Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection

What Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection does

Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection (LCRP) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit and Liberian INGO that operates the first and only official chimpanzee sanctuary in Liberia, providing lifetime care for over 100 orphaned chimpanzees rescued from the illegal bushmeat and pet trades. Founded in 2015 by Jenny and Jim Desmond after the Humane Society of the United States asked them to relocate from Kenya to take over 66 chimpanzees abandoned by the New York Blood Center, the organization runs a 450+ acre forested sanctuary in the Marshall Wetlands with a 40+ person local caregiving team providing 24-hour surrogate mothering at a 1:1 ratio for infants. LCRP also leads Liberia's multi-stakeholder Law Enforcement Task Force, secured funding for and coordinates the country's first Wildlife Confiscation Unit with the Forestry Development Authority, Liberia National Police, and airport/seaport agencies, and conducts public awareness campaigns across billboards, workshops, and local media.

The organization funds operations through individual donations (via Donorbox, Bloomerang, and checks to its Golden, CO mailing address), a $50 one-time Adopt-a-Chimp virtual sponsorship program that delivers a portrait and certificate, and a five-year USAID Conservation Works grant supporting Protected and Conserved Areas in Liberia. Strategic and financial partnerships include the Jane Goodall Institute (which seeded the Confiscation Unit), PASA, GRASP, the Humane Society of the United States, EcoHealth Alliance, Smithsonian, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Marketing and awareness leverage BBC America's three-part documentary 'Baby Chimp Rescue' (2020), celebrity-driven fundraising events, social media channels, and Jane Goodall's endorsement. Annual operating costs run approximately $450,000, including $20,000/month in salaries and $6,000/month feeding 25 tons of produce.

Name

Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection

Legal name

Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection

Website

https://liberiachimpanzeerescue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection is the first and only official chimpanzee sanctuary in Liberia, providing 24-hour lifetime care for over 100 orphaned chimpanzees rescued from the bushmeat and pet trades. It funds operations via individual donations, a $50 Adopt-a-Chimp program, and a USAID Conservation Works grant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation and Animal Sanctuary Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Wildlife rescue services
• Chimpanzee sanctuary
• Animal conservation
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Primate protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Golden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: LCRP is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization accepting tax-deductible donations from individuals worldwide. Donations can be made via check (US dollars) or online through platforms like Donorbox and Bloomerang CRM.
2. Adopt-a-Chimp Program: Virtual adoption program offering a $50 one-time donation per chimpanzee. Adoption contributors receive a one-time email with a thank you message, high-quality portrait, profile, and certificate of the adopted chimp. This is a recurring engagement mechanism despite one-time payment structure.
3. USAID Conservation Works Grant: Five-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Conservation Works initiative, designed to protect threatened and endangered species by strengthening Protected and Conserved Areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection operates a chimpanzee sanctuary and conservation center in the Marshall Wetlands of Liberia, providing 24-hour rescue, rehabilitation, and lifetime care for orphaned chimpanzees who are victims of the illegal bushmeat and pet trades. The organization maintains a 100+ acre (now over 450 acres) forest habitat called Hundred Acre Wood, delivers surrogate human mothering and veterinary care, and runs an Adopt-a-Chimp virtual sponsorship program, a donation program, and a public awareness documentary series to fund operations.

Product overview

Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection operates as a nonprofit sanctuary and conservation organization with a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offering is the Sanctuary and Conservation Center (Hundred Acre Wood), providing permanent refuge for over 100 orphaned chimpanzees rescued from the illegal bushmeat and pet trades. The Adopt-a-Chimp Program allows supporters to virtually adopt individual chimpanzees for $50. Donation Programs enable ongoing financial support for rescue operations, feeding (requiring 25 tons of produce monthly), and facility construction. The Baby Chimp Rescue Documentary series, produced in collaboration with BBC America, raises awareness of their mission. These products work together to fund the 24-hour care operations and conservation efforts across three development phases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Conservation Center (Hundred Acre Wood) Permanent sanctuary and conservation center providing 24-hour care for orphaned chimpanzees rescued from the illegal bushmeat and pet trades. Features forest habitats, nursery facilities, and forest access areas for over 100 chimpanzees under care. Intended for orphaned Western chimpanzees who are victims of wildlife trafficking.
• Adopt-a-Chimp Program Virtual adoption program allowing individual supporters to sponsor a rescued chimpanzee for a $50 one-time donation, receiving a thank you message, high-quality portrait, profile, and certificate via email. Available to individual donors worldwide.
• Donation Programs Donation mechanisms supporting chimpanzee rescue, daily care, feeding, and sanctuary construction, costing over $1,200 USD per day to operate. Available to individual donors globally in US dollars.
• Conservation Works Program (USAID) Multi-year conservation program implemented with USAID funding to protect threatened and endangered species in Liberia through strengthened Protected and Conserved Areas. Targeted at Liberian government agencies and conservation partners.
• Baby Chimp Rescue Documentary Series Three-part documentary series on BBC America following Jenny and Jim Desmond as surrogate parents to orphaned chimpanzees at the LCRP sanctuary. Aimed at global audiences and donors to raise awareness and funds for chimpanzee rescue operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 chimpanzee confiscations since 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forestry Development Authority (FDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner for chimpanzee confiscations and wildlife law enforcement. LCRP's Wildlife Confiscation Unit is developed and implemented in partnership with FDA with endorsement of Liberia's Law Enforcement Working Group and Task Force.
• Liberia National Police (LNP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint security partner for wildlife crime operations and chimpanzee confiscations. Collaborates with LCRP and FDA in sting operations to rescue illegally held chimpanzees and arrest wildlife traffickers.
• Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with UN Mission in Liberia to help transport confiscated chimpanzee Gloria to LCRP. GRASP and UN partners empowered to save chimpanzees under a new Liberian law.
• New York Blood Center (NYBC)minorOthersPreviously responsible for 66+ research chimpanzees living across six islands in Liberia. Abandoned the chimpanzees in 2015, leading to Humane Society involvement and eventual transfer to LCRP care.
• EcoHealth AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner organization. Jim Desmond works as consultant specializing in emerging disease and the illegal wildlife trade alongside this organization.
• Smithsonian InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conservation partner. Desmonds worked with Smithsonian as part of their wildlife conservation career before founding LCRP.
• Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conservation partner. Desmonds worked with this organization as part of their wildlife conservation career before founding LCRP.
• Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Jim Desmond received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Masters in Comparative Biomedical Sciences from Tufts. The school has featured LCRP's work in their veterinary magazine.
• Liberia's Transnational Crime UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in fighting wildlife crime throughout the country. Reported chimpanzee Star to LCRP for rescue and collaborated on confiscation operation.
• The DodominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple media coverage stories about LCRP rescues including Mira, Rebeca, and other chimpanzee stories that helped raise global awareness.
• PASA (Pan African Sanctuary Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan-African network of African primate sanctuaries. PASA has advocated for Liberia's chimpanzees and provided support for sanctuary efforts.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary: Sierra Leone's flagship chimpanzee sanctuary, also founded to address the bushmeat and pet trade. Most directly comparable peer given shared West African geography, similar mission, and similar regulatory/law-enforcement collaborations with national wildlife authorities.
• Limbe Wildlife Centre: Cameroon-based wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center operated by Pandrillus. Directly comparable to LCRP in scope: rescue, rehabilitation, and sanctuary care for great apes and other wildlife affected by illegal trade in West/Central Africa.
• Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center: Cameroon chimpanzee sanctuary rescuing orphans from the illegal bushmeat and pet trades. Closely mirrors LCRP's mission, beneficiary population, and operating model of lifetime forest-based sanctuary care.
• Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center: Jane Goodall Institute's chimpanzee sanctuary in Republic of Congo, the largest in Africa. Directly comparable in mission and beneficiary group; the JGI affiliation also overlaps with LCRP's funder base.
• Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary: Uganda-based chimpanzee sanctuary managed by the Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust. Comparable in operating model (sanctuary on protected land for confiscated chimpanzees) and in collaborating with national wildlife authorities.
• Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary: Kenya-based chimpanzee sanctuary within Ol Pejeta Conservancy, providing refuge for rescued chimpanzees. Comparable in scope, sanctuary model, and conservation partnerships; relevant given the Desmonds' prior Kenya-based conservation work.

Broad incumbents

• Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA): Umbrella alliance of African primate sanctuaries including many of LCRP's direct peers. PASA advocates and provides operational support to member sanctuaries; LCRP is positioned as a member/peer within this network.
• Jane Goodall Institute: Global chimpanzee conservation organization that operates Tchimpounga and provided seed funding to LCRP's Confiscation Unit. Broader scope and global brand make it a benchmark and ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.
• Humane Society of the United States: Major animal welfare organization that originally commissioned the Desmonds to relocate to Liberia and take over chimpanzee care. Compares as an incumbent funder/ecosystem partner in the wildlife welfare space.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation NGO active in great ape protection across West and Central Africa. Comparable at the mission level (wildlife protection, anti-trafficking, habitat conservation) though operating at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/liberiachimps
• Facebookfacebook.com/liberiachimpanzeerescue.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/liberiachimprescueprotection/?hl=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection