If you have ever been inside a room after surgery or because you have been unable to get outdoors, then you will likely know how a lab chimpanzee felt when he first saw the sun and sky after being in a cage. This is a chimp that had been used for testing and didn’t have the freedom to explore and be with other animals of his kind.
Chimp Haven is a rescue facility in Louisiana. If it weren’t for this group of people helping with the chimp, then he might have died much sooner than the expected life term of the animals as those in cages usually don’t have long lives. The organization allows chimps to live in an area that is like their natural habitat.
Over 100 chimps are able to live on the grounds. The animals had once lived in cages where they couldn’t get fresh air. They weren’t able to play outside or see the sun. When one chimp sees the sky for the first time, his response is breathtaking and heartbreaking.
He sits on the ground and looks up at the sky, seeming like he has a smile on his face. These animals are now able to roam among their kind, drink water when they want and enjoy at least a few years of living what a normal life would be for them in the wild.