Our Founder’s Inspiration

Dr. Tessa Wilde’s journey began as an undergraduate at Ohio Wesleyan University, where a grant opportunity enabled her to volunteer at CARE, a baboon sanctuary in South Africa. That formative experience sparked a deep love for primates and a calling to sanctuary work.

She went on to earn a Master’s in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University in the UK, focusing on abnormal behaviors in sanctuary-housed primates. Wanting to be of even greater service, she returned to school to become a licensed veterinary technician—equipping herself with hands-on animal care skills. She went on to work in several zoos, sanctuaries, and veterinary offices. Finally, she returned to school to complete her PhD at The Ohio State University.

Throughout her academic and professional path, Dr. Wilde recognized the immense need for more primate sanctuaries in the U.S., where existing facilities operate near capacity. Seeing the healing power of sanctuaries firsthand, she founded FTLOP to create more space for primates in need and to ensure they have a future filled with safety, dignity, and care.

About For the Love of Primates

For the Love of Primates (FTLOP) was founded in 2019 by Dr. Tessa Wilde with the vision of creating a sanctuary for monkeys and apes retired from laboratory research, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. With a commitment to both lifelong animal care and public education, FTLOP purchased a 60-acre property near Crooksville, Ohio, and has since developed conceptual and architectural plans for a world-class sanctuary.

The sanctuary will ultimately house up to 100+ primates, with Phase I of construction focused on an animal care building capable of housing approximately 45 individuals. Future phases will include supportive infrastructure and a second animal quarters. While the sanctuary is under development, FTLOP has already made a strong impact through educational outreach, reaching hundreds of students with free primate-centered STEM programming—focusing on reaching those from communities underrepresented in the sciences. Guided by compassion, science, and sustainability, FTLOP is working to redefine the standard of primate care and advocacy in the Midwest.