Court hearing on behalf of seven captive chimpanzees in Michigan

Rocking. Screaming. Banging on the walls. Confined in cages near a parking lot. This is some of what we heard and saw when we visited our seven chimpanzee clients in their place of confinement at the DeYoung Family Zoo in Michigan—the same facility our first client, Tommy, was secretly transferred to before he died “curled up in his sleeping spot” inside a building, according to USDA records. On October 14, 2025, a Michigan appellate court will hear the Nonhuman Rights Project's arguments demanding the chimpanzees' right to liberty and their release from this roadside zoo to an accredited chimpanzee sanctuary. The hearing will be open to the public and live-streamed via the court's website. In late 2023, a Michigan trial court denied the chimpanzees a hearing on the merits of their case simply because they’re not human. Join us in person at the hearing to show your support!