African Sanctuaries Rescue Endangered Chimpanzees
March 28, 2012
A chimpanzee being playful in Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Ol Pejeta, Kenya, March 2012. The sanctuary houses and rehabilitates 41 traumatized chimpanzees from West and Central Africa.
More than a dozen sanctuaries across Africa shelter chimpanzees rescued from poaching, war, and other traumatic situations. Major efforts are being made to protect the endangered species.
It's a typical day at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Two of its 41 residents are scrapping over food, while a third looks on and yelps in protest.
Kenya is their adopted homeland, having come from traumatic situations in West and Central Africa. Many were orphaned when their parents were killed for food, were imprisoned in cages, or were part of circus or other entertainment acts. The first chimps came to Sweetwaters from Burundi in 1993, following the outbreak of civil war there.
Rehabilitation and shelter
Veterinarian George Paul, senior supervisor at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, said because of the abuse, many have serious behavioral problems.
“If they get distress, then they tend to more-or-less have self-inflicting behavior: either eating of feces, or hitting people with feces, or they even tend to have over-aggression within the populations,” explained Paul.
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