- GAP Sanctuary Europe
- Founded by Jan & Graham Garen
- Quarantine accredited
GAP Sanctuary Europe
Officially recognised as the European sanctuary partner of the Great Ape Project. We hold the licences required to import primates from abroad, which most UK facilities do not.
Why the recognition matters
Being designated GAP Sanctuary Europe is more than a badge. It places legal, regulatory and ethical obligations on the sanctuary that other facilities don't carry, and confirms our commitment to the Great Ape Project's core principles.
Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary is an accredited quarantine premises and has held Balai Directive approval for over 16 years. That approval is what enables us to receive primates from European partner sanctuaries, often as a matter of urgency, and to handle the months of post-arrival quarantine and integration that follow.
Hard lines
- Strict
No primate that arrives here is ever returned to a zoo or commercial facility.
- Licensed
We hold all UK and EU licences required to legally import primates from abroad.
- Audited
Inspected by APHA, the Zoo Inspectorate, the local authority and the fire service.
- Welfare-led
Decisions led by the head keeper and the advisory board, not by visitor numbers.
Great Ape Project UK
We are also the UK's 8th national chapter of GAP.