Face to Face
Shelley Waterland talks to Lilly Ajarova, Executive Director of the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in southern Uganda, supported by Born Free.
Explain to us why Ngamba is important for both welfare and conservation of chimpanzees?
Chimpanzees once taken from the wild endure incredible hardship and torment. Ngamba provides for their welfare through provision of food, medical care, security and social companionship of the other chimpanzees - the very things that victims of pet trade lack for the rest of their natural lives (60 years of age). Ngamba supports conservation of chimpanzees through creating awareness and education to the general public, and long term, the reintroduction of the chimpanzees back into the wild.
Do you have a favourite chimpanzee?
They each have different personalities. Each one of them had a very traumatizing experience before coming to Ngamba and seeing the positive development in each one of them is very exciting to me. With time the development in each one of them changes their characters especially when they are competing for positions in the hierarchy. No favourite individual. I love and care about them all.
Tell us a bit about your exciting new Human Wildlife Conflict Project?
In Uganda, the major threat to the survival of the chimpanzees in the wild is habitat loss for agriculture, commercial logging, mining, settlement among others. Hence, this is causing direct conflict between the people and the chimpanzees, which results in chimpanzees being killed and the babies ending up in captivity. To try and solve the problem from the source, as well as deal with the symptom of caring for the chimpanzees at the sanctuary, we have started the "Chimpanzee Conservation Education & Community Empowerment" project in Hoima District, where 10% of the wild population are on fragments of privately owned forests and are at the risk of disappearing within one year. The goal of the project is to empower and motivate local communities to support the protection and conservation of chimpanzees for the benefit of the local and global community.
- You can adopt Afrika - see below
Born Free has a new adoption of Afrika – tell us a bit about her?
Afrika, a one and half year old baby chimp was rescued in November 2007. Her family was killed and as a baby she was taken away from the forest and was sold as a pet. At the time of rescue she was found in a very poor health condition and confined in a very small wooden cage. From the assessment of her health on arrival, she had sores on her back and had difficulties stretching herself, a sign of prolonged confinement, she had plenty of worms in her stomach, dehydrated and with no appetite for food. She also showed signs of depression and was so reserved towards humans. Once in the quarantine she adjusted very fast. While in the quarantine another baby was rescued, Mac who after a month was integrated with Afrika. This provided a beginning of new life for Afrika, to have a companion of another chimp. And at the end of April 2008, they will be transferred to Ngamba to join the community there.
Ngamba Island is 10 years old – what has it achieved in this time, and what still needs to be done?
Ngamba is providing a home for 42 orphaned confiscated chimpanzee. Hence, the welfare of these individulas have been improved. Provided means of reaching out to the public to understanding about the plight of the chimpanzees and environmental management in general, reaching out to 20,000 to 25,000 people a year (tourists, school children and local communities). Provided capacity in the Uganda nationals in intensive chimpanzee management. Opportunity for research, which has increased the knowledge base to better management of chimpanzees both in captivity and in the wild. Working in partnership with the local communities and authorities through promoting economic development. The threats to the chimpanzees survival in the wide still stands; habitat loss, commercial and illegal pet trade, infectious diseases. The future is to work towards the welfare and safety of chimpanzees in the sanctuary and in the wild, and improve quality of their habitat through; continuing to provide home to the rescued chimpanzees, work out plans for reintroduction, work in partnership with other organisations to enhance the conservation of the wild chimpanzee populations and habitats to avoid extinction of the species in the next 10 to 15 years.
- Lilly nursing Rambo, a rescued chimp with a fractured arm
Contact Us | eNews | Kids Club | Campaign Action | CEO's Blog | Sitemap | About Site | Copyright