Please join us in honoring the memory of Seve, one of the most beloved chimps at the sanctuary.

Seve was born on July 9, 1993, at the Coulston Foundation in Alamogordo, New Mexico, a laboratory with extensive violations of the Animal Welfare Act. At age two, he was taken from his mother and used in multiple experiments. During these studies he had severe allergic reactions, anesthetic complications, and a part of his liver was removed. Six years into the research, Seve started self-mutilating, which manifested years later as PTSD.

After a traumatic decade in labs, Seve finally found peace and friends at Save the Chimps. His group, Seve’s family, was named after him. It was rare to see him alone–Seve stuck closely to his friends. They roamed their island together and ate and played as a tight group. Seve had an insatiable appetite for oranges, probably to compensate for his constant motion. Seve remained affected by PTSD, but he would always calm down upon receiving reassurance and affection from his friends, especially Yvette, the matriarch of his family. The other chimps seemed to understand his special needs, and he was very well-liked and respected in his family group.

Like many chimps in captivity, especially males, Seve suffered from heart disease. Seve was diagnosed with severe congestive heart failure in November 2022. The veterinarians at Save the Chimps consulted with a cardiologist at the Great Ape Heart Project and together were able to manage his heart failure. The treatment he received gave him seven more months with his family and time to enjoy extra love and attention from the staff.

When it became evident that medications would no longer adequately control his heart failure, Seve was humanely euthanized to prevent him from suffering. He is deeply missed by his chimp family and sanctuary staff alike.

To know more and donate, visit https://savethechimps.org/in-their-memory/?seve&utm_campaign=Tributes&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=264741387&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–lRNKwM5ln39RkZS-YlpWSmqarKnIoWRgfv5N7apLMikgEvovqu6CUFk_M-77y_HO0iYgvW0zPGwzZveJkIYGSLQzCKOgkEQhMbb1tPbC-M-85YCo&utm_content=264741387&utm_source=hs_email