The CRPL would like to thank the Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their generous grant to construct a new facility for our baboon residents. Your help is so appreciated!
The addition of this new facility to the CRPL will change the lives of these animals by giving them a larger space which will be both mentally and physically more stimulating than their current cages.
Thank you!
We will keep you all posted on the construction of the facility on the blog as it happens.
Walikale has been at the CRPL for almost a month now. Before arriving, his family group were attacked by poachers. Some of the chimpanzees would have been killed for meat, while Walikale was probably taken alive to sell as a pet. However, the Congolese government conservation authority (ICCN) intercepted Walikale and bought him to the CRPL for rehabilitation and care.
We believe Walikale is around 4-5 months old as he is very small and has under developed motor skills. He is however doing very well, eating lots of different foods and playing and laughing continuously through the day. Being a very small baby, Walikale also takes a few naps!
With thanks to the International Primate Protection League and the Arcus Foundation we were able to start the new faze of our ‘Chimpanzee Habitat for Conservation and Education’ yesterday! The money they have granted us was used to purchase a part of the metallic overhang and will be used for some general running costs for the centre and also a military education program! Once again we are so grateful for the support of IPPL and the Arcus foundation! And we are so excited to be continuing with the forest enclosure!
Yesterday afternoon, the 1st of July, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) arrived at our door with a baby chimpanzee which had been confiscated. Walikale is a little male around 4-5 months of age and was given his name from the village where he was confiscated. He is in fairly good physical condition and we assume came out of the forest not more than a few days ago. He was wrapped in a plastic bag and clung to it desperately, we assume had been in it for some time and that it was the only security he had known for the last few days. He also had a cord tied around his waist on arrival.
Sadly, the arrival of another infant tells us that the killing of chimpanzees and other wildlife in
Walikale is eating a little banana so far and drinking a little milk. Heis very young; he is not even able to walk yet and will require a great deal of love and care.
