The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) threaded political unrest in Southern Sudan to rescue four infant chimpanzees and transfer them to a sanctuary in Uganda.

The four orphans were transferred from a makeshift site amidst Southern Sudan’s declaration of independence to the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which is a charter member of PASA that currently cares for 45 endangered chimpanzees.

Nicknamed Cocoa, Minnie, Sarah and Medina, the female chimpanzees are believed to have been smuggled into Southern Sudan from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and are victims of the illegal bushmeat trade.

The transfer was funded by PASA and the Disney Rapid Response Fund, in association with KaSas Kenya airlines, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), and the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT).

“PASA is one of the very few conservation organizations in Africa providing animal rescue,” said Anne Warner, executive director of PASA. “We are dedicated to both individual welfare, and conservation of the species. Each rescue points to how important it is to stop the illegal animal trade.”

Sudanese wildlife officials initially confiscated the chimpanzees in early 2011, and placed them under the care of PASA consultant Annie Olivecrona in Rumbek. Olivecrona nursed the orphans back to health over a period of months, particularly Sara, who arrived in February extremely weak and malnourished.

Olivecrona worked with PASA and Ngamba Island officials to arrange the chimpanzees’ transfer in the chaotic days and weeks surrounding Southern Sudan’s drive to independence.

PASA has now rescued more than a dozen chimpanzees from Southern Sudan since 2008, although previous transfers went to PASA member sanctuaries in South Africa and Kenya.