Primarily Primates is unique because it is one of the very few sanctuaries that is routinely able to rescue animals in dire situations—a deep source of pride for us. We take in confiscated primates who suffered because of the exotic pet trade, entertainment industry, roadside zoos, biomedical research, and shuttered sanctuaries. In 2025, we took […]

By Nicole Rivard. Photography BY ©Joel Sartore/Photo Ark On the morning of Aug. 14, 2023, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at the Calexico, Calif., port of entry discovered an animal carrier that contained three baby spider monkeys hidden behind the rear seat of a van. The driver and passenger of the van, a […]

Care staff at Primarily Primates recently made a shocking yet heartwarming discovery. Chimpanzees Norma and Selena, who were rescued by the sanctuary in 2019, along with Mighty Fine, from Wildlife Waystation after it closed for financial reasons, are the daughters of Shu Shu, who arrived at PPI in 1996. The revelation was made after a […]

A baby spider monkey found running loose through a San Antonio, Texas neighborhood has been rescued by Primarily Primates. Rest assured he will receive proper, lifelong care, along with our more than 300 residents, including nine other spider monkeys. You can donate towards his care at https://primarilyprimates.org/. PPI received a call from City of San Antonio […]

Thousands of wild horses lose their freedom annually in the U.S. because the Bureau of Land Management rounds them up to placate the meat industry. Primarily Primates rescued three wild horses from BLM’s life of imprisonment. Moxie was just a three-month-old filly when she was orphaned during a BLM roundup in the West Douglas Herd […]

By Nicole Rivard South Central Texas is prone to outbreaks of severe weather throughout the year—hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, hail and lightning. And because of the climate crisis, prolonged freeze events have also become a threat to the sanctuary, its residents and staff. Currently, an arctic air mass is approaching South Central Texas. That’s why Primarily […]