Changing Lives for 20 Years — Part I

Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Kenya

Chimpanzees are not native to Kenya, but 36 can be found living in the safe haven of Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. With 250 acres of habitat to roam, the chimps at Sweetwaters have been rescued from a variety of cruel situations across the globe. Things can get complicated quickly when moving endangered species, like chimpanzees, across borders. There are multiple PASA member sanctuaries in western Africa that are equipped to rescue orphan chimpanzees, but when the rescue is in a country where no sanctuary exists, there are a lot of political hurdles to navigate. This was the case for Bo and Bella, two orphans being held in a park ranger station in Guinea Biassu. Both young chimpanzees had been rescued from the illegal pet trade, but were being kept in poor conditions while concerned people explored different options for where the pair could go. PASA worked closely with PEGAS, researcher Maria Joana Da Silva and Sweetwaters to move the chimpanzees where experienced caretakers could get them healthy. Today Bo and Bella are enjoying their new life with their new chimpanzee family. With their ample space, Sweetwaters remains an important PASA member for the most challenging chimpanzee placements.

Vervet Monkey Foundation
South Africa

The Vervet Monkey Foundation (VMF) in South Africa got their start because of a male vervet named Remus. Brand new to the world, he still had his umbilical cord attached when he was discovered after his mother had been shot by a farmer. When animal lover Dave Du Toit received Remus, officials instructed him to kill the monkey, since vervets were considered vermin. After a lengthy legal battle, Dave was able to create VMF and later had the South African classification for vervet monkeys changed from vermin to normal game, offering them more protection from such cruelty. Thirty-one years since Remus was first rescued, VMF has now saved over 600 monkeys! Even after helping so many monkeys, staff and volunteers at VMF are constantly facing new challenges. In 2018, a three month vervet named Bell was brought to the sanctuary. Bell likely got separated from her birth mother because she was blind, but now the sanctuary wanted to find a way to help her feel secure. She was introduced to Shasta as a surrogate mother, who had experience raising a blind infant, and now lives in a group of monkeys with other handicaps, such as Cuddy who suffered brain damage after being hit by a car. Giving careful consideration to each monkey’s situation is one of the reasons why VMF is such a great sanctuary!

Chimpanzee Conservation Center
Guinea

Tita’s story is difficult to read. When a good samaritan notified the Eco Activists for Governance and Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Network about three baby chimpanzees living in cruel conditions, the team there took quick action. They found only one of the three chimpanzees was still alive so after enduring brutal torture including a broken arm, a severe eye infection and all of her fingernails being torn out. They learned later that after her mother was gunned down trying to save her, her sister spent hours attempting to protect Tita before she also was killed. After her rescue, Tita was rushed to the Chimpanzee Conservation Center (CCC) where they could see she was deeply traumatized. Miraculously, she pulled through that most critical time. In honor of her sister’s sacrifice, she was given the name “Tita” or “sister” in the regional language. It took over a year of affection and medical treatment before she was ready to be introduced to two other orphans, one of whom she immediately embraced. She lives happily with her new family today. When word spread of what Tita had endured, CCC received enough donations to hire two lawyers to take the poachers to court. They were convicted and received the maximum sentence of a $40,000 USD fine and one year in prison. PASA member sanctuaries are truly fighting for Africa’s primates on all fronts!

Colobus Conservation
Kenya

Likoni, a young male vervet monkey, also survived against great odds. He was rushed to PASA member Colobus Conservation after being found covered in engine oil and sustaining long, deep cuts on his head and body that were consistent with machete wounds. He could barely see, due to his eyes being swollen shut from injuries. After months of treatment, his tenacious spirit allowed him to start anew. Today he is integrated into a social group with other rescued monkeys.

Colobus Conservation is a leader in working with the community to improve the well-being of all monkeys in Kenya. This includes projects like implementing “Colobus bridges” across roads so that monkeys can avoid being hit by cars, working with electric companies to make power lines safer for crossing wildlife, and consulting with tourist locations that struggle with monkeys who become too comfortable around visitors. When it comes to wildlife conflicts between humans and monkeys, it always ends poorly for monkeys. However, Colobus Conservation has shown that with good leadership and initiative, people can come up with solutions that work for everyone.

Lola ya Bonobo
Democratic Republic of Congo

One African ape that often gets overlooked is the bonobo. Once thought to be a “pygmy chimpanzee,” bonobos are now recognized as an ape species all their own. They are only found in one region of one country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Like other primates, infant bonobos are poached and sold into illegal wildlife trade. Known for their affectionate nature and very close social bonds, rescued orphaned bonobos historically had never survived rehabilitation attempts. Claudine Andre, founder of Lola ya Bonobo, showed that with love and care, it was possible to give rescued baby bonobos a second chance. Lola ya Bonobo is the only bonobo rehabilitation center in the world. Successfully starting the sanctuary during a brutal civil war, Claudine has never been one to back down from challenges and one of the biggest she faced was reintroducing bonobos to the wild. Through careful planning, Lola ya Bonobo selected a group of individuals who showed the independence, confidence and natural behaviors needed to succeed in the wild. The team found a release site and named it Ekolo ya Bonobo or “land of the bonobos.” In bonobo society, females are dominant and work together to “correct” individual males when needed. The first group of bonobos returned to the wild had quite the alpha female leader, Étumbé. She had been kept in a cramped cage for 15 years in a biomedical laboratory. You might think that she would have severe psychological damage making participation in a normal social group impossible, but Étumbé had proven herself to be a strong, capable leader, just the candidate to go back to the forest. She has since gone on to successfully give birth in the wild – the first reintroduced bonobo to do so – and is still living her best life in the 50,000 acres of forest at Ekolo ya Bonobo.

Ape Action Africa
Cameroon

Ape Action Africa has plenty of experience rehabilitating orphaned gorillas, but there still are cases that are extra challenging. After losing his mother and likely other family members to the illegal bushmeat trade, a young male gorilla named Bobga was brought to PASA member Limbe Wildlife Center in Cameroon. After a year, he had become a physically and mentally healthy young gorilla, and the two and a half year old was ready to live with a new gorilla family. One benefit of being in an alliance like PASA is that when Limbe didn’t have an appropriate group for Bobga, they reached out to others in the network. Ape Action Africa, a PASA member also in Cameroon, had a juvenile group which was deemed to be a good fit for Bobga. Being sensitive animals, it is important to go slow with gorilla introductions. Bobga’s primary caregiver Killi stayed with Bobga as he got used to his new sanctuary and the caregivers who would look after him. Once that transition was completed, it was time for Bobga to meet his new gorilla family. Getting to know each gorilla one at a time, Bobga was eventually ready to be integrated with his new family. After Bobga had started spending the nights as well as the days with his new group, his caregivers discovered him limping one morning. Separating him from the group for an examination, x-rays showed a fracture in his femur. It was suspected another member of his group pulled on his leg while he was sleeping on a platform during the night. To heal properly, it was important to limit Bobga’s movement. Fortunately, Bobga has been healing well. Throughout his recovery, he has always been able to see his groupmates and the plan is for him soon to join them again in the forest.