Charlotte Uhlenbroek

Can you tell me a bit about some of the missed opportunities for some human drugs?

Tamoxifen, for example.

From my understanding, if it had to be tested on animals, we might not have got such a useful drug.

Back in the 1980s and 90s, there were two kinds of life for a laboratory chimp.

Invasive work, like Aisha's been talking about, or cognitive and behavioural studies.

Sheba was one of the lucky ones.

Her journey to Chimp Haven began 42 years ago, when she was rescued from the Columbus Zoo by Dr Sally Boyson, who ran the Primate Cognition Project at Ohio State University.

At the same time that Sheba was learning to add and subtract, Lisa Jones-Engle, who was working with Jim Mahoney at LEMSIB, the biomedical research lab, was about to get some big news that would affect all the chimps, including her favourite, Digger.

The Colston Foundation was a notorious private biomedical research lab with a terrible record for animal welfare violations.

Lisa worked frantically to save Digger from this fate.

Sadly, Digger died not long after.

A few years later, the group of chimps at Dr. Boyson's lab were about to be put through the terrifying ordeal of being moved again.

Ohio University had decided to close the lab.

Dr. Boyson was so devastated, she chained herself to the gates and called every news outlet in town to try and prevent the closure.

It was ridiculous.

The chimps were destined for a sanctuary, but unfortunately, one with a record of neglect.

Two of the chimps died shortly after arrival.

A legal battle ensued.

Sheba and the surviving chimps were eventually moved to 236 acres of forested land at Chimp Haven.

Whilst Sheba settled into Chimp Haven, biomedical and behavioural research continued elsewhere.