Five Monkeys Rescued from Notorious Oregon Roadside Zoo Get a New Start at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Texas

COTULLA, Texas, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Five monkeys that had been rescued as part of a major confiscation effort from the notorious West Coast Game Park Safari in Oregon are now beginning a new life at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in South Texas.

The owner of West Coast Game Park Safari was indicted on more than 370 animal welfare, drug, weapons and racketeering charges. The case is ongoing, but permanent custody of the animals has now been transferred to sanctuaries around the country that have stepped up to take on the zoo's former residents.  

The monkeys now at Born Free USA's sanctuary – baboons named Zeus, Monet and Calliope and vervet monkeys named Blue and Bear – will enjoy a lifetime of personalized care, enrichment, medical support, nutritious food, ample space in a naturalistic setting and the opportunity to socialize with other monkeys of their kind. 

On arrival at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, all three baboons were diagnosed with heart conditions, a common occurrence in primates kept in inadequate environments. If allowed to continue, these heart conditions would likely have contributed to a premature death.

Thanks to swift treatment and a switch to a nutritious and healthy diet on arrival at Born Free, two of the baboons now show normal heart function and the third is well on the way to recovery.  

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to welcome Zeus, Calliope, Monet, Blue and Bear to their forever home with Born Free," said Liz Tyson, Born Free's Director of Animal Welfare and Advocacy. "They have very quickly settled into their large enclosures and new social groups, which give them opportunities they have never had before in their old home. Most heartening is seeing them make friends. All primates are profoundly social animals, and these particular species thrive in large friendship groups."  

The five monkeys form part of the 210 strong population of primates who call the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary home. Rescued from the pet trade, laboratories and zoos, Born Free provides lifetime care to monkeys in need. 

Learn more about the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary at www.bornfreeusa.org/primate-sanctuary/.  

About Born Free USA  

Born Free USA works to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs. We oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong—in the wild. Born Free USA's Primate Sanctuary is the largest in the United States and provides a permanent home to primates rehomed from laboratories or rescued from zoos and private ownership. 

We're on social: www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa,  www.instagram.com/bornfreeusaorg, www.tiktok.com/@bornfreeusaorg. 

SOURCE Born Free USA