A recent PASA (Pan African Sanctuaries Alliance) alerts that the black market of baby chimpanzees is increasing very fast. In 2009, 28 chimpanzees have already been confiscated by African authorities in several countries and taken off poachers.

In the alert, PASA tells the case of two baby chimpanzees confiscated in African east, in an operation that had the participation of various NGOs and PASA. The little chimpanzees were transferred to Lwiro Sanctuary, in DR Congo.

Both chimpanzees arrived at the sanctuary in a very bad health status. They were unnourished and had multiple parasite infections. They are being treated and are getting better. PASA also alerts that the rise in the number of apprehensions pressures African sanctuaries, which have very few vacancies and face lack of financial support to keep on developing.

The baby chimpanzees, who are called Butembo and Loia (photo), were kept more than one month in an area borrowed at Dian Fossey Foundation, in Congo, until all the documents to allow the transference to Lwiro Sanctuary were provided. It is believed that both have about one and a half year old and that their parents should have been killed to make it possible to catch them.

Executive director of PASA, Doug Cress, declared: “The increase in the number of confiscations is alarm to everybody and the sanctuaries are being pressured to give shelter to the animals. Clearly, we should duplicate the efforts to put an end on the death of adult great ape used as food, which has as a sub product the babies to be sold as pets. It is important to insist on the protection of forests, which are the habitat of these primates.”

Dr. Pedro A Ynterian
President, GAP Project International