Old habits die hard and one that still persists in Africa is the eating of bushmeat. Bushmeat is the flesh of wild animals, be they elephant, buffalo, buck or…yes…even chimpanzee. Despite the fact that the chimpanzee is a threatened species! Governments and Non Government Organizations are trying to stop the killing of and trading in wild animals but poaching is still widespread. Very often the adult chimps are killed and the infants left to fend for themselves – or taken into African homes as pets. We take in these young, or injured adult, chimpanzees and help them recover and lead peaceful lives.
We have now leased (for 99 years) from the government of the DRC an island in the Congo River, far from the chimps’ natural enemies and are building a sanctuary there so we can nurse the chimps back to health in a safe and caring environment.