The Center for Orangutan and Chimpanzee Conservation, located in Wauchula, Florida, was founded in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
It is also known by the name "The Center for Great Apes."
The Center's primary purpose is to provide a permanent sanctuary in a safe and enriching environment for orangutans and chimpanzees in need of long-term life care … specifically those who have been used in entertainment, kept as pets by private owners, or served as research subjects. The Center began as an effort to offer lifetime care for five young apes born at a private breeding facility before they were sold as pets or entertainers, and so far, has taken in many more apes with circus, entertainment, pet, and research backgrounds.
Currently, the Center houses forty-three apes ranging in age from one to forty-six years. Fourteen orangutans and twenty-nine chimpanzees have moved to their permanent sanctuary home in Wauchula.
The Center maintains these great apes in enriching environments and habitats, while providing them with proper nutrition and companionship with their own species. They live in large 34-foot tall outdoor habitats with lots of climbing apparatus, swings, and enrichment toys. They sleep in attached heated nighthouses strong enough to withstand Florida hurricanes. The sanctuary is located in South Central Florida on 100 wooded acres surrounded by orange groves.
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