The Center for Great Apes, located in Wauchula, Florida, was founded in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Its primary purpose is to provide a permanent sanctuary in a safe and enriching environment for orangutans and chimpanzees in need of long-term life care … specifically those who have been used in entertainment, kept as pets by private owners, or served as research subjects. Currently, the Center houses forty-three apes ranging in ages from 4 years to 50 years. Fourteen orangutans and twenty-nine chimpanzees have moved to their permanent sanctuary home in Wauchula.

The Center maintains these great apes in enriching environments and habitats, while providing them with proper nutrition and companionship with their own species. They live in large 35-foot tall outdoor habitats with lots of climbing apparatus, swings, and enrichment toys. They sleep in attached heated nighthouses strong enough to withstand Florida hurricanes. The sanctuary is located in South Central Florida on 100 wooded acres surrounded by orange groves.