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But it was BooeeÆs normal chimp territoriality that eventually got him in trouble. If a stranger walked by the house on the sidewalk, or if a dog dared to enter the yard, Booee would do a very proper chimpanzee threat display to drive the intruder away. Each display would end with a backhand thump hitting a large picture window. One winter after this had happened again, the Schneiders had to board the window to keep the cold out, and it became obvious to these good people that their house was not a proper home for a chimpanzee.

They were faced with a dilemma. If they returned him to the lab, he would surely be used in biomedical experiments.

By this time, Dr. Schneider had visited Allen and Beatrice Gardner and the chimp Washoe. In 1970, shortly before Washoe arrived there, Booee and his entire human family traveled from Maryland to the Institute of Primate Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Parting with Booee was traumatic for the entire Schneider family and they wept as they drove to Oklahoma. They were invited to spend the night as guests of the director of the Institute and his wife. The children were concerned that Booee would not get his favorite foods and told the directorÆs wife to remember that he liked brown sugar with his morning oatmeal. The Schneiders reported having felt physical pain when they left Booee to begin his new life the next morning.

Booee became one of the Oklahoma chimps whom Roger Fouts and his students began tutoring in American Sign Language.

Several years later, the InstituteÆs director decided to change direction and sought a contract from Merck Sharp and Dohme to do hepatitis research. He did not get that contract, but eventually sent all the chimps he owned to the lab that did receive the contract. Booee was again lost in the biomedical research complex from which his human parents had hoped to protect him. He was subjected to invasive research, and spent 16 years in conditions like those seen on 20/20. As a result, Booee is now a carrier of the Hepatitis C virus, for which there is currently no cure.

Dean Irwin received both an Emmy and a Genesis award for his program, which brought a tremendous response from the public. In the autumn of 1995, following the 20/20 program, and thanks to the commitment of many people all over the world, Booee was released by LEMSIP. Together with 8 other chimpanzees from the New York University laboratory, he is currently at the Wildlife Waystation, near Los Angeles. When space becomes available, he will gradually learn to live with other chimpanzees in a large enclosure.

Roger and Deborah Fouts have made several visits to Booee at the Wildlife Waystation. Peter Singer and Paul Waldau of Great Ape Project-International have also been to see how he is doing.

Martine Collette of the Wildlife Waystation has said:
ôWaystation staff and volunteers have constructed nine primate quarantine enclosures at a cost of approximately $150,000. The æroomsÆ are comfortably large and airy. The wire fronts allow the chimps to view green shrubbery and trees, earthy hillsides and the enlivening sights and sounds of California birds, lizards, squirrels and insects. The roof covering the enclosures includes more than a dozen skylights. Available to them are climbing devices including platforms, ropes and tires. To challenge as well as comfort the mind, sources of animal enrichment include people, music, televisions, books, magazines and toys.ö

But Martine is, rightly, not content with the space they have available at present, and is building a much larger enclosure for these nine chimps and a large number of others who they will also be getting from laboratories. In their new quarters (which Martine hopes will be finished by early 1997), all the chimps will live in social groups and will have access to outside runs, as well as comfortable housing to shelter from bad weather.

The pressure of numbers makes it difficult for Wildlife Waystation to provide the extensive facilities that would provide a full life for Booee and the other individual chimpanzees. But Martine Collette has a dream - one which we very much hope will become a reality - of acquiring thousands of acres of land in Arizona that would really give Booee and the others all the space they need.

Meanwhile, we would like to express our great appreciation of the care and concern that everyone at the Wildlife Waystation shows for those in their care. How different this is from a 5ft by 5ft by 7ft cage in a dark basement.

Deborah and Roger Fouts have now made three visits to see Booee. With each visit, he has seemed more settled and content.

On the first visit, he was especially glad to see Deborah, since they had not seen each other since 1980. The Fouts brought edible treats for Booee and the other chimpanzees. After an initial greeting, Booee was eager to get to the treats, small boxes of juice with straws, bananas, and raisins. But, when the Fouts went to share the treats with his companions, Booee screamed in distress. He was still so deprived that he seemed afraid that the treats would not return. When he had eaten, Booee and Deb played the games they had played when he was a youngster in Oklahoma. Tickle and chase, and then some quiet grooming. When it was time for the Fouts to leave, Booee again screamed and displayed. Again he seemed to not believe their signs that they would return.

The Fouts next visited Booee in August, this time with their daughter Hillary. Booee was very excited about the treats, but he was much more interested in games of tickle and chase and grooming with Hillary. During this visit, when Deborah and Roger took the treats to share with the other chimpanzees, Booee was only mildly interested, and did not seem upset that some of his bounty was being shared. This seemed to be an indication that he had settled in and was not afraid of being deprived of food treats or social enrichment. When the Fouts finally had to leave, he was calm and not devastated as he had been in February.

During their last visit, in November, the Fouts came early to avoid a large group of visitors and found Booee in a smaller area while his enclosure was being cleaned. This time, he was hardly interested in the treats, and much more interested in grooming and tickling. The boxes of juice with straws were still a big hit, but when it was time to share, Booee merely glanced and continued to tickle Deb.

There are now also plans for a visitor to come regularly to sign with Booee.

Finally, to answer the question that Roger Fouts asked after his joyful and painful meeting with Booee after so many years: ôWas it worth it?ö Yes. It was worth it: both for Booee, who is now out of the laboratory; and for the other chimpanzees who have been or will be released and treated with more respect for what they are like.

The Great Ape Project would like to thank GAP supporters in Australia and the USA, who donated US$8000 and US$4000, respectively, for Booee. This has been passed on to the Wildlife Waystation, with the express wish that it be used for the extended facilities.