Battle to save the hugging chimps: Heartbreaking story of 66 apes and a baby 'abandoned' on island by medical firm after they finished experimenting on them

• The New York Blood Center set up virus-testing laboratory in Liberia in 1974 and began trapping wild chimpanzees
• Scientists infected them with diseases like hepatitis and 'river blindness' to help develop vaccines for the illnesses
• It left the the facility in 2005 and cut the funding in March this year, despite 'promising to care for the chimps for life'
• Chimps deserted on six small islands which have little natural food and are surrounded by undrinkable salt-water 
• Animal protection charity now need £20,000-worth of donations every month to feed and care for the animals daily
• New York Blood Center said it left after 'unproductive discussions' with Liberian government, during which time it incurred 'millions in costs'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3173127/The-heartbreaking-battle-save-66-chimpanzees-baby-left-starve-African-island-medical-firm-abandoned-finished-experimenting-them.html#ixzz3grDqqMOh