Monday, May 11, 2009

Introductions of the Aketi 5, going well

Keeper Claud with the Goma group.

I have arrived in DRC after having been away for five months to find the sanctuary running very well, but practically overflowing. There are 42 chimpanzees and 50 monkeys in all. All of the animals are currently healthy, which is wonderful. More staff have been hired which brings the number of permanent Congolese staff to 24 people.

The new chimpanzees the Aketi5 has now finished their one month quarantine, and now Aketi and Mangue have been introduced to the nursery group and Kathé, Bolungwa and Django to the Goma group. The introductions are going very well. We have even seen some of the female members of the Goma group (such as Yonguesa and Felixta) attempt to take on the younger chimpanzees: Bolungwa and Django.

The Goma group have been moved to the large round cage that was built for the baboons. The baboons have been scattered around the sanctuary to assist this happening. It is a great space for the group, as there are now 16 individuals with the three new ones from Aketi.

The goma group is enjoying their new view!


Andrea

2 comments:

cleve said...

This story makes me so happy to see! Thank you Andrea, Hilde, Debby and Claud for assuring a good life for the Aketi 5. I miss them immensely, but it does me so much good to see that they are being looked after by such a caring group of people, and that thye are being integrated with the other chimpanzees.

cleve said...

And thnak you Carmen, too!