Rescue
JGI affiliated sanctuaries are committed to effectively
addressing the root issues that threaten the survival
of great apes in the wild. JGI also recognizes the immediate
need to protect the victims of the illegal bushmeat
trade – orphaned chimpanzees who are typically
sold into the pet trade after watching their mothers
being brutally killed.
In cooperation with African governments, JGI is ensuring
that illegally held chimpanzees are confiscated from
poachers or market vendors and placed in sanctuaries
across Africa. Most of the governments within host countries
of chimpanzees have made it illegal to take endangered
species from the wild. To ensure that facilities exist,
JGI has created three sanctuaries in Africa (Congo,
and Uganda)
housing more than 200 orphaned chimpanzees in total.
JGI sanctuaries provide a safe refuge where chimpanzees
can be cared for and given the chance to live reasonably
full lives in spacious conditions.
It is an important policy of the Jane Goodall Institute
that sanctuaries should not only serve the needs of
the chimpanzees who live there, but that they meet other
objectives as well;
- To bring tangible benefits to the local communities,
by employing local staff and buying all fruits and
vegetables to feed the chimpanzees from the local
markets.
- To become centers for educating
and engaging youth and communities in their environment.
- To work for the preservation
of primate habitat and the protection of remaining
chimpanzee populations and other threatened species
in the wild.
Our Tchimpounga
Sanctuary in Congo is an important center
for JGI’s larger Community-Centered
Conservation initiatives for the surrounding villages.
JGI's sanctuaries have joined with 16 other African
Sanctuaries through the Pan-African
Sanctuary Alliance (PASA). PASA was founded at a
workshop organized in 2000 by JGI-Uganda and the Conservation
Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) in Entebbe. Since then,
annual meetings have been held where PASA members focus
on the key issues facing sanctuaries – education,
conservation, reintroduction, veterinary care and breeding.
This alliance is working toward addressing the needs
of current sanctuaries and promoting educational initiatives
within communities to reduce harmful environmental and
hunting practices.
Reintroduction
Given the threat of great ape extinction, the release
of captive animals into their natural habitat is increasingly
being perceived as a valuable conservation tool. Reintroduction
is both a complex and controversial endeavor, especially
when the potential risks are high - as in the case of
great apes. Guidelines for such programs have been outlined
by the Reintroduction Specialist Group of the World
Conservation Union’s Species Survival Commission.
The conservation, health, and genetic status of the
candidates for release, the ecology and behavior of
wild conspecifics as well as the biological, social,
economic and political context of the potential release
site must all be taken into account in the planning
and execution of any reintroduction project. Ultimately,
release programs must make a positive contribution to
the survival of the species in the wild.
Numerous chimpanzee host countries are currently under
pressure due to the massive influx of young orphans
who have been captured illegally from the wild. Although
sanctuaries are a good ‘band aid’ solution
in the short term, they cannot provide the needed conditions
for the orphans to express their whole range of natural
behaviors. While in sanctuary, the orphans often become
highly dependant on humans for food and protection making
future reintroduction programs impossible.
It has been argued that if the root causes of the threats
to the species’ survival are addressed at the
same time as the welfare of the confiscated orphans,
release projects can be highly successful. Reintroduction
programs can benefit not only the animals that were
released but also the release area, through effective
protection from poaching and deforestation and can even
help the local community that relies on the natural
resources for their livelihood.
The goal of JGI’s reintroduction research program
is to conduct preliminary studies on the feasibility
of such a project within Congo
and Uganda
where we currently have sanctuaries
housing over 150 chimpanzees. The establishment of the
appropriate facilities (pre-release environment) where
new arrivals to our sanctuaries will be able to learn
how to forage for natural vegetation, build nests, and
develop the social bonds necessary for their survival
in the wild is an important first step in the development
of a release program.
A suitable release site must provide sufficient resources
for the chimpanzees and permit no adverse effects on
the species already present. The release site must also
offer reliable protection from threats such as hunting
and logging and must not expose the released chimpanzees
to conflict with the local community. Potential risks
to the wild chimpanzee population, local community,
and released individuals will be examined by JGI within
the biological and socio-economic framework of the chosen
release sites.
A reintroduction program by JGI would be based on the
experiences and lessons learned from previous chimpanzee
release projects such as H.E.L.P.— Congo’s
chimpanzee reintroduction initiatives in the Conkouati
Reserve— and would adhere to the IUCN/SSC guidelines
for primate reintroduction.
JGI
Sanctuaries
Chimpanzee
Reintroduction
|
