By Serge K. Soiret, GAP correspondent in West Africa, from Ivory Coast

A sanctuary in Ivory Coast is a necessity. Many chimpanzees of captivity exist in the country and the zoo of Abidjan is the only establishment which can accommodate these animals. However, the capacity of its enclosure is low and poses problems of food. As there is no expectation of returning these chimpanzees to nature, a permanent hearth is necessary. 

In July, company SIFCA delivered 4 chimpanzees to the zoo of Abidjan. This made the number of chimpanzees reaches 13, including little Fanta. This company constitutes a major actor of agricultural processing industry in Ivory Coast (rubber, sugar and oilseeds). Certain areas in where this company works have some cases of chimpanzees in captivity (used as domestic animals).

In the villages around TaiPark, it often happens that babies’ chimpanzees are put on sale (like the recent purchase of little Fanta by a group of student). There the villagers find means of having money and this leads to the problem of poaching, because the adults wild chimpanzees are killed in order to men take their babies. 

According to previous information, today SIFCA would be ready to allot 100 hectares of forests located on East of Ivory Coast for a possible construction of a refugee for the chimpanzees that are used like domestic animals and whose owners cannot take care any more. 

Suitable measures of authorities in charge for the environment and the forests in Ivory Coast as well as national and international NGOs movements would be able to lead to the creation of a sanctuary to accommodate these particular great apes that live on Ivory Coast.