Gut Aiderbichl ´s Sanctuary for Traumatized Chimpanzees and other ...

Foreword Michael Aufhauser
This autumn, something truly special is going on at Gut
Aiderbichl’s Sanctuary for Traumatized Chimpanzees
and other Primates. The best possible happy ending is
just around the corner for the dramatic and moving story
of 38 ex-lab chimpanzees and five monkey apes.
When Gut Aiderbichl accepted the weight of responsibility
for keeping the animals, by offering them safety and sanctuary, their story was
already ongoing for several decades. Old film footage reveals crowds of people demonstrating
in front of Vienna’s town hall when these chimps were transported to
the research lab. Researcher and UN peace ambassador, Jane Goodall, personally
occupied a cage in the experimental lab in Vienna, and she has followed events
ever since. Jane and the chimps were reunited when several animals were supposed
to be transported to a zoo in Hungary.
Hope for Animals and the chimps’ carers found out what was happening; Vier
Pfoten started a campaign, Maggie Entenfellner mobilized her support and I personally
offered sanctuary to three of the youngest chimps.
In 2009, several hundred Friends of Aiderbichl – our animal sponsors, as well as
patrons – got in touch to pledge their help and support. But people are deluded
if they assume it’s thanks only to the hard work of animal protection campaigners
that this group of chimps can still live together, while also enjoying outdoor enclosures.
Without the support of the Austrian government, represented by Dr. Ulrich Herzog
for the state of Lower Austria, by Martin Tschulik (M.A.) for the municipality of
Gänserndorf, and the Mayor Dr. Robert Michl, and especially the pharmaceutical
group Baxter represented by Christian Hrobar (M.A.), what we are celebrating to-
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