New arrival: Rambo

Yesterday another chimpanzee arrived in Lwiro. He is around 3 years old, is called Rambo and arrived after a very long journey. He came all the way from Orientale in Central Congo and his journey included a flight from Kisangani to Goma and a car journey from Goma to Lwiro. Both a very long and very expensive trip!

JGI Italy, JGI Switzerland and JGI Germany did a huge effort to fundraise enough money for Rambos transport to Lwiro. They did a great job and even fundraised enough to support his care in CRPL for a while! Thank you for your big effort to save Rambo!

UGADEC, JGI Congo and ICCN did a great job in coordinate the transfer. This was a huge coordination effort and everyone was working together to get Rambo safely to Lwiro!

A big thank you to everyone involved with this rescue, Rambo has better days ahead!

He was in relatively good health on arrival a bit thin and his hair is a bit patchy, but otherwise good and he quickly bonded with the keeper. He will now spend one month in quarantine with the best possible care before he will be introduced to his new friends!

Please consider helping us care for Rambo and the other 51 chimpanzees in Lwiro, donate towards our running cost for 2012. Running cost covers food and medicines for the chimps and monkey, salary for our Congolese workers, repairs, etc... Running cost of CRPL is now about 6000$ a month.

Rambo arrived in a car from Goma

Rambo on arrival with the chain around his waist.

Welcome Rambo!

Update on the new chimpanzee enclosure

The new chimpanzee enclosure is soon finished! The newest addition is three drinking fountains and a small shallow pool that the chimps can play in! These are sponsored by the Sweden Chimpanzee Trust who generously gave us 4300 dollars. Thank you so much! The only thing missing on the fence now is the electric system, and we hope to be finished with this by the end of February, fingers crossed!

Donations in 2011

We want to give a big thank you to the people that have donated through this blog and facebook in 2011! We raised 322$ in normal donations. This is being used for food for the chimps and monkeys!

Ryan K, Athena B, Lynne B, Brenton H, Melanie K, Jacqueline M and Stephanie L. Thank you!

And for the community campaign for mattresses for the women hospital we raised 420$

Cheryl R, Ryan K, Laetitia C, Simon D, Karen M, Brenton H, Norhild J, Lucia S, Melanie K, Rebecca A. Thank you!

Grace

Baboons arrive in Lwiro

A couple of weeks ago the ICCN brought two olive baboons that they had confiscated from bad conditions to Lwiro. It's a young male and a young female, and they've been named Killo and Killa. They are going through their quarantine at the moment and are doing well! We are very glad that our new baboon enclosure, funded by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, soon is finished! Because the CRPL now cares for 15 baboons!

Itebero is introduced to Walikale!

On the 20^th of September Itebero was introduced to Walikale for the first time! They had a great day together and even played quite a lot. Itebero also took well to Papa Luc, the caregiver! Itebero is now in with Walikale and Papa Luc full time and has adjusted very well. We will keep you updated!

Roots&Shoots Peace Day in Lwiro!

Last Sunday the R&S-Lwiro club celebrated the Peace Day! Another R&S group from Bukavu (R&S-Heri Kwetu) was invited to join them in this special celebration. This guest group is formed with children who come from the Heri Kwetu center which is a center for disabled, handicaped or orphan children. More than 200 kids were together to talk about the importance of the Peace not just for humans but also for the animals and the environment.

Both R&S clubs prepare banners, songs and dramas for the Peace Day. The kids enjoyed performing and sharing their peace wishes. They made a sign with their messages of peace on hand cut outs (Amani is Peace in swahili).

It was also a special date for sharing experiences and activities to protect the environment and especially the primates.

Meet Luguswa!

Last Friday afternoon a new chimp arrived unexpectedly to Lwiro in a tiny wooden cage. He was brought by authorities of the Ministery of the Environment of South Kivu. He had been confiscated in a village from the south of the province after being kept there as pet for 3 years...

The chimp name is Luguswa. He is a male about 4 years old with a very special personality. Although he is so thin, pale and hairless, he is strong and very confident with the keeper. His past must have been really hard and now he is really enjoying his new life at the sanctuary. He specially loves feeding times...so many different kind of vegetables and fruits to choose!

Hopefully in few weeks he will get more weight and he will become a healthy and happy chimp ready to meet the group of youngers!

Walikale having a sun bath!

After some days of heavy rain at last the sun shines again in Lwiro! This morning was the time to have a sun bath and Walikale enjoyed the outdoors with his keeper. He is doing pretty well and he loves having naps.

Itebero is improving little by little. He needs to rest and get used to his new place. He is getting the best attention and cares. We'll post some pictures soon.

New arrival at the CRPL

Itebero is the last arrival in Lwiro. He was confiscated to poachers by the ICCN in Walikale and brought to the CRPL. He arrived in very poor conditions and presented a rotten snare under the skin and muscles of his right wrist. After removing the wire under anesthesia, we could appreciate he can't move his right hand due to the aberrant cicatrization of the tendons and muscles. Itebero has also terrible scars in his waist that indicate he has been tied with a rope for several months.

He is completely malnourished and weak but is drinking milk and eating some fruits (he adores passion fruit!). He has proved he's got a strong character who helped him to survive to such terrible experiences and now he is getting lot of cares at the sanctuary. We will keep you updated on his advances.

Still building...

Our construction team is working overtime, the overhangs are still going up on the Chimpanzee Habitat! And, the foundations are being laid for the Baboon Habitat!