Primarily Primates

Primarily Primates Primarily Primates is a non-profit primate refuge in San Antonio, Texas. PPI has been managed by Friends of Animals since May 2007.

Primarily Primates is a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity. Primarily Primates is a non-profit sanctuary in Bexar County, Texas that operates to house, protect and rehabilitate 300-plus rescued primates and other animals. The 78 acre refuge has been managed by Friends of Animals since 2007, and focuses primarily on caring for apes, monkeys, lemurs and birds. Many are cast-offs from the pet

trade, circuses, zoos and biomedical research institutions. Individuals released to the refuge include chimpanzees once used in space training and testing protocols by the United States Air Force, and Oliver, a chimpanzee once paraded on television shows as the "humanzee" due to a habit of walking upright. Primarily Primates was incorporated in 1981. Its current board, structured in 2007 under an agreement with the Attorney General of the State of Texas, includes the president of the animal-advocacy group Friends of Animals.

The work doesn’t stop for weekends or holidays for our caretakers. Pictured here are just a few of the dedicated people ...
09/04/2026

The work doesn’t stop for weekends or holidays for our caretakers. Pictured here are just a few of the dedicated people who help give Primarily Primates’ rescued residents the individualized care, comfort and dignity they deserve.

To our entire care team, thank you for showing up everyday for the animals who count on you. Happy Labor Day weekend!

09/03/2026

We strive to have our residents benefit from same-species compan­ionship. It never gets old seeing activities like this--java macaques Andy and Febe grooming & connecting. Andy was taken from his mom at a breeding facility way too early and forced to be a pet in a home in Texas, where he refused to eat. His owners dumped Andy at a local vet office when they realized they could not properly care for him. Luckily for Andy, the vet recognized that for Andy to thrive, he needed to be with other primates. So she reached out to Primarily Primates. Andy adores Febe—maybe a little bit more than he loves red grapes! To show his affection he constantly patrols their habitat to make her feel safe. You will often see Andy with a wooden toothpick in his mouth that he’s made from the wood of one of his perches!

There's still a few weeks of summer left and we love that Olive and Billie Armour from Connecticut had a lemonade stand ...
08/24/2026

There's still a few weeks of summer left and we love that Olive and Billie Armour from Connecticut had a lemonade stand over the weekend to benefit Primarily Primates and to sponsor chimpanzee Shu Shu. THANK YOU! They raised an impressive $178! CHEERS! Please consider having your own lemonade stand or other fundraiser to benefit our residents at PPI. Or donate a fruit or veggie party here: https://primarilyprimates.org/product-category/food-and-fun/

08/13/2026

Bubba crunching on frozen bananas is the satisfying ASMR we’ve been waiting for. Who doesn’t need a moment of zen?

We're celebrating that spider monkey Hector is out of quarantine (usually 10-14 days) and has "graduated" to an outdoor ...
08/04/2026

We're celebrating that spider monkey Hector is out of quarantine (usually 10-14 days) and has "graduated" to an outdoor habitat. We rescued Hector in July after he was confiscated. He was found roaming around El Paso.

Now he gets a chance to start meeting some other spider monkey groups. When he's a little older, he'll get introduced into the group he's most compatible with! The sky's the limit Hector!

We are feeling just ducky today! That's because the black-bellied whistling ducks who call the pond at Primarily Primate...
07/30/2026

We are feeling just ducky today! That's because the black-bellied whistling ducks who call the pond at Primarily Primates home had babies! We love that local wildlife feel as safe as our residents at the sanctuary that they raise families here!

Why is everyone smiling at Primarily Primates? Because July 25-26 we had our Dental Weekend—a collaboration with the Den...
07/28/2026

Why is everyone smiling at Primarily Primates?

Because July 25-26 we had our Dental Weekend—a collaboration with the Dental Coalition for Conservation's co-founder Dr. Charles Dyer.

Dental disease silently impacts human and non-human primates. Our Dental Weekends are always conducted in the interest of preventative health. This one involved 17 dental cleanings on capuchins, macaques, and spider monkeys, as well as one patas, one lemur and a vervet. It also included x-rays and 30 extractions, two root canals and four restorations. And our dream team also did vaccinations, virology testing, blood testing, and more.

These results represent much more than numbers—they represent collaboration, expertise, and a shared commitment to providing compassionate, comprehensive care to every animal.

The day would not have been possible without: DCC’s Dr. Dyer, Dr. Chanda Miles, Dr. Thomas huJar; and Exotic Wildlife Services’ Dr. Brittni East, Dr. Abigail Horsewell, Dr. Jack Richison, vet tech Justine Hendricks and vet tech Vanessa Huizar. Many thanks also go out to PPI’s own care staff: Katherine Jacobs, animal care supervisor, Arianna Salinas, director of animal care, and Zoe Ziemba, former caretaker.

Missions like this demonstrate what can be accomplished when veterinary medicine, dentistry, sanctuary care, and wildlife protection come together with a common purpose!

07/21/2026

Kinkajou Nilla face first in her cup is all of us with our morning coffee! 🤣🤣🤣

We have three kinkajous, Nilla, Jethro & Ivor. Did you know that in the wild, kinkajous live in the tropical forests of Central and South America, where they spend most of their time in the trees.

They can turn their feet backwards to run easily in either direction along branches or up and down trunks. They also have a prehensile, or gripping, tail that they use much like another arm. In the wild, kinkajous often hang from this incredible tail, which also aids their balance while they sleep high in the canopy.

Though many of its features and traits sound like those of a primate, the kinkajou is related to the raccoon. Kinkajous are sometimes called honey bears because they raid bees' nests. They use their long, skinny tongues to slurp honey from a hive, and to remove insects like termites from their nests.

This week, there has been horrendous flooding in the Texas Hill Country region where Primarily Primates is located due t...
07/16/2026

This week, there has been horrendous flooding in the Texas Hill Country region where Primarily Primates is located due to ongoing storms, but today, there’s calm. And even though more rain is expected, our staff has secured enclosures and kept water out of the chimpanzee bedrooms on the hill. Other rushing water went through unused pastures, so the sanctuary is in good shape today with a few repairs ahead to flood gates and other structures.

Say hello to Hector! He is one of two spider monkeys we rescued yesterday. Both are "border babies' who were confiscated...
07/10/2026

Say hello to Hector! He is one of two spider monkeys we rescued yesterday. Both are "border babies' who were confiscated. Hector was found roaming around El Paso. You can make a donation to support his lifelong care here:https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E348096&id=1

When it comes to spider monkeys, it takes a knowledgeable, dedicated team of care staff like we have at Primarily Primates to provide them with the specialized care they need. As "border babies," spider monkeys are trafficked from the wild into the United States. They undergo weeks to months of improper conditions, including exposure to viruses, bacteria, and parasites. At PPI, we test for a variety of different conditions before integrating new monkeys into our existing population. In addition, they are deprived of social conditioning, leaving them at a loss regarding how to behave in primate societies. The extreme trauma they experience can influence physiological and psychological health for years into the future. Overcoming the difficulties these young ones are exposed to early in life is a lifelong effort, which is why we are so happy to be able to provide permanent residence to these extraordinary monkeys.

While we have been rescuing primates from the illegal pet trade, biomedical research, and entertainment for decades, last year we were chosen to be part of the Wildlife Confiscation Network. It's a first-of-its-kind pilot program that strives to reduce wildlife trafficking and increases support for law enforcement by providing a coordinated system to ensure the care and welfare of confiscated live wildlife.

Address

26099 Dull Knife Trl
San Antonio, TX
78255

Telephone

+18307554616

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