If you’re a Disney buff, you’ve probably heard of Joe Rohde, best known as the mind behind Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.

This Imagineer is constantly delighting us with fun content in and out of the parks. Recently he’s launched a video series about Animal Kingdom AND he helped to design some pretty neat ears earlier this year. Now, it’s Joe Rohde’s birthday and he’s asking for YOUR help — to save the chimpanzees. 

Rohde typically asks for donations to a conservation cause when his birthday rolls around on September 10th. This year, he’s posted an emergency call for help when it comes to the relocation of about 30 chimpanzees who have been displaced by the closure of the Wildlife Waystation in California.

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My birthday is coming up on September 10th. I usually ask people to donate to some conservation cause for me. This year I have an emergency to address…like we didn’t already have a few. There are over 30 chimps who need to be relocated from The now-closed Wildlife Waystation in California. They are currently being cared for with funds from Fish and Wildlife, which cannot be sustained forever…plus the Waystation is closed now and must inevitably disappear. There are very few legit sanctuaries available for these chimps, many of whom used to be experimental lab chimps. All the current facilities are full. In order to receive them these places need funding for additional facilities and staff. There is a program underway run by NAPSA, THE NORTH AMERICAN PRIMATE SANCTUARY ALLIANCE to move the chimps, but it needs millions in funding. So they’re starting a fundraising drive. We share about 99% of our DNA with chimps. Imagine 99% of the emotions, physical sensations, wants and needs of you or anyone you know. These chimps put in years of their lives in labs or onstage to either entertain you or to advance medical studies…now they need a break and a nice place to just go be chimpanzees. So, for the next week and a half until my birthday, I will be soliciting donations to the cause. Donations can be sent to: https://primatesanctuaries.org/chimps-in-need/ NAPSA is on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/PrimateSanctuary and Instagram at @napsaprimates

A post shared by Joe Rohde (@joerohde) on Sep 1, 2020 at 11:02pm PDT

 

As of now, he notes in his Instagram post, the chimps are being cared for by Fish and Wildlife, but those funds will run out. Many of these creatures used to be experimental lab chimps and to receive them, the sanctuaries will need significant funding. Rohde is asking for donations to the program helping to fundraise, The North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance. 

“We share about 99% of our DNA with chimps,” says Rohde, “Imagine 99% of the emotions, physical sensations, wants and needs of you or anyone you know. These chimps put in years of their lives in labs or onstage to either entertain you or to advance medical studies…now they need a break and a nice place to just go be chimpanzees.”

Click here to donate to help relocate these chimps!

Rohde will be looking for donations up until his birthday and donations can be sent to the NAPSA website.

Click here to watch Joe Rohde’s video series about Animal Kingdom!

Will you be donating for Joe Rohde’s birthday? Tell us in the comments!