Retired research chimps to be moved from New Mexico to a Louisiana sanctuary

The National Institutes of Health has decided to transfer nearly two dozen retired research chimpanzees from a facility in New Mexico to a sanctuary in Louisiana. The transfer was celebrated Friday by animal advocates who have been pushing for years to have the chimps moved from the facility at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo. The efforts included a successful battle in federal court. The relocation of the 23 remaining chimps to Chimp Haven will happen in the coming months. The NIH says staffing issues, namely the retirement of contracted caretakers, prompted the decision. The animals have not been used as test subjects since 2015.