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Raised in a typical home as if she were a human child, Rachel the chimpanzee wore clothes, dined on human food, and soaked in bubble baths. By 3 years of age in 1985, concerns arose about her uncontainable wild behavior, leading to her adoption and subsequent 15-year residence at New York University’s Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates. In solitude, Rachel was subjected to medical experiments, enduring 39 liver-punch biopsies.
U.S. statistics reveal that approximately 1,500 chimpanzees were utilized annually in biomedical research. Efforts to halt such practices began in 2007 with the cessation of breeding program funding by the National Center for Research Resources. The Great Ape Protection Act intended to outlaw such testing made its Congressional debut in 2008, but it wasn’t until 2015 that the U.S. followed the international halt on chimp experimentation.
The once valuable similarity of chimpanzee DNA (98.5% akin to human DNA) to humans also predisposes them to sustained psychological harm, much like humans. While there is a debate on classifying it as PTSD, many chimps show PTSD-like symptoms.
Wildlife sanctuaries are tasked with the challenge of rehabilitating these chimps, raising questions about the nature of their trauma, individual recovery variations, and the applicability of human psychological principles.
Chimpanzee Jeannie, taken to LEMSIP at the age of 22 after living as a human pet, faced a similarly tragic fate, enduring invasive testing and over 200 anesthetic immobilizations. After a crucial breakdown seven years in, her behavior became erratic and self-destructive, leading to sanctuary intervention.
Rachel too became increasingly hostile and self-harming, exhibiting symptoms aligned with trauma in humans, as noted by primate communication specialist Mary Lee Jensvold and psychologist Gay Bradshaw.
When Fauna Foundation rescued Jeannie, her erratic behavior and health conditions persisted despite medications and sanctuary care. Sanctuaries leverage therapeutics used in human PTSD treatment, such as SSRI prescriptions for mental afflictions, a strategy echoing human medical care.
Key strategies for rehabilitation found in the literature on human PTSD and wild chimpanzees include fostering social connections, providing space, and restoring agency. Caregivers gently reintroduce chimps to social groups, offer ample physical environments, and use enrichment techniques to reinstate agency.
Challenges in treatment abound, such as discerning the chimps’ behavioral communications and individual healing processes. While some former lab chimps adjust well to their new environments, others suffer lasting effects.
The dearth of studies on captive chimp mental health is compounded by potential hesitance within the scientific community to fully confront the implications of animal suffering.
FAQs about PTSD in Chimpanzees
- Can chimpanzees really experience PTSD?
While the terminology and diagnostic criteria for PTSD are human-specific, many chimpanzees display behavior and symptoms closely resembling those found in human PTSD cases after experiencing trauma. - Why were chimpanzees historically used for research?
Chimpanzees were seen as ideal for research due to their close genetic relationship with humans, with about 98.5% of their DNA being identical to ours. This made them valuable for studying medical issues and infectious diseases. - Are chimpanzees still used in biomedical research?
As of 2015, after many years of debate and following the global trend, the United States ended the use of chimpanzees in biomedical research. - How do sanctuaries help rehabilitate traumatized chimpanzees?
Sanctuaries employ several strategies for rehabilitation, including fostering social connections, ensuring adequate space, restoring a sense of agency, and in some cases, monitoring and medicating for health issues. - What are some challenges faced when treating traumatized chimpanzees?
Challenges include difficulty in communication, understanding the chimpanzees’ experience of trauma, individual differences in recovery, and limited research on the subject.