Lester E. Fisher Center

The Hub of Ape Science

The Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes was created in 2004 to mark a new commitment to ape research at Lincoln Park Zoo. Located in the zoo's Regenstein Center for African Apes, the Fisher Center brings together ape experts and organizations from around the world to collaborate on groundbreaking basic and applied research, special projects, conferences, fellowships, publications and informal education.

The Fisher Center’s research mission is to initiate and conduct multidisciplinary research that will

advance the knowledge of ape biology
improve the care and management of apes in zoos and sanctuaries
conserve and protect wild populations

In all aspects of its operations, the Fisher Center offers unique training and educational opportunities for undergraduate students, student interns, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows through collaborative projects with Center staff.

Finally, as education is a core component of the zoo's mission, the Fisher Center has developed a unique public education program to educate our visitors about ape biology and conservation.

Related Projects


Gombe Field Research Lincoln Park Zoo is proud to partner with the Jane Goodall Institute on research projects in Gombe Stream National Park. Zoo scientists take advantage of resources that have been established over nearly half a century to study chimpanzee health, play and the mother-infant relationship.		Goualougo Triangle Ape Project In a remote region of the Republic of Congo, researchers are conducting groundbreaking research into how gorillas and chimpanzees live alongside one another in one of the most pristine landscapes on earth.

The Mind of the Chimpanzee: Ecological and Experimental Perspectives
Featuring a foreword by Jane Goodall
Edited by Lincoln Park Zoo scientists Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Ph.D., and Steve Ross, Ph.D., along with colleague Tetsuro Matsuzawa, Ph.D., the Mind of the Chimpanzee features contributions from 30 of the world’s leading chimpanzee researchers. Exploring topics ranging from tool use to chimpanzee culture, this exciting scholarly volume collects the latest knowledge on our closest living relative.

Lincoln Park Zoo's Project ChimpCARE
There are an estimated 2,200 chimpanzees living in the United States today, more than double the number estimated in their home range country of Tanzania in East Africa. Project ChimpCARE is committed to providing sustainable care for all chimpanzees.

Chimps Should Be Chimps
Produced by Lincoln Park Zoo's Project ChimpCARE, this free, interactive iPad children's book shares how chimps should be free to be themselves, from chimp head to chimp toe!

Staff