A group of chimpanzees used for bio-medical research will find a new home at a sanctuary in Georgia, amid attempts in the United States to curb the use of animals in research. The New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) has agreed to transfer more than 200 chimps to a facility initiated by a non-profit organization "Project Chimp."

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A statement issued by the NIRC stated that 10 chimps would be moved at a time. The transfers would be conducted in this manner to retain the social groups of the animals, the statement said.The NIRC is one of the centers which holds the largest number of chimpanzees for research in the world.

The transfer of all the chimpanzees is set to be completed in three to five years. While animal rights activists have urged that the NIRC abandon the practice of using chimps for many years, the center said in the statement its decision had nothing to do with outside influences.

This week nine chimpanzees made their way to the 90- hectare haven in the mountainous region of northern Georgia belonging to Project Chimp, the Guardian reported. In 2014, these chimps which were used in biomedical research.

"There has been a watershed moment where the public, the scientific community, and the government were aligned that this research wasn't to be done any more," Chief Executive of Project Chimps, Sarah Baeckler Davis told the publication. 

The transfer of the chimps is considered the largest transfer of apes since the US declared the end to the use of animals in scientific experimentation last year. In November 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US said there was no justification for using chimps in medical research.

The NIH also announced that it would also retire its animals used in research.The chimps would have access to a forested area.  Celebrities such as Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of the Green Day lead singer, are among the donors to the sanctuary.

Hammocks have reportedly been set up for the chimps, and following a period of quarantine, a limited number of visitors would be allowed to view the chimps.