(a) Who owns the chimpanzees in the federally supported sanctuary? The Federal Government retains ownership of chimpanzees owned by the Federal Government at the time they enter the sanctuary system. Non-federally owned or supported chimpanzees will be owned by the sanctuary. The chimpanzees shall continue to be maintained in the sanctuary throughout their lifetime and shall not be discharged from the sanctuary except as specifically indicated in the CHIMP Act.
(b) Is there a charge for placing chimpanzees in the sanctuary? No fees shall be charged by the Sanctuary Contractor for federally owned or supported chimpanzees entering the sanctuary. Chimpanzees that were owned by a NPRC when the CHIMP Act became effective are also admitted without payment of fees. Fees for maintenance of the chimpanzees alluded to above are provided for in the contract between the Federal Government and the Sanctuary Contractor.
(c) May the sanctuary agree to accept chimpanzees that are not owned by the Federal Government? The sanctuary may accept chimpanzees that are not owned by the Federal Government subject to the following conditions:
(1) Ownership of the chimpanzee must be transferred to the sanctuary;
(2) Fees for these chimpanzees may be levied based on a range of considerations that include most importantly, the well-being of the chimpanzee and, secondarily, factors that include (but are not limited to) the resources available to support the chimpanzee; the health, age, and social history of the chimpanzee; and other relevant factors affecting the cost of caring for the chimpanzee. While chimpanzees not owned or supported by the Federal Government may be admitted to the sanctuary, federal funds may not be used for their support unless authorized by the Secretary or an authorized designee;
(3) Available space exists in the sanctuary; and
(4) An agreement exists between the sanctuary system and the ORIP/DPCPSI/NIH documenting that the chimpanzee may be brought into the sanctuary.
(d) What additional conditions apply when nongovernmental owned chimpanzees transfer to the chimpanzee sanctuary? The following additional conditions apply when nongovernmental owned chimpanzees transfer to the chimpanzee sanctuary:
(1) Chimpanzees transferred to the sanctuary sites must be permanently incapable of reproduction, for example, by vasectomy, tubal ligation, or another reliable procedure;
(2) Complete histories must accompany each chimpanzee. Any chimpanzee missing documentation for any period of research or other use may not be transferred to the Sanctuary without the concurrent authorization of the Sanctuary Contractor's Board of Directors and the ORIP/DPCPSI/NIH; the records may be created and retained in electronic form; and
(3) Appropriate screening of each chimpanzee must be performed to assess the likelihood of the chimpanzee being a health or safety threat to the care staff and/or other chimpanzees.
(e) What are the criteria for acceptance and the fees for admission into the sanctuary for nongovernmental owned chimpanzees? The chimpanzee Sanctuary Contractor, in conjunction with ORIP/DPCPSI/NIH , must establish criteria and a fee system for acceptance of nongovernmental owned chimpanzees. Funds collected for this purpose must be accounted for and used to help defray the expenses incurred in operating the sanctuary.
(f) Under what circumstances might a chimpanzee from the sanctuary be returned to research at a United States research facility? In December 2007, the CHIMP Act was amended by the “Chimp Haven is Home Act,” which terminated the authority for the removal of chimpanzees from the sanctuary system for research purposes.
[73 FR 60423, Oct. 10, 2008, as amended at 85 FR 54273, Sept. 1, 2020]