Where The Apes Are

140 Acres of Property

 In May of 2003 the city of Des Moines gave the newly formed Great Ape Trust 140 acres of undeveloped property in the southeast part of the city.

Construction began in June 2004, and the first ape residents arrived that September.

Ted Townsend, Founder

Founded by Ted Townsend, The Great Ape Trust's mission is to understand language, how culture develops, how "a brain creates a mind," and how humans and primates use and create tools--both physical and intellectual--to help their daily lives.

This scientific facility also is dedicated to preserving the endangered great apes in their natural habitats.

Several animal refugee parks have four-season climates.  The Great Ape Trust has indoor facilities that cool the inhabitants in summer and warm them in winter. 



A Scientific Research Facility

The facility now houses a colony of six bonobos and six orangutans.  A team of scientists share their lives and work with the primates, as well as working with scientists and scholars from Iowa State University, Simpson College, and around the world.

The Great Ape Trust is located southeast of Des Moines, east of Lake Easter.


Great Ape Trust | Bonobos, Orangutans and the Study of Ape Language, Tools and Intelligence. Web. 02 Jan. 2011. http://www.greatapetrust.org/about-the-trust/history>