Fence our forest!

The fence construction is going on: 53 posts already up!

Goma’s group and the other chimps at the CRPL can’t wait to go to the new forested enclosure. There they will be able to learn chimpanzee natural skills like jumping from branch to branch or building nest in high trees to rest.

In the current facilities at the CRPL we try to provide them with natural elements like fresh branches so the chimps can play and start developing natural behaviours.

Please, help the CRPL chimps to fence their forest. Each donation makes a big difference for them! Thank you!

Kanshi in her comfortable nest
Bahene and Irangi in the back

Kamituga tasting some fresh branches

Felixta

Irangi

Funny pinatas to play…

This week we prepared some pinatas with old newspapers. We filled them with dried leaves and some pieces of fruits and sweet treats. The chimps loved them!

The paper pinatas
Misisi and Loia

Kalume
For Goma’s group we prepared 16 pieces of house pipe with honey and nice treats inside. They had a really nice time!

The pipes with treats

Ombeni giving the pipes to the chimps

Baheny

Gari and Kama

Nests galore!!!

While all of the staff were working very hard to get the day going, the Goma Group thought they would relax a little while longer and try to beat off the morning chill by making nests. It seemed that everywhere I turned; a nest was being made or enjoyed. It also seemed that everywhere I turned a nest was being stolen!!! They were having such a great time that I had to share it on the blog!

Yonguesa!

Irangi!Kama!

Kanabiro and Felixta!

Kenya!Kamituga!

PAPA KALESHE LEAVES THE CAGE

Papa Kaleshe has been working in the cage with the Goma Group (juveniles) for about 2 years now. It was his job to maintain control of the animals, clean up after them and provide them with the support of a ‘mother chimpanzee’. The time has come where some of the males are starting to challenge him on occasion, although they still go to him for support often. Therefore, we decided it was in the best interest of Kalshe and the chimpanzees to remove him from the cage. Kaleshe and the other keepers still enter the cage during the day to do a quick cleaning job, but for the most part the chimpanzees are on their own. This is a great opportunity for the chimpanzees to develop their own dominance structure and to prepare for entering the forest. They are all doing very well and we feel it is an important step in the right direction.

Fun day for the gomagroup!

The wonderful chimpanzee caregivers decided to put some branches up in the goma group cage as an enrichment activity today. As you can see in the next picture, the chimpanzees had a wonderful time with the new addition to the cage. It lasted only about 15 minutes before everything was on the ground again!

Yonguesa

Yonguesa the most dominant member of the Goma group is finally changing her baby teeth for adult teeth. This is supposed to occur at 5 to 6 years of age. Yonguesa is a very big girl, and it has surprised us all that she is only now changing. We have been waiting for her to change her teeth for quite some time now. We are not sure if she is a very large 5 year old, or if she is changing her teeth very late. It is impossible to be sure how old she really is.
Yonguesa

Sadly, the little owl that was surrendered to the sanctuary passed away a few days later. We are unsure of the cause of death as there were no obvious signs of illness. The cause of death was most likely stress.

Water play!

With the dry season approaching, Sunday was very hot! So, the keepers decided to spray water in the cage of the Goma Group to help them all cool off. They all had a great time playing and splashed around for an hour. Bolungwa, one of the newest arrivals, in particular loved it. She was swinging from a tire and splashing at the same time.

The Goma group

Irangi

The Goma group is a group of 16 young chimpanzees from about the age of 4 to 7 years. They are called the Goma group because the group initially was build around four new arrivals from Goma over two years ago, Gari, Youngesa, Kanabiro and Shege. Shege, beeing a lot older than the others soon moved over to what is now Kongo's group. The latest to join the group are of course three of the Aketi chimps, Bolungwa, Django and Kathe. Here is a little update on a few of the othes in the group and a few pictures.

Alsace is doing well, and is extremely confident within the goma group cage. She plays a lot with the other chimpanzees.

Muhungu broke his arm about 6 months ago. He spent some weeks recovering out of the juvenile group cage. He is doing wonderfully now, and the arm has healed well. There is a small lump at the break site but he is using the arm with no problem.

Muhungu

In my 5 months away from the sanctuary, Kanshi is one of the chimps who has changed the most. She resides in the Goma group cage, and is very confident now. She constantly plays and smiles and is dominant over some of the other chimpanzees.

Kanshi

Yonguesa

Gari

Gari

Andrea

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