Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project
Background
Chimpanzees are listed as “endangered” as a result of illegal hunting, logging and human encroachment, and experts predict they could become extinct in the wild within the next 50 years at the current rate of decline. The Centre de Conservation pour Chimpanzees (CCC) in Guinea looks after chimpanzees that were born in the wild but were illegally captured by hunters or traders. After confiscation by the authorities, the chimpanzees are turned over to the CCC for rehabilitation. As is the case with many chimp rehabilitation facilities across Africa, overcrowding is a problem. One solution is to return chimps that are physically and mentally able, back into the wild.
The CCC located in the Park National du Haut Niger (PNHN), serves as a chimpanzee rehabilitation sanctuary as well as a platform for the promotion of conservation education in Guinea. In addition the projects aims to reinforce the protection of the wild chimpanzee population living in the PNHN which this under threat from hunting and habitat loss.
Tusk Trust Support
A grant of £5,000, from the Artemis Small Grants Fund, allowed CCC to achieve just that. By providing tracking equipment, salaries and funds to construct a local camp for the chimp monitors, CCC were able to release 15 chimpanzees into the National Park du Haut Niger on the 27th June 2008. CCC officials had planned to provide the chimpanzees with food for several months after their release, but they quickly disappeared into the forest and have not returned since. All of the chimpanzees appear healthy, are making nests in the trees for sleeping, as is normal among wild chimpanzees, and are foraging for their food. Twelve of the chimps were fitted with tracking collars prior to release allowing the CCC staff to monitor their movements from afar.
Despite the Centre de Conservation pour Chimpanzees (CCC) recent reintroduction of chimp populations into the wild, more than 30 chimpanzees still reside at main compound in Guinea, with a further 750 located at other Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) facilities across Africa.
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