Helpless Chimpanzees against Merciless Mankind

Revealed: The heartbreaking battle to save 66 chimpanzees and baby 'abandoned' by medical firm on African islands after they finished experimenting on them

• The New York Blood Center set up virus-testing laboratory in Liberia in 1974 and began trapping wild chimpanzees
• Scientists infected them with diseases like hepatitis and 'river blindness' to help develop vaccines for the illnesses
• It left the the facility in 2005 and cut the funding in March this year, despite 'promising to care for the chimps for life'
• Chimps deserted on six small islands which have little natural food and are surrounded by undrinkable salt-water 
• Animal protection charity now need £20,000-worth of donations every month to feed and care for the animals daily
• New York Blood Center said it left after 'unproductive discussions' with Liberian government, during which time it incurred 'millions in costs'

By Jay Akbar For Mailonline

Published: 11:56 GMT, 24 July 2015 | Updated: 12:44 GMT, 24 July 2015

Animal charities have made a desperate appeal to save 66 chimpanzees who were captured from the wild by humans for medical experiments, infected with deadly diseases like hepatitis, then 'abandoned' deep in the jungles of Liberia.

The chimps who live on six islets in the country's south were experimented on at a controversial virus testing laboratory set up by the New York Blood Center (NYBC) in 1974.

It stopped the research in 2005, leaving them on six small islets wholly reliant on human support. The project's director at the time had promised the organisation would continue to provide 'lifetime care' for the animals, who have become dependent on humans for food and shelter. But the company now disputes this.

In one heartbreaking video that shows the bond between human and animal, the chimps hug the volunteers who are currently their only lifeline as they arrive by boat to the island to feed them. 

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Hungry: The chimpanzees (pictured) were infected with diseases like hepatitis and 'river blindness' in a bid to find vaccines

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Starving: The chimps became completely reliant on humans for food and when the Blood Center left the islands, which have very little natural food and surrounded by undrinkable salt-water, they began to starve

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'Abandoned': The New York Blood Center experimented on 66 chimpanzees at a virus-testing centre in Liberia

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Trapped: New York Blood Center captured these chimpanzees (pictured) from the wild and held them at its Vilab testing facility on six different islets in southern Liberia - around 20 miles from the capital Monrovia

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Caged: While at the Vilab facility (pictured in 1987) set up by the New York Blood Center, the chimpanzees were held in cages

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Controversial:  A virologist who worked at Vilab (pictured) said they chose to experiment on chimps because they are the only other species 'susceptible to hepatitis'

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Emotional: In a heart-breaking video released by Humane Society of the United States, who are now looking after the chimps, the animals hug volunteers who come and feed them daily

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Bond: The video reveals how dependent the chimpanzees, who were captured as infants, have become on humans

But researchers pulled funding in March, leaving the future of the 66 chimps, plus a baby born just this week, in doubt after it had been in a protracted row with the government.

They are now being cared for by animal protection charity Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) who need £20,000-worth of public donations every month to feed and care for them. 

Over three decades ago, the New York Blood Center entered into an agreement with the Liberian government to set up the Vilab project deep in the jungle, around and 40 miles from the capital Monrovia.

The chimpanzees were held in cages on the islands known collectively as 'Monkey Island', that have little natural food and are surrounded by undrinkable salt-water.

NYBC, which supplies blood to around 200 hospitals across the United States, began trapping these wild chimpanzees and infecting them with diseases like hepatitis and 'river blindness' so they could develop vaccines. It was around this time that the United States banned the import of wild chimpanzees into the country.

Humane Society claims the organisation, which rakes in 'hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue every year', bought chimpanzees from Liberians who kept them as pets.

Documents obtained by MailOnline show a pet chimpanzee called Brutus was sold to the Blood Center in 1981 for $100. One year later, the centre bought a two-year-old female chimp called Anita for $85.

Volunteers from HSUS feed them daily for the time being. One of them, John Abayomi Zeonyuway, is greeted by a chorus of screeching chimps every time he approaches one of the islands. They leap around wildly as John throws bananas, pawpaws and other fresh fruit at their feet.

'This is their way of saying that the food is here,' he explained as he did a quick head count, 'I can't see Samanta. Bullet is here - he's already eating. 

'The chimps are part of me... They need help, they need attention. We cannot afford to lose these animals to hunger and sickness.' 

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Shocking: Before volunteers like John began feeding the animals daily, they were only being fed once every other day, 'even when they were under the Blood Centre's care,' HSUS told MailOnline

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Help: Humane Society of the United States needs around £20,000-worth of donations every month to provide daily food and care for the chimps

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Opportunistic: On its decision to set up a laboratory in Liberia, the vice president of HSUS told MailOnline: 'I'm sure it was because they could take advantage of a country that was disadvantaged'

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Market: Documents obtained by MailOnline show how the Blood Center purchased a pet chimpanzee called Brutus in 1981 for $100 and a two-year-old female called Anita for $85 one year later

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Aid: Humane Society began a crowdfunding campaign to raise $150,000 for the chimps, which would be enough to take care of them for five months

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Vital: John Abayomi Zeonyuway (pictured), a volunteer who helps care for the chimps, is greeted by a chorus of screeching chimps every time he approaches one of the islands

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Dinner time: The chimpanzees screech and leap around wildly as John arrives with bananas, pawpaws and other fresh fruit (pictured)

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Important: Before volunteers like John arrived on the island, the chimpanzees 'were only getting fed once every other day', HSUS told MailOnline

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Closure: In November 2005, the New York Blood Center announce that all research at the Vilab facility (pictured in 1987) 'has been terminated' and the it would be turned into a 'full-time sanctuary'

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Left behind: But in March this year, the Center pulled all funding for the chimpanzees (pictured in 1987) which it had experimented on for over 60 years

But before volunteers like John arrived on the island, the chimpanzees 'were only getting fed once every other day, even when they were under the Blood Centre's care,' Kathleen Conlee, vice president of HSUS told MailOnline.

'They can't be returned to the wild since they have been exposed to various diseases and are also completely reliant on people because they were captured when they were infants.

'Many of the water systems on the islands weren't working… So they were getting hand-delivered cups delivered every other day. We firmly believe this problem wouldn't exist if the New York Blood Centre never stepped foot in Liberia.'

A virologist who worked on the island, said they chose chimpanzees because they are the only other species 'susceptible to hepatitis' and they were kept on the islands because they cannot swim. 

Preston Marx told the documentary-makers of The Real Planet of the Apes: 'You need naive animals who haven't been used in experiments.'  

A number of the animals died during the country's brutal civil war between 1999 and 2003, which claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians and left thousands homeless.

'One has to question what they were doing there in the first place,' said vice president of HSUS.

Her organisation launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $150,000, which would provide funds to look after the chimps for five months. Within a single month, over $130,000 has already been raised.

In November 2005 - after 29 years in Liberia - the New York Blood Center announce that 'all research has been terminated'.

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Feeding: The hungry animals (pictured) screech and leap around wildly when aid workers approach their islands with food

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Business: Humane Society claims the New York Blood Center even bought chimpanzees (pictured) from Liberians who kept them as pets

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Tragedy: John Abayomi Zeonyuway says: 'They [the chimps] need help, they need attention... We cannot afford to lose these animals to hunger and sickness'

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Dependent: The chimps (pictured) 'can't be returned to the wild since they have been exposed to various diseases and are also completely reliant on people', HSUS told MailOnline

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Survived: A number of the chimpanzees (pictured) died during the country's brutal civil war between 1999 and 2003 and those who survived are now completely reliant on humans for food and care

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Helpless: NYBC claims that it never had 'any obligation to care for the chimps, contractual or otherwise'

Alfred Prince, the Vilab's director at the time, said: 'Liberia is now peaceful. 15,000 UN peacekeepers are in residence and free elections were held in October this year.

'We have 80 chimps, all of which live in social groups. We presently have six islands of 10 to 30 acres in a nearby river suitable for housing released groups.

'The Blood Center is looking for a dedicated primatologist who would welcome the opportunity... The director would, however, need a sponsoring institution or foundation to assume long-term responsibility and fiscal oversight.'

But in a December 2005 article in for the American Society of Primatologists entitled 'leadership sought for chimpanzee sanctuary in Liberia', Dr Prince wrote: 'NYBC recognizes its responsibility to provide an endowment to fund the Sanctuary for the lifetime care of the chimpanzees.'  

However, Victoria O’Neill, a spokeswoman for the blood center, told the New York Times that this was Dr Prince's opinion that was 'not authorised or approved' by the blood center. She added that the center 'did not ever establish any endowment for animal care, chimpanzees included.' 

She added the center 'never had any obligation for care for the chimps, contractual or otherwise' and withdrew support after 'a long period of unproductive discussions with the Liberian government about their responsibilities in this regard, during which time we incurred millions of dollars of costs'.

She added that there was ongoing 'arbitration' with the Liberian government. 

MailOnline contacted the New York Blood Center for a comment but it has not responded.