J.A.C.K.

Dear Friends of JACK,

VIDA is still in her quarantine period and hasn’t been introduced yet!

This little girl has now a well established routine and stays at the sanctuary during day with Papa Augustin and every nights comes back to our place because of her young age and of the chilly nights.

coming out of her crate in the morning

Yes, every morning, I wake up Vida.  Papa Augustin arrives at 7.15 am to organise Vida’s day. I usually give her her first milk bottle or Papa Augustin does.

first bottle of the day

Then, at 7.30 am, Franck drives them to J.A.C.K. where Vida has her playground in a bushy area of the complex.

Papa Augustin very often walks around the different enclosures so that Vida gets used to the other chimpanzees of our sanctuary.

walking around on Papa Augustin's back

It’s high time Vida joined the infant group as she’s being too spoiled now by humans. 

Vida spoiled by her surrogate dad

Being at the sanctuary keeps Vida busy and makes her feel tired. Papa Augustin feeds her, plays with her and always keeps an eye on her even when Vida sleeps…

time for a good nap

At the end of the day, I drive Vida back home where she gets her last treats before going into her night crate.  Not that we absolutely want to have a chimp in our house, but Vida also comes home because we still don’t have the appropriate infrastructure (nursery?) yet at the sanctuary. A new container has been recently donated and is going to be transformed into a small nursery…

The next step for Vida will be to enjoy life among the others of the infant group but I’ll tell you more about this once Vida’s introduction starts…

Vida

Thank You,

 Roxane

Dear All!

Yes, we have now ‘bread ‘ hunters at J.A.C.K. as every morning, to get the infants out of their night quarters, we hide pieces of bread in the open air enclosure and they just run for the food!

Pundu in front of the picture

Pundu is the best hunter and the fastest too!

hiding bread in the trees

Before the gates are opened, the person in charge of the infant group  has to hide bread.  It was Mama Maguy’s turn yesterday.

Maman Maguy hiding bread

This is part of enrichment and it trains the chimps to hunt for their food.

Maman Maguy

 Remember, the orphans at J.A.C.K. will one day return to the wild and must learn food comes from the forest and not from humans…

once the gates are open, the infants can "hunt" — Pundu is top right with his hands full!!

Thank You,

J.A.C.K.

Hi Everyone,

Of course, you all (readers of these blogs)  are “Friends” of J.A.C.K. and our sanctuary is extremely grateful as some of you do their best in helping us through giving advice, sharing tips, talking about us to friends, sending us donations, participating to events in order to collect funds, etc.  So, thank YOU all for being with us !!!

One of you has been with us for quite some time. Yes, today, we wish to talk about a young lady we have never met but who has always shared her emotions and support via the blog and via emails…

Yes, KINZLI, I am talking about you!

KINZLI lives in the UK and has a wonderful voice. With some friends, she started a music band named ‘Kinzli and the KiloWatts’ and they have already 2 extremely nice music albums. She has got different websites you can read about her :

www.kinzli.com

www.facebook.com/kinzlimusic

www.myspace.com/kinzlimusic

One day Kinzli contacted us saying she had been partly thinking about baby TONGO while composing the song ” A safe place for us” of her new album ‘Down Up Down’.

KINZLI is a regular donor of our sanctuary. As to thank her for her dedication and love, we have organised  a surprise for her that we are sharing here with all of you. Her song inspired us a lot and the theme of our video of course  is … baby TONGO!

Yes, today, the 19th of August 2010 is Tongo’s Birthday. It’s been two years now that this little one arrived at the sanctuary and it was to us the best moment to offer this present to KINZLI.

Thank YOU, KINZLI, for being with us and especially for your love and kindness. We are happy to be your friends!!!

Thank You,

J.A.C.K.

Dear All,

A new chapter today related to the two founders of the JACK Sanctuary: Franck & Roxane.

Franck & Roxane

Aged of  5, Franck was already  dreaming of Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Orang-Utans and spent all his childhood in books on wildlife, Africa, Asia…

Born in France, he mostly lived in Spain (Madrid) where he started  vet studies. But because  his family moved to Belgium, Franck  didn’t have the opportunity to continue his veterinary training  (Belgium didn’t recognize the Spanish diploma) and therefore studied Business Management.  

Since the early beginning, Franck knew he would work for the  survival of Great Apes and when he met Roxane, it was a sign one of his dreams was going to be fulfilled….

Franck with Wanza (left), Shasa & Jacky (right)

Yes, Roxane was born in “Zaïre” (now called DRC). Her family had moved from Europe  to the Congo after World War II following the steps of a great-great-uncle who had settled in the former Belgian colony as a missionary at the end of  the 1890’s.

Belgian, Roxane left Africa for some time to study in Brussels. She studied French, Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Russian and in addition started Hotel Management. But life in Europe wasn’t easy especially for someone who had lived in Africa before…

Roxane with Maïka & Santa (right)

When Roxane met Franck, they both decided to go to the DRC. They had job opportunities in the companies owned by Roxane’s  family and that’s how their dream of going to live in Africa came true 16 years ago…

Some of you already know the rest of the story as seeing chimpanzees for sale on the streets  of Lubumbashi intensified Franck’s determination to stop this horrible  trade. Expats  were buying young apes (pets) while so many other baby chimpanzees transited through Lubumbashi before crossing the border to Zambia, South Africa…

April 2006 – JAK coming into Franck & Roxane's lives

On April 6th 2006, baby JAK entered the lives of these two wildlife lovers and the assassination of this same baby made the decision of protecting Great Apes (especially common chimpanzees) in the DRC even more  stronger.  Baby JAK hadn’t died in vain: his short stay with Franck & Roxane had increased their passion for these endangered creatures as well as their willingness to fight for their survival. It is with this love and rage that both Roxane & Franck managed to cope with the sad departures  of  babies JAK & TOUZO.

September 2006 – JAK gone, TOUZO between life & death, 3 baby chimps had survived the blazing fire: Shasa (left), Bachi and Chita (Roxane arms)

Today, 4 years later, Franck is the president of the J.A.C.K. sanctuary and is in charge of the financial department, the improvements of the complex (constructions), works with the authorities, medias, etc.  Roxane is the secretary and deals with the personnel, supplying/stocks, the vet department, education, … Both are volunteers. Any donation, sponsorship goes straight into the project, the founders do not draw any money and have to work full time to provide their own family a decent living …

the team: Bukasa (behind left) & Isidore, Papa Augustin (front left), Christian, Maman Maguy (behind right) and Maman Angeline

Running a sanctuary is a huge responsibility and represents lots and lots of sacrifices and risks. Thanks to their passion  and thanks to their strong team work, Franck & Roxane have been able to give these orphans the best and are already working on the future. Yes, because there must be an “after Franck & Roxane”…

J.A.C.K.

Dear All,

This month, it is Wimbi, a young male, who wants to thank Oliver T (30USD), Christine C (25USD), Ryan K (5USD) and Fran B (25USD) for their kindness and wish to help Franck & Roxane in taking care of the 33 chimpanzees and the 5 galagos residing at the J.A.C.K. Sanctuary.

J.A.C.K. is a young sanctuary located in Southern DR Congo and, run by two volunteers, it lives on donations only. So each contribution is meant to improve the orphans’ conditions and is also a step forward to the survival of these endangered species.

Thank YOU

PS/ Many thanks to Theresa as well!

Hello Everyone!

Remember VIDA?

Vida stranded in a wooden cage

Yes, the little baby chimp confiscated end of June is now settling in very well and is doing great.

Healthy but rather tiny, she hasn’t been set in our quarantine quarters because she manages to crawl through the bars and to escape….

playing in the trees

That’s the reason why VIDA spends her days with Papa Augustin in the open air, in a bushy area of the complex and enjoys climbing trees, playing in the dust, running around, etc.

we hate dressing up chimpanzees, but because of the chilly mornings, we have no choice as Vida had awful flu upon arrival…

When she arrived, Vida didn’t have a lot of activities during her first two days.  The baby  was exhausted, had flu, and slept a lot!!!   A real marmot!

Because of her flu, she spent her first days at my place for further observations. Vida regularly went in the garden and we  noticed this baby chimpanzee wasn’t scared of dogs at all and had quickly developed a strong friendship with my dogs… Amazing!

Vida playing with our dog

They had such fun together, played hide and seek and teased one another the way best friends can do…

strong friendship with dog

That’s how we realised that Vida probably had been kept in a house with dogs and now we understood why she had refused nipples since the early beginning and why she was happy to have her water and food served in a bowl or on a small plate. Vida had seen the dogs eating such way and it was normal to her to imitate the friends she had at that time….

Vida eating like a dog

Today Vida has been trained to have food just the way the other chimps have and she has progressed  lot.

Vida eating in a normal chimp way

She really enjoys nipples now and keeps/collects her food in her little hands.

enjoying her milk bottle

Vida is adjusting very well and won’t have problems in integrating the infant group which she observes from the outside already. Vida is still separated from the others (quarantine) and will join Santa, Maïka, Elia and the others in a near future…

Thank You for reading us,

Roxane

Dear All,

If you have a look down at Lubumbashi from a plane, you can see that the entire city is hidden under a huge cloud of dust!

Many people don’t like this period as dust enters any corner of the house, covers the most colourful trees and flowers of  your garden and keeps your hands and clothes dusty any time.

The chimps of our sanctuary actually don’t bother at all (except  young Doguy whose right eye is crying  during day when being in the open air enclosure!).

dusty dry season

 Most of them do play in the dust or even roll into it!

playing in the dust

I was lucky I had my camera with at feeding time last night. The infant group had played all day long in its outside quarter and when all of them came in for their milk, each of them had turned into little ghosts…

Maïka

Maïka had the most spectacular face: it seemed she was ready to go to a Halloween party with her white face and her red lipstick!

Maïka white face and red lips!

Elia, Pundu, Bapu and Santa, Dian … all had natural make-up on…

Elia

Pundu

Bapu & Santa

Dian

I believe Rosie was the only one who looked neat and clean…

Rosie, clean

… because even Kimo was ready to party too!!!

Kimo

J.A.C.K.

Dear All,

This is an update on Zamba who had been isolated for several days. No longer injured, we  decided  to  introduce her  back into her group.

Zamba

When transferring the young female, we were very eager to know what Mwisho’s plans were.

Mwisho (top right)

Well, nothing really happened. Zamba wasn’t scared at all of him nor even impressed. Mwisho simply tapped her back maybe as a sign of recognition and let her quietly meet the others.

But at first Zamba didn’t want to go with her friends and observed them all.

Zamba (top right) observing Wimbi (left), Kina (hanging) & Jac

Then Wimbi came to fetch her and she started playing.

Wimbi (left) came to fetch Zamba

Of course, Doguy was the happiest and ran to the young female when he realised she had come back. He hugged his friend very hard.

Doguy (left) in Zamba's arms

Keeping chimps isolated too long isn’t a good thing. Therefore we try to reintroduce them back very fast as soon as they have finished their isolation period. With Zamba, all went well and we are glad she’s now  with her friends again  in the group.

Thank You

J.A.C.K.

Hi every one

You know about Mwisho, the young chimp who now runs the group as a ‘dominant’ male.

Mwisho, the oldest male of our main group

It isn’t an easy task to him: unlike all his friends of the group, he has been taken away very early from his family, he hasn’t experienced much authority of his family group  and therefore doesn’t really know how to guide the group in the best way. He’s around 7 to 8 years old. He’s is the oldest.

Mwisho scaring everyone around him

But some days can be very very tough for the members of Mwisho’s group. Mwisho can wake up a morning in an extremely bad mood and attack any member (except baby Tongo!)

Some days ago, young female Zambadidn’t pay much attention and was on Mwisho’s path. He was so angry he attacked Zamba and bit her left foot ripping off the skin of one of her toes.

Mwisho attacking

The young female ran away from him, licking up the wound that was bleeding so hard.

Zamba's toe injured

We have decided to separate Zamba for a short while as to provide her the medical assistance.

Zamba isolated

 She isn’t very happy to be alone – nor is Doguywho now has to face life alone without Zamba guiding and protecting him….

Doguy (left) with Zamba

But Zamba won’t be separated for too long. The wound isn’t deep but need to be cleaned and treated regularly to prevent infection.

Zamba's wound 4 days later

Mwisho is so rude. He had a horrible past (trained as a watch dog to keep the prostitutes inside the brothel where he was kept) and is now using his canines to reign upon the group. The solution to calm him down would be to put an adult chimpanzee (male or female) into the group. But our facilities aren’t built for adult chimps yet… However, one thing is sure, since the day he arrived, Mwisho has progressed a lot and has become less aggressive. I am convinced baby Tongo has socialised Mwisho a lot!

Thank you for reading us,

J.A.C.K.

Dear All,

Doguy is a little chimpanzee friend you have already read about and who had awful eye problems. Yes, remember, his eyes had keratitis and we received appropriated medication via Tristan but also via the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA).

One eye was cured. Not completely, but at least was saved due to these different treatments.

one eye doing a lot better

Today, the right eye is still very sick. We do our best to get rid of that fungus located underneath the cornea, but it isn’t easy. The best way would be to get a sample of the fungus so as to know exactly what treatment to provide.

Unfortunately, this kind of intervention needs qualified people and we haven’t found any in Lubumbashi.

Doguy's eyes

Because of the dusty dry season, Doguy’s eyes are crying a lot. He therefore must have his best friend Zamba to walk with him and to guide him.

Zamba has been with Doguy since their quarantine period.

 

July 2007 – Maman Angéline bathing Zamba with Doguy on her back

They both arrived at the same time (April and May 2007) and they are very close friends. The young female, Zamba,  is extremely patient with Doguy and protects him a lot!

July 2010 – Zamba, Doguy's best friend and guide

Thank you Zamba for helping Doguy so much! We are so proud of you! And don’t worry Doguy, we still do our best to help you…

J.A.C.K.