From 1990 -1995 Michèle Winstanley volunteered in the ape house at London Zoo. Winstanley was also an active member of the International Primate Protection League UK, where she headed their campaign called 'Don't Say Cheese with Chimpanzees' which aimed to stop photographers in Spain and Tenerife from using baby chimpanzees as props. Winstanley served on IPPL-UK's board of trustees until it closed in 2014. Her play 'Keepers' was written from her experiences of working within primate conservation.