps that arrived just eight years before her went through.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21In this room, highly intelligent primates
0:33:21 > 0:33:23have gone mad from isolation.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Never able to walk or to touch another living being,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30they sit and rock themselves into eternity.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36Infected with viral hepatitis, in February 1986,
0:33:36 > 0:33:42chimpanzee number 1164, an older male, has gone mad.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46Crouched on the metal slats at the bottom of his inner chamber,
0:33:46 > 0:33:52number 1164 rocks incessantly and mumbles to himself.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56The fact that chimpanzees are our closest living relatives did not
0:33:56 > 0:33:58save him from living death.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Most of these toddlers, just two to three years old,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07were shipped here from an Air Force Base.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10If they do not enter a social group now,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14their chances of being normal are practically nil.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Starved for contact,
0:34:17 > 0:34:21this three-year-old screams when the isolate door is sealed.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23CHIMP SCREAMS
0:34:31 > 0:34:33That goes beyond medical testing,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36well into the realms of deliberate cruelty.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38How can you take a baby animal,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41knowing it's going to live almost as long as the human,
0:34:41 > 0:34:42and incarcerate it?!
0:34:52 > 0:34:55I've flown to Washington, DC to visit
0:34:55 > 0:34:59the National Institutes of Health, or NIH,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02the government agency who were responsible for the federal research
0:35:02 > 0:35:03on chimpanzees.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I feel pretty nervous this morning, because I'm not an academic and I'm
0:35:08 > 0:35:13not a scientist. I'm just a member of the public who loves animals and
0:35:13 > 0:35:16wants to know the benefit, if any,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18of sticking needles into them after
0:35:18 > 0:35:20ripping them from their natural environment.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26The NIH is the largest funder of medical research in the world,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29with an annual budget of over 30 billion.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35They started using chimpanzees for medical testing in the 1960s.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40Plaque here says that President Franklin D Roosevelt opened this
0:35:40 > 0:35:43site in 1940, dedicated to furthering the health of
0:35:43 > 0:35:46all mankind. And I guess what I want to know is,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49is furthering the health of mankind
0:35:49 > 0:35:53and that of animals mutually exclusive?
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Dr Anderson became divisional director in 2010,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02whilst experimentation on chimpanzees was still ongoing.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04- Dr Anderson?- Yes...
0:36:04 > 0:36:07He oversaw the NIH decision to end all chimp testing in the US
0:36:07 > 0:36:09five years later.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14If you were to give a snapshot of the diseases that chimps have, if
0:36:14 > 0:36:16not been able to cure, but certainly improve,
0:36:16 > 0:36:18what would that list encompass?
0:36:18 > 0:36:21They've been particularly
0:36:21 > 0:36:25useful in advancing human health in hepatitis A, B and C.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30They were instrumental in allowing development of vaccines for A and B.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35So chimpanzees have saved huge swathes of the population.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37They've provided extraordinary medical benefits.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Chimpanzees have been very helpful in development of therapeutic
0:36:41 > 0:36:46monoclonal antibodies, so-called biologics,
0:36:46 > 0:36:51so these are now widely used for many types of cancer
0:36:51 > 0:36:55and for immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59inflammatory bowel disease, where there just can be miracle cures.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Despite these medical breakthroughs in the first few decades of
0:37:03 > 0:37:08chimpanzee testing, later success was harder to find.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11DEMONSTRATORS CHANT
0:37:12 > 0:37:16In the early '80s, America was hit by the AIDS epidemic,
0:37:16 > 0:37:19and the NIH began a huge chimpanzee breeding programme
0:37:19 > 0:37:22to provide test subjects.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Chimps were infected with human HIV, but, by the '90s,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31scientists realised the disease doesn't turn into full-blown AIDS
0:37:31 > 0:37:33in the animal model.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36I can understand there was a rush to test.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40How soon did you realise that the animal model wasn't going to provide
0:37:40 > 0:37:43a vaccine for the human condition?
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Probably about a decade.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49The use of chimpanzees for HIV/AIDS research really dropped throughout
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- the '90s.- I'm kind of interested to find out why that change happened in
0:37:53 > 0:37:55the '90s. Did you precipitate that change,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57or did public opinion push you?
0:37:57 > 0:38:00I think it was probably a combination, but it's also the
0:38:00 > 0:38:04recognition, in order to have a reliable animal model,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07the animal has to be happy and be well taken care of,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09otherwise you're studying animal stress,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12you're not studying a response to a pathogen.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Why couldn't we see the way that they were being housed,
0:38:16 > 0:38:21and why in some extreme cases were they being treated so appallingly?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23I don't think it's defensible, really, any more,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25the way they were originally treated.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29By the early '90s, there were a whole set of new regulations
0:38:29 > 0:38:31from NIH about housing -
0:38:31 > 0:38:34that chimpanzees had to be socially housed, with the
0:38:34 > 0:38:38recognition that they were social animals.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42In 2015, the US government afforded captive chimpanzees the same
0:38:42 > 0:38:46endangered species status as their wild cousins.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Shortly after, the NIH announced they'd no longer support research
0:38:50 > 0:38:55involving chimps, ending all medical testing with chimpanzees.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Is there an element of this being based upon a recognition that the
0:38:59 > 0:39:02chimps' best interests certainly weren't served,
0:39:02 > 0:39:07and now they have the chance to get a decent quality of life, finally?
0:39:07 > 0:39:11I'd put it more in the perspective of our whole approach to the use of
0:39:11 > 0:39:13chimps has evolved over decades,
0:39:13 > 0:39:21- and the recognition that they are very special and they do deserve our respect.- But it was not always thus.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25- Regrettably, no. - Where do you draw the line between the benefits to mankind and the
0:39:25 > 0:39:26suffering of animals?
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Would you do anything to extend and preserve life free of disease?
0:39:30 > 0:39:34You have people who say it's not appropriate to do any research on
0:39:34 > 0:39:37animals at any time, and I respect that.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41They came to that conclusion, and that's their opinion.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44And then you'll find a mother who says,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47"My child is suffering and dying from cancer.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49"What are YOU going to do about that?"
0:39:49 > 0:39:52And it's the mission of NIH to improve human health.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58I'm amazed that someone speaking on behalf of the American government
0:39:58 > 0:40:02about such a sensitive issue was so candid.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05What I wasn't expecting was for him to just own it.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09For Dr Anderson to turn around and go, "In retrospect,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11"although I wasn't personally involved,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14"I feel that we treated those animals badly."
0:40:14 > 0:40:17But his point was that things have moved on and, you know,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20they've learned those lessons, they've changed.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24We all have our own views on whether animal testing was worth it.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28For me, yes, I appreciate that millions of lives were saved,
0:40:28 > 0:40:30but it's obvious that chimps are social animals,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34so I still can't comprehend why they were kept in those conditions.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37At Chimp Haven, some animals are still paying the price
0:40:37 > 0:40:39for their life of medical testing.
0:40:42 > 0:40:4540-year-old Cotton was retired in 2006,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47after being used for HIV research.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Vet Raven has anaesthetised him
0:40:51 > 0:40:54so she can give him a full health check.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57You can see he's getting flaky.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02We've probably got about 30 to 40-plus that have been exposed
0:41:02 > 0:41:04to HIV-1 or 2, which is the human strain.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06But Cotton is very special, isn't he?
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Yes, Cotton has been exposed to SIVcpz.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14Cotton was infected with the chimp form of HIV in an attempt to find a
0:41:14 > 0:41:16human cure.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Unlike chimps infected with the human strain of HIV, who show no
0:41:21 > 0:41:24symptoms, Cotton developed AIDS.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Ultimately, their concern wasn't the chimpanzee.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30The concern was us, as humans,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33and what can we do to give our counterparts a
0:41:33 > 0:41:35better quality of life?
0:41:47 > 0:41:48I have no response to stimuli.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Cotton's condition has been controlled by human anti-retroviral
0:41:53 > 0:41:57drugs, and every six months he needs blood tests
0:41:57 > 0:41:59to check his progress.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03All right, yes, come on.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21OK, so this is the blood work now for...
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Yes, so this is the blood that is going to determine if he's still
0:42:24 > 0:42:27doing well on anti-retroviral therapy.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29It would have been very likely,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33without medical intervention through the form of anti-retroviral therapy,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36that Cotton likely would have had to have been euthanized.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40He was not mounting a natural response to the typical day-to-day
0:42:40 > 0:42:44pathogens that a chimp is going to run into.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48And how far is Cotton into his retroviral therapy?
0:42:48 > 0:42:50He's been on now almost two years.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54And is there a time where you'd stop administering that,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- or is he on that drug for life?- No, he will be on this drug for life.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Hey, mister. You peeking at me? All right, we've got some blinkage.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02He's looking at me, guys.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07All right, he's good to go.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- You can now touch him. - I can now touch him? LAUGHTER
0:43:10 > 0:43:12- You can now touch him.- Hey, Cotton.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- This is what I want, a hand. Can I hold the hand?- Mm-hm.
0:43:17 > 0:43:18Twist.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Sweetheart.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Hey, mister.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28I'm going to come round and...
0:43:28 > 0:43:31There you go, mister.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35- Guess what, you're a superstar! - Well done.- All right.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44There you go, buddy. You look good, mister.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49Is it easy for him to get access to the drugs he needs,
0:43:49 > 0:43:51so the human retrovirals?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53If I'm honest, I have great difficulties,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56because it had never been used or documented in a chimpanzee,
0:43:56 > 0:44:00so it was very hard for me to get the drugs that are ultimately giving
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Cotton a better quality of life right now.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04But that just makes me furious.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07The good thing is that we were able to solicit two pharmaceutical
0:44:07 > 0:44:10companies that are willingly giving us the medications
0:44:10 > 0:44:12for Cotton, free of cost.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14He's done his bit.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18He's done his job and he's now in retirement, and guess what?
0:44:18 > 0:44:20He's living out a pretty good life.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26After spending years being tested on to find a human cure,
0:44:26 > 0:44:29Cotton will hopefully be kept alive by human drugs
0:44:29 > 0:44:31for the rest of his life.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39Having spent time getting to know the staff here,
0:44:39 > 0:44:42I've begun to feel conflicted.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Many of them first worked with chimps in laboratories,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48like Head of Animal Care, Kathleen.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50What was your first engagement with chimps?
0:44:50 > 0:44:54Well, I started working with chimpanzees in 1992.
0:44:54 > 0:44:55One thing we need to understand,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58I was going to work today and I was going to make a difference.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Sure, I understand.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03And the same goes for so many people across the laboratory community.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06What did your family and friends think of what you did?
0:45:06 > 0:45:09My father uses his voice as an advocate, and
0:45:09 > 0:45:14he's an animal rights activist, and, um, heck,
0:45:14 > 0:45:18he even picketed outside my own lab at times.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22However, it led to a very interesting conversation later on,
0:45:22 > 0:45:26and we were able to share perspectives on how each of us felt
0:45:26 > 0:45:28like we were helping.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35Kathleen used to work at an infamous New York state laboratory called
0:45:35 > 0:45:39LEMSIP, known for its poor housing conditions for the chimps.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43There was extreme suffering at some points, and that's, I think,
0:45:43 > 0:45:48hard for people to engage with and to accept.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51I definitely can understand that.
0:45:51 > 0:45:56However, I myself have received treatment that was tested previously
0:45:56 > 0:46:01on animals, and so there's an appreciative aspect to what
0:46:01 > 0:46:04research has provided in my life.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07I, like you, have received medication
0:46:07 > 0:46:08that inevitably was tested.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12- Right.- I guess I would have liked to have known that they didn't have to
0:46:12 > 0:46:14undergo unnecessary suffering.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18- And that's a really great point. - I think that's what's hard. - I completely agree with you.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21Do you think there's a sense among people here who've worked in the
0:46:21 > 0:46:24laboratory environment as a way of sort of expiating guilt or pain or
0:46:24 > 0:46:27difficult feelings about the work that was done previously?
0:46:27 > 0:46:32I know I don't hold guilt for what was done in the past,
0:46:32 > 0:46:36- because I felt like I was making a difference.- Mmm.
0:46:36 > 0:46:41My decision to put myself in that, in a laboratory,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44was made specifically because I felt I was helping.
0:46:45 > 0:46:50I didn't expect to meet people who'd worked in laboratory environments
0:46:50 > 0:46:54and feel such kinship with them,
0:46:54 > 0:46:56and to feel that they really do have
0:46:56 > 0:46:58the animals' best interests at heart.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03How strange that those I'd considered to be the bad guys now
0:47:03 > 0:47:07lead the effort to give these chimps a new and better life.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC PLAYS
0:47:14 > 0:47:20It's the day before the boys are to be introduced to the girls.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22When you see chimps like Jill and you connect with her,
0:47:22 > 0:47:24you can't for a second understand
0:47:24 > 0:47:27what she's been through,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30but what gives me some hope is that she's about
0:47:30 > 0:47:34to be introduced to what will end up being her family for life, you know,
0:47:34 > 0:47:38a group of four male chimps who will interact with her and play with her
0:47:38 > 0:47:41and take care of her, who she can take care of.
0:47:41 > 0:47:42That makes me happy.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- Let's see who's out. - Who's here?- No-one!
0:47:51 > 0:47:55Nobody's there. Classic. LAUGHTER
0:47:55 > 0:47:58It would be too stressful for the chimps to have strangers like me
0:47:58 > 0:48:00around when they're getting introduced.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Jill! Martha!
0:48:02 > 0:48:04Paula!
0:48:04 > 0:48:06But, before her big day,
0:48:06 > 0:48:09I want to check in with chimpanzee number 1555,
0:48:09 > 0:48:11also known as Jill.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13Oh, there she is!
0:48:13 > 0:48:15Hello, Jill!
0:48:15 > 0:48:19She's away from us a bit, and, you know, that's the ideal, in the end, isn't it,
0:48:19 > 0:48:23that they have their own community and they're inward-facing, rather than... And these guys.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Exactly. You know, I and they have the opportunity to choose whether they want to...
0:48:26 > 0:48:29What we call chimp's chimp. Jill is what we call a chimp's chimp.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32But it's nice that she's chosen to come out for a little bit, even.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35Here she is. I think you've made a connection.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37I think she likes you.
0:48:37 > 0:48:41Jill first caught my eye because she alarm-barked just before Pierre spat
0:48:41 > 0:48:43at me in the face,
0:48:43 > 0:48:47and because I just had a connection with her that maybe supersedes my
0:48:47 > 0:48:50linguistic ability to communicate it to you.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53And the next thing I know about Jill is that awful,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56disturbing footage of the very laboratory that she was in
0:48:56 > 0:48:59some eight years later.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01I understand a little bit the reasons behind her aloofness,
0:49:01 > 0:49:05the reasons why she's not the first to come up to the grille and look at
0:49:05 > 0:49:08a human being again, because, for her,
0:49:08 > 0:49:10maybe we're not the caregivers.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Maybe, for her, we're the problem.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23To get a front-row view of the girls' and boys' first meeting,
0:49:23 > 0:49:26we set up cameras to record the seminal moment in the lives
0:49:26 > 0:49:29of these ten chimpanzees.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34EVOCATIVE MUSIC PLAYS
0:49:37 > 0:49:40CHIMPS HOOT
0:49:54 > 0:49:58The boys and girls have been moved to enclosures next to one another
0:49:58 > 0:49:59before the introduction begins.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Amy is going to decode the chimpanzees' first meeting for me.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33This is the girls.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35The boys are on the other side.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37- There he is.- There's Pierre.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Pierre's getting quite wound up there.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47He's displaying, just letting everyone know that he's the tough guy in charge.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49PIERRE SCREECHES
0:50:59 > 0:51:01That's the door opening.
0:51:02 > 0:51:07That's Rero and Whitney, and they just cross and do nothing.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Totally ignored the fact that there was a girl.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16This is Hulk, and he's not so sure what he should be doing.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21- Paula-Jean...- Paula said hello to him, and now she's fear-grinning.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23SCREECHING
0:51:23 > 0:51:24Rero starts screaming to Pierre.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27He doesn't know what's kind of happening.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29And there's a little disagreement,
0:51:29 > 0:51:33and then they're reassuring each other with the touching.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35They haven't been with girls before, and
0:51:35 > 0:51:39all of a sudden all these girls are in their enclosure,
0:51:39 > 0:51:42- and they're together. - SCREECHING
0:51:43 > 0:51:45They are looking at each other,
0:51:45 > 0:51:48trying to figure out what they should do.
0:51:48 > 0:51:49That's a reassurance hug.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52- So who are these two? - That's Martha and Murphy.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55- So then you see they're both fear-grinning.- Aaww!
0:51:55 > 0:51:56"We're scared, we're nervous,
0:51:56 > 0:52:00"but we're going to reassure each other by hugging and touching."
0:52:00 > 0:52:02And then he's inspecting her sex swelling.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06- He's inspecting her...?- Sex swelling. Her bottom.- Sex swelling!
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Yes. So that's a very affiliative and pro-social thing that they do.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13She's no lady to let him do that on a first meet. LAUGHTER
0:52:17 > 0:52:19There's Jill.
0:52:19 > 0:52:20So Jill's doing some hugging.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Yeah, I think you'll be very proud of her.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26I'm already proud, because she was so reticent.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33- What's this?- OK, so that's a really important behaviour.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35She puts his hand in her mouth.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39He's trusting her not to bite his hand.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41- He literally put his hand in her mouth.- Mmm!
0:52:41 > 0:52:44That's almost a submissive thing from him.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47- Jill!- Watch.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51- And Hulk completely acts like there's not another chimp there. - LAUGHTER
0:52:53 > 0:52:56- Oh, no!- Right?- Jill's been dissed!
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Jill's been thrown some serious shade there.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03Yeah. I think it's mostly because Hulk was scared.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05But Murphy's trying to be playful.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18- Oh, she's scared. A bit scared. - A little bit scared.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26Then, look, he does the, "It's OK," reach out with his hand to her,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29and now she's panting and bobbing, so being a little bit submissive,
0:53:29 > 0:53:32but he's panting back to her, so that's again friendly.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38This is quite an interesting one-on-one little dance going on.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40- Yeah.- He's very interested.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45He keeps sitting down. Again, that kind of makes him smaller,
0:53:45 > 0:53:47and he's reaching out, saying,
0:53:47 > 0:53:51"It's OK, I'm not going to hurt you."
0:53:51 > 0:53:53They have a little kiss!
0:53:53 > 0:53:56- I can't bear it!- How sweet is that?
0:54:00 > 0:54:02They're playing pat-a-cake!
0:54:04 > 0:54:06And you can see how relaxed they both look.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10And Pierre is wild-born,
0:54:10 > 0:54:13so probably lived with his mother for a period of time
0:54:13 > 0:54:16- and learned some of these social behaviours.- Yeah.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19HOOTING
0:54:19 > 0:54:23OK, so here Murphy chases a little bit after Jill.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25He's saying,
0:54:25 > 0:54:27"I'm still the tough guy," basically,
0:54:27 > 0:54:30but they make up very quickly afterwards.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35But he got a little rough, and so she's scared.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41Now she's going over to Pierre, who's holding out his hand to her.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42Look at that! Conciliatory Pierre.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Isn't that interesting, now there are girls there,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47that his role as the boss has moved much more into,
0:54:47 > 0:54:51"I'm going to, I'm actually going to be gentle and careful and caring"?
0:54:51 > 0:54:53There are different types of alpha males,
0:54:53 > 0:54:57and what you said is exactly what it seems that Pierre will be.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59- A nurturing alpha male. - A nurturing alpha.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03So she's not sure about Pierre.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10- Then he's like, "Come on, let's play." - LAUGHTER
0:55:17 > 0:55:20- It's so intimate, isn't it?- Yes.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30You can see them both shaking and, again, that's the panting.
0:55:30 > 0:55:35And her muzzle is inside Pierre's mouth at that point,
0:55:35 > 0:55:39so again she's trusting him not to bite her.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45Like an old romantic Hollywood kiss!
0:55:46 > 0:55:49When the woman is slightly obscured from view.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51So Jill's become quite an object of...
0:55:51 > 0:55:55I mean, she's got two boys interested. LAUGHTER
0:55:55 > 0:55:59- They're enthralled by one another, aren't they?- Right.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02She is such a flirt! LAUGHTER
0:56:06 > 0:56:09That's a proper snog, isn't it, that one? She loves him. LAUGHTER
0:56:11 > 0:56:13I loved watching that.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16I could watch that for hours and hours and hours. It is fascinating.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18But how extraordinary that a chimp like Jill,
0:56:18 > 0:56:21- who's so background...- Right?
0:56:21 > 0:56:24- ..and there she is with two of the alpha males.- Right. - LAUGHTER
0:56:24 > 0:56:27- She's now the belle of the ball. - She did fabulous.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35Hello! I can't leave without checking in on Jill,
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Pierre and their new chimp forever family.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- Hey, girl. - SHE PANTS
0:56:44 > 0:56:47Good girl. Hi, Whitney!
0:56:47 > 0:56:48Ladies!
0:56:50 > 0:56:53Just feels different. The energy's completely changed.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56- This is Pierre right here. - He's not gobbing on me!
0:56:59 > 0:57:01There you go.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04SHE SIGHS Spit-free Susan.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08I'm amazed, though, by the change in atmosphere.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10Energetically, it's really shifted.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15They're just happy, aren't they? So, I mean, that's what your job's all about, isn't it? Yeah.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17You agree, yeah? LAUGHTER
0:57:17 > 0:57:20You found love yet? LAUGHTER
0:57:20 > 0:57:24That was nothing short of extraordinary.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27I'm so proud of shy Jill - not shy any more -
0:57:27 > 0:57:30so central to them all getting along.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Oh, it's just magnificent, you know? It really, really is.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36It's just feels like that group's been together forever.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40Simply, girls meeting some boys for the first time
0:57:40 > 0:57:42and realising you're home.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48Jill and Pierre's group have successfully formed their chimpanzee
0:57:48 > 0:57:52troop, and will be able to enjoy life in a forest home soon.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57From the lab to the lap of luxury. It worked out all right in the end.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01Take it easy, guys.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Jill, lovely Jill,
0:58:05 > 0:58:08and Pierre, sometimes lovely Pierre,
0:58:08 > 0:58:12are just two stories amongst the 200-odd that are happening and
0:58:12 > 0:58:15evolving every single day here at Chimp Haven.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18200-plus more chimps to come.
0:58:18 > 0:58:20And if we can do anything for these animals,
0:58:20 > 0:58:25it's to lift them from the dry pages of scientific data and make them
0:58:25 > 0:58:29real, because every time we make an animal real and flesh it out and
0:58:29 > 0:58:33inhabit its experiences, we stand a better chance of treating it
0:58:33 > 0:58:35with dignity and respect.