JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — At the Primate Rescue Center in Nicholasville, the people who run the nonprofit sanctuary say Jane Goodall made an impact in their world, and the human world, that will span beyond Goodall's lifetime.
"Somehow we all felt like she was speaking directly to us." said Executive Director Eileen Dallaire.
Goodall died Wednesday at the age of 91.
Dallaire told LEX18 Goodall's research regarding chimpanzees changed the way rescues like hers care for monkeys.
"She revealed to the world that they are not just similar to us on a DNA biological level, they have culture, community, family, friends," said Daillare.
The Primate Rescue Center is a refuge for primates who were in the entertainment industry, used for biomedical research and some were even kept as pets.
"We constantly receive calls directly from people who say 'I need help I shouldn't have done this', now I have a wild animal in my home," said Dallaire.
It is illegal to own a primate in Kentucky.
Dallaire says at the national level, there's currently legislation moving through the process called the Primate Safety Act. She said the goal of the bill is to set rules and standards across all 50 states in caring for primates.
