Meet Zach, the oldest macaque at the sanctuary 

Of course we think all the animals at Primarily Primates are quite important and interesting, but Zach’s claim to fame is he is the oldest macaque at the sanctuary at 37 years old. One of the things that keeps him 37 years young is his daily vegan protein smoothie, which he enjoys around noon.  Before Zach found sanctuary at PPI, he was used in tendon studies at a research lab in New York. A vet there formed such a bond with Zach that she sponsors him and travels to Texas once a year to visit him. Unfortunately macaques like Zach are frequently used in research. Nearly two-thirds of the nonhuman primates the National Institute of Health uses in research are rhesus macaques, with cynomolgus macaques (15%), baboons (6%), and a dozen other monkey species making up the remainder. The rising demand for rhesus macaques appears to be driven by researchers studying HIV/AIDS, the brain, Alzheimer’s disease and addiction, according to an NIH report released in September of 2018. Learn how to become a sponsor of Zach or other animals at the sanctuary by clicking here!