CHCI included a sanctuary for chimpanzees who have learned to communicate with humans and each other using American Sign Language.
Portions of the specialized structures used to house the chimps were dismantled and moved to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Cle Elum, for future use.
[1] Loulis and Tatu, the remaining two chimpanzees in the center after the natural death of Washoe and Dar, moved to the Fauna Foundation in Quebec in late August 2013,[3] where they will be integrated into an existing group of eleven chimpanzees.
In September 1980, Washoe, Loulis, and Moja moved to Central Washington University.
When it housed the chimpanzees, many volunteered as docents or assistants within the center while others conducted research on primate behavior.