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Great Apes Sanctuary of Paraná
São José dos Pinhais/PR, Brazil
Maintained by the Anami Conservationist Institute, the Great Apes Sanctuary of Paraná, in São José dos Pinhais, south of Brazil, is the most modern one of the Brazilian Sanctuaries.
It was founded by the Czech couple Milan and Anita Starostik, who owned a large industrial group in the state and already had a conservationist centre, given their willing for animal protection. After the sale of their company, the couple began to dedicate themselves personally to the great apes.
The enclosures have modern heating systems, many toys in large areas, and the trampoline is one of the residents’ favorites.
In an area of 230,000 m², the Anami Institute is inserted in the Miringuava River Basin, whose delta is in the Iguaçu River and is entirely located in the municipality of São José dos Pinhais.
The Institute has complete infrastructure, that includes input storage warehouse, veterinary outpatient and surgical centers, quarantine sector, veterinary kitchen, dressing rooms and meal halls for staff and the enclosures for the primates and other animals. The latter were developed in accordance with each species biological needs, taking into account factors like well-being, solar exposure and safety for animals and caretakers. The facilities were built in a former agricultural property.
Gallery of Images and Videos
Sanctuary Residents
He arrived at the Anami Institute in 2007 and was integrated into a group with 5 other chimpanzees. It is very common to see André calling others to play.
Date of birth: 06/06/1996Origin: Circo
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
in memoriam
He was born in the forests of Africa. Captured as a baby, he was sold to a shopkeeper in Lebanon where he lived until he was four years old inside a pet shop, being subjected to taking pictures with the store's customers.
Date of birth: 11/2000Origin: Africa/Lebanon
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
He worked until the age of five in a circus, where he was exploited to perform acts such as walking on stilts and riding a bicycle.
Date of birth: 09/30/1991Origin: Circo
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
in memoriam
He arrived at Anami in 2005, rescued from Portugal Circus, where he lived confined in a trailer without any concern for well-being or hygiene.
Date of birth: 10/16/1993Origin: Portugal Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
in memoriam
Capitão was born in the Romano circus and worked for many years in the Garcia circus, two major former Brazilian circuses. In 2007, he was received at the Sanctuary.
Date of birth: 1976Origin: Circo Romano
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
She arrived at Anami in 2004 together with her brother, Lucas.
Date of birth: 09/23/1999Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
He was captured in the forest when he was still very young. It is believed that he was ripped from his mother by traffickers.
Date of birth: 2005Origin: Africa/ Lebanon zoo
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
He arrived at the Sanctuary in 2005 and, at 2 years of age, his weight was only 7.8 kg.
Date of birth: 05/04/2003Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
in memoriam
Dunga was a sweet, understanding and delicate chimpanzee. He lived until 2010 at Brasilia zoo.
Date of birth: 04/17/1995Origin: Brasilia Zoo
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
in memoriam
Johny was taken in by the Starostik couple after being rejected by his mother at the zoo where he was born. His story inspired the cause of protecting great apes living in poor conditions, which led to the creation of the Sanctuary.
Date of birth: 05/20/2000Origin: Zoo
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
Judy lived for more than ten years in a precarious zoo in Tel Aviv, Israel. Through an international NGO and after much negotiation, Judy was transferred to the Anami Institute in 2012.
Date of birth: 1991Origin: Tel Aviv zoo, Israel
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
She is the only orangutan in a sanctuary in Brazil and is a hybrid of the Borneo and Sumatran species.
Date of birth: 02/07/1985Origin: Germany
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
She spent much of her childhood in a zoo in Lisbon. As a young adult, she was transferred to a zoo in Brazil, and, in 2010, Leila arrived at Anami.
Date of birth: 02/03/1995Origin: Lisbon Zoo (Portugal)
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
He arrived at Anami in 2004 coming from a circus, where he was forced to perform circus acts under mistreatment.
Date of birth: 09/11/2002Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
Lucy did not have an easy life. When she lived in circuses, she had several babies, but was never able to care for any of them, because they were taken away right after birth.
Date of birth: 1981Origin: Zoo/Circus Beto Carrero
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
She arrived at Anami in 2007, coming from the former Garcia circus, presenting with morbid obesity and diabetes. Maria developed a very strong bond with Zezinho, with whom she currently lives and has a very healthy relationship.
Date of birth: 09/24/1993Origin: Circo Garcia
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
He arrived at Anami in 2002 and was kept separate from the others for safety reasons, since he was very young. However, on the day he was introduced, the surprise was immense: the meeting resulted in strong embraces and positive interactions.
Date of birth: 08/03/2001Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
He lived in bad conditions, in a very small cage in a private zoo in Israel. He arrived at Anami in 2009, at 24 years old.
Date of birth: 1985Origin: Private zoo in Israel
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
Fortunately, he was able to be raised by his mother at the Sanctuary. He is a sociable chimpanzee and interacts a lot, especially with Dino and Yuri, his best friends.
Date of birth: 10/21/2007Origin: The Great Apes Sanctuary of Paraná
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
He was captured as a baby in Africa and was exploited by a restaurant owner in Lebanon, where he was given cigarettes and was forced to serve hookah.
Date of birth: 1998Origin: Africa
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
in memoriam
He arrived at the sanctuary in 2007 from a former circus, where he was subjected to mistreatment.
Date of birth: 07/27/1995Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
Punia, her companion, Pweeke, and her daughter, Zuri, came from an Argentine zoo. They arrived at the Sanctuary in 2018.
Date of birth: 02/20/1992Origin: Zoo in La Plata, Argentina
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
In 2002, he was transferred to a zoo in Argentina, living there until January 23, 2018, when he arrived at Anami along with his partner (Punia) and his daughter (Zuri).
Date of birth: 11/28/1992Origin: Zoo in the city of Basel, Switzerland, and zoo in Argentina
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
She arrived at Anami together with Maria in 2007, very suspicious and quite apprehensive. She carried with her the trauma of 20 years of mistreatment in the circus.
Date of birth: 05/26/1987Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
in memoriam
Tota was born in a zoo in Lisbon and was later transferred to a Brazilian zoo, where she lived with a group of three individuals.
Date of birth: 1979Origin: Zoo in Lisbon
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
After a six-month struggle, she was finally transferred from the private zoo Paraíso Perdido in Ceará. She now lives in a group of six individuals, caring for younger chimpanzees.
Date of birth: 2000Origin: Private zoo
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
For many years, Yuri was exploited in a circus and forced to perform a dangerous act known as the Globe of Death. He used to perform an average of three shows a day.
Date of birth: 1996Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
After 14 years of a difficult life in a circus, Zezinho arrived at the Sanctuary. Highly humanized, he constantly sought contact with the staff, vocalizing to get the attention.
Date of birth: 12/31/1993Origin: Circus
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
She was transferred to Anami on January 23, 2018, along with Pweeke, her father, and Punia, her mother. Very shy, she always hid behind her mother and took a long time to trust the staff.
Date of birth: 12/04/2004Origin: Zoo in La Plata, Argentina
Sanctuary: São José dos Pinhais, Paraná/Brazil
The GAP Project
GAP is an international movement whose main objective is to fight for the basic rights to life, liberty and non-torture of non-human great apes - Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans and Bonobos, our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
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