PASA – Pan African Sanctuary Alliance – today has 22 member sanctuaries and rescue centers in 13 African countries. For over 15 years, these NGOs have rescued great apes, who were in danger of death or of being smuggled to China or Arab countries, which would keep them in bad structured or private collectors hands.

In its latest bulletin, PASA tells the story of the baby chimpanzee Kanoa, with less than two years old, who was captured by traffickers and his mother was murdered. He was being taken to China when the environmental authorities of Cameroon intercepted and sent him to the Sanaga-Yong Rescue Center in this African country.

If he had not been intercepted, Kanoa might have died, as his left leg was fractured and infected. After treatment and recovery, his handlers began to work to integrate him to a small group of chimpanzees who had also been rescued.

The trauma of Kanoa was so serious that he did not stay long in the center of the forest, running back to his dorm. The violent way in which his mother was murdered and how he was caught, and handled by traffickers, penetrated deep into his brain and he was afraid of everything going on around him.

With patience and a lot of love, accompanied by his handlers, every day, he was taken to be integrated with a group of five young and three adult chimpanzees, with whom he now lives.

The work of PASA needs cooperation of all human societies as it is a difficult job, with scarce resources, in endemic areas of hunting and forest animal slaughter. You can help with any value and can help to promote this incredible work, of an extraordinary group of humans on the African continent worldwide.

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President, GAP Project International