Center for Great Apes

Call Website Contact the organization

Center for Great Apes Welcome to the official page of the Center for Orangutan and Chimpanzee Conservation, Inc.

The Center for Great Apes’ mission is to provide a permanent sanctuary for orangutans and chimpanzees who have been retired from the entertainment industry, from research, or who are no longer wanted as pets. The Center provides care with dignity in a safe, healthy, and enriching environment for great apes in need of lifetime care.

Happy 45th Birthday, Mari!Today, we’re celebrating orangutan Mari, one of only two purebred Sumatran orangutans at the C...
10/24/2026

Happy 45th Birthday, Mari!

Today, we’re celebrating orangutan Mari, one of only two purebred Sumatran orangutans at the Center for Great Apes!

Mari is intelligent, observant, and independent, with a distinctive way of letting her caregivers know what she wants. She often purses her lips when making a request, and she’s willing to persist until her caregivers figure it out! Recently, after several suggestions were met with disinterest, a caregiver discovered that Mari’s favorite juice-jug straw had slipped underneath a TV cart. As soon as it was retrieved, Mari began squeaking with excitement. Mystery solved!

Mari was born without arms, but she has developed her own ways of navigating her environment using her feet, legs, and remarkable adaptability. She enjoys exploring the sanctuary’s aerial trailways and recently chose to stay in the trailway rather than move to either of the two outdoor habitats offered to her. Her care team also continues to make thoughtful modifications, including specially designed ladders and ramps, to help her access more spaces comfortably as she gets older.

And when it’s time to relax? Mari loves the sound of running water! She’ll sometimes plug her water lixits just to hear the water flow. She often requests that her caregiver run the hose into her habitat so she can gather a blanket, tuck herself underneath it, and stretch out on her back to enjoy the soothing sounds.

A special thank-you to Kim H., one of Mari’s adoptive parents and today’s Day Sponsor! Thank you for helping provide for Mari’s daily care and birthday treats. Your support helps make individualized care possible for Mari and all the apes at the sanctuary.

Happy Friday from orangutan Jam!
10/23/2026

Happy Friday from orangutan Jam!

Rep Ewok’s Group This Holiday Season!Show your love for Ewok, Maude, Billy, Mystery, Sabina, Josh, and Sha Sha with our ...
10/22/2026

Rep Ewok’s Group This Holiday Season!

Show your love for Ewok, Maude, Billy, Mystery, Sabina, Josh, and Sha Sha with our new Bonfire apparel campaign! Featuring our official design for this year’s Holidays with the Apes annual supporter event, this collection celebrates the chimpanzees of Ewok’s Group and gives you a special way to show your support for them this holiday season.

Choose from a variety of apparel styles and colors to find your favorite! Attending Holidays with the Apes on December 5th? You can also pick up our event look in the gift shop: a unisex crewneck sweatshirt in Carolina Blue Heather.

The campaign is open now through Sunday, November 8th, and orders are expected to arrive before the December 5th event. Get yours in time to rep Ewok’s Group alongside our staff and volunteers!

Shop the collection today: https://www.bonfire.com/ewoks-group/

Wish List Wednesday: Cozy Nests for Cooler Nights!The Fall air is arriving, and cooler nights are just around the corner...
10/21/2026

Wish List Wednesday: Cozy Nests for Cooler Nights!

The Fall air is arriving, and cooler nights are just around the corner! As we prepare for the changing seasons at the sanctuary, we checked our back stock of extra blankets and flat sheets—and discovered that our supply bins are empty!

While our orangutans and chimpanzees still have blankets and sheets available for nesting, we need your help replenishing our backup supply before the colder nights of Fall and Winter arrive.

Blankets and flat sheets are important parts of our residents’ daily routines, providing materials they can arrange into nests for resting and sleeping. Having extras on hand helps our care team keep up with laundry and ensure fresh bedding is ready when needed.

Can you help us restock? Our Wish List Wednesday is dedicated entirely to blankets and flat sheets this week! Every donation helps us prepare for the cooler months ahead and keep our residents supplied with the materials they need for comfortable nights.

Thank you for helping us get ready for sweater weather...sanctuary style!

Shop our Amazon Wish List Wednesday: bit.ly/CGA_Wishlist_Wednesday

You can also directly mail us items using:
📦 Center for Great Apes
5843 Van Simmons Rd.
Wauchula, FL 33873

📷: orangutans BamBam, Hanna, Christopher, and Connie | chimpanzees Stryker, Kenya, Bubbles, and Bentley

Tidbit Tuesday: A Closer Look at Sinbad’s Eyes!Have you ever taken a closer look at orangutan Sinbad’s eyes? Their beaut...
10/20/2026

Tidbit Tuesday: A Closer Look at Sinbad’s Eyes!

Have you ever taken a closer look at orangutan Sinbad’s eyes? Their beauty is in the details!

Did you know? An orangutan’s eyelid pigmentation can change as they mature! Bornean orangutans, like Sinbad, may show differences in eyelid coloration as they grow, with patterns that vary between individuals.

Orangutans also have forward-facing eyes that provide binocular vision, helping them judge distances as they move through the forest canopy. That depth perception is especially important when navigating between branches.

Today, we’re taking a moment to appreciate Sinbad’s striking eyes and the fascinating adaptations that help orangutans navigate their world.

Some friendships take time to develop, and this National New Friends Day, we’re celebrating the growing bond between chi...
10/19/2026

Some friendships take time to develop, and this National New Friends Day, we’re celebrating the growing bond between chimpanzees Brooks and Murray!

Brooks has maintained his longtime friendship with Kenya while building a newer bond with Murray. Caregivers have enjoyed watching Murray become a more established part of Brooks’ social circle as their relationship continues to grow.

Chimpanzee friendships and group dynamics can change over time, and it’s rewarding to watch these relationships develop at each ape’s own pace. Here’s to new friendships and the connections that continue to grow at the sanctuary!

10/15/2026

A tub of sudsy water has Sandra’s attention! Today is Global Handwashing Day, and she’s giving us a wonderful opportunity to talk about orangutan behavior.

Did you know wild orangutans have been observed using leaves to wipe dirt from their bodies and sticky fruit residue from their faces? They also splash, scoop water over themselves, and engage in water play. Cleaning themselves and exploring water are both part of their behavioral repertoire.

Here at the sanctuary, tubs of water, sprinklers, and non-toxic bubble bath offer opportunities for sensory exploration and play. Some orangutans splash, others investigate the bubbles, and some, like Sandra, spend time “washing.”

While those movements look familiar to us, we can’t assume Sandra has the same understanding of handwashing and germs that we do. Water activities give her something interesting to explore, with the choice of how, and whether, to participate.

A simple tub, plenty of bubbles, and an opportunity to do things her own way. 🫧🦧

What do paper bags, applesauce, and board books have in common? Each can make a difference in an ape’s day!For today’s W...
10/14/2026

What do paper bags, applesauce, and board books have in common? Each can make a difference in an ape’s day!

For today’s Wish List Wednesday, we’re highlighting some of our most-needed items and the care behind each request:

🛍️ Paper bags become opportunities to forage and investigate when caregivers use them for enrichment.

🍎 Unsweetened applesauce and juice boxes support voluntary healthcare training, helping caregivers reinforce behaviors that allow the apes to participate in their own care.

🍯 Honey, all-fruit spreads, raisins, and dried cranberries add variety to enrichment activities. Slow-feeder bowls offer opportunities for fishing enrichment and encourage foraging.

📚 Sturdy board books give residents who enjoy flipping through books something new to explore. These durable pages are a sanctuary favorite!

🔗 Stainless steel carabiners help our team hang enrichment devices inside the apes’ habitats.

Every item has a purpose, and choosing something from our list is a practical way to support the individual needs and interests of our orangutans and chimpanzees.

You can browse our Wish List Wednesday List here: bit.ly/CGA_Wishlist_Wednesday

You can also directly mail us items using:

📦 Center for Great Apes
5843 Van Simmons Rd.
Wauchula, FL 33873

Thank you for helping keep our shelves stocked and the apes’ days full of opportunities!

📷: orangutan Pumpkin and chimpanzee Ellie

The 2027 Center for Great Apes Calendar is now available! Featuring beautiful photos of the orangutans and chimpanzees w...
10/13/2026

The 2027 Center for Great Apes Calendar is now available! Featuring beautiful photos of the orangutans and chimpanzees who call the Center home, our annual calendar is a wonderful way to enjoy the apes all year long.

Calendars are available for purchase online or in our on-site Gift Shop. They also make a great holiday gift for the ape lover in your life!

https://bit.ly/2027_CGA_Calendar

Fresh from the farm, and Billy is digging in!A heartfelt thank-you to Paradise Farms Arcadia, one of Billy’s generous ad...
10/13/2026

Fresh from the farm, and Billy is digging in!

A heartfelt thank-you to Paradise Farms Arcadia, one of Billy’s generous adoptive parents, for donating cases of carrots and starfruit freshly grown on their farm. Here’s Billy enjoying a taste of both!

Gifts like these help us provide nutritious meals and variety for the apes while bringing our local community into their daily care. We’re grateful for the thought and effort that went into growing, harvesting, and sharing this produce with our residents.

We always welcome opportunities to connect with local farms interested in donating fresh produce. Thank you, Paradise Farms Arcadia, for sharing your harvest with the apes!

Address

Wauchula, FL

Telephone

+18637678903

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Center for Great Apes posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Center for Great Apes:

Shortcuts

Share

Category