KEITHVILLE — Nearly 400 Dr. Seuss Books were donated to Chimp Haven in honor of Dr. Seuss Day on Monday.

People from across the country donated books to the national chimpanzee sanctuary after Chimp Haven put out a request on social media for used Dr. Seuss books. The books were incorporated into the chimp's enrichment, encouraging the animals to explore and investigate. 

"Books are a surprisingly great enrichment," Director of Behavior at Chimp Haven Rebekah Lewis said. "They’re new textures and smells, bright colors, and something the chimps can manipulate. Many of them really do flip pages and look at pictures for a moment before deciding what to do next.”

Chimp Haven is the world's largest chimpanzee sanctuary, providing lifelong care for chimpanzees, with many of the animals being retired from biomedical research.