The article reports that a group of chimpanzees previously utilized in hepatitis B vaccine experiments by American researchers in Liberia from the 1970s to the early 2000s have undergone comprehensive health checks at the Humane World for Animals’ Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge in central Liberia. The sanctuary, directed by Liliana Pacheco Ricote, provided the chimpanzees with medical examinations ranging from dental cleanings to X-rays and pedicures, aiming to assess their long-term health, detect early signs of disease, and develop individualized care plans as the animals age.

According to Ricote, over 400 chimpanzees were involved in the research, many of whom were captured as infants from the wild. Liberia is noted as having the second-highest population of West African chimpanzees, a critically endangered species. Humane World for Animals assumed responsibility for 60 of the remaining chimpanzees in 2015, with the majority now residing on mangrove forest-covered islands at the sanctuary. The health checks, conducted under anesthesia, included thorough examinations of the chimpanzees’ physical condition, booster vaccinations, and routine grooming. The sanctuary’s veterinarian, Belen Perez Hernando, emphasized the importance of these health assessments for the well-being of the chimpanzees, who have endured significant trauma from their past experimental use. The full impact of the experiments on the chimpanzees, whose average age is 30 to 35 years, remains to be determined as the assessment findings are pending. Source

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