J.A.C.K.

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: Jun 30 2009 | By: jack

Hello Every one,

Tongo is doing great in the group and has found a new reliable friend: MWISHO, the big male chimp that was introduced early June.

As already mentioned, Mwisho had developed hatred towards humans due to the trauma he went through but we were convinced he wouldn’t be that tough with others of his own kind.

Since his introduction, Mwisho has showed less aggressiveness towards humans and has become Tongo’s protector. Once food is distributed, he collects it and brings it to Tongo who is the youngest chimp of the main group. Then, Mwisho stays very close to the little one and prevents any other chimp from stealing Tongo’s food.

Also, Tongo is the only chimpanzee of the group who is allowed to sleep in Mwisho’s nest. Every night, Mwisho gathers all the dry grass he can and has the biggest nest of all. No one dares taking something from him. So, for the last days, Tongo has moved to Mwisho’s nest at night and this strengthens the relationship between the eldest and the youngest chimp of our main group!

Why talking about baby PASA today? Well, check the picture below and you’ll see that the “naked” chimp of JACK has become a beautiful and fury little one full of life and energy!

Pasa looks great, doesn’t he???

Roxane

6 responses so far

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Rescued Chimps | Date: Jun 16 2009 | By: jack

Dear Friends of JACK,

Great news for today! The two 5-to-6-year-old-chimps, Coco and Miwsho, that have been in quarantine for so many months, have finally been introduced into the main group!

Coco arrived in April 2008 and Mwisho was brought at JACK in December 2007. Both had undergone severe trauma while being detained by their owners and it therefore took quite some time before they recovered and got confidence again in themselves and in humans.

 Why were they put together during their isolation period?

Coco did fine quite fast once handed over to the Refuge. But Mwisho was very wild and aggressive with the team. That’s the reason why we introduced him to Coco. He for sure had anger towards humans but had none towards others of his own kind… Coco thus became Mwisho’s first mate. And since Mwisho has had his friend, his anger and personality changed…

Last February, I showed the first footage of their presentation to Chita, the alpha male. Since this period, we have been working daily in order to make them be accepted by the remaining 15 members of the main group. This of course wasn’t an easy task! Shasa and Wimbi were determined to boycott each attempt to put the newcomers into the group and sometimes it all ended up in a big quarrel and fight.

In May, things turned out to be very positive and all the group got on well with Coco and Mwisho. Then, it was high time the two new ones got used to the main enclosure. So, while the main group was already set inside the night facilities, Coco and Mwisho were allowed to discover the open air enclosure on their own.

These first visits of the enclosure were amazing moments: both chimpanzees hadn’t seen the open air for so long and slightly crept out of their quarantine area to prospect the new place that was offered to them!

Mwisho coming out for the first time and (below) Mwisho lost, searching for Coco

They ran, played hide and seek, got lost in the high grass…

Coco discovering playground

I had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t believe the moments Franck, the team and I were living: Coco and Mwisho in the main enclosure! My God! Was it a dream???

Coco seemed happy to be in the open air

Then, D-Day arrived! Thanks God, all went perfectly well! Franck was extremely nervous and observed the group all day long ready in case they would fight or in case one would try to escape! For more security, and with the agreement of the Lubumbashi Zoo Manager, the Refuge had been closed to any visitors.

Mwisho spent his first day in the group, surrounded by the others. He had quite some fun and seemed to settle in very fast.

On the other hand, Coco had decided to observe the group from a short distance. He didn’t want to mix with the others and chose one friend: Tongo, the youngest chimp who would not harm him.

At the end of the first day, Mwisho entered the night facilities without hesitation. He wanted milk, food and a nest.

Coco had the opposite attitude. He refused to follow the group and waited for the quarantine gate to open in a bit to return to his quarantine enclosure. But we couldn’t let him go back to that former place and Franck managed to get him in the night enclosure with the group.

Today, both newcomers are used to the routine of Chita’s group. Coco has now several friends and so does Mwisho. This is the result JACK has been waiting for for so long! And we are happy for them!

Roxane

9 responses so far

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., donations, donors | Date: Jun 11 2009 | By: jack

Dear Friends of JACK,

Haven’t been posting for the last days and really apologize!!

All is fine at JACK and Franck came back last week from the US where he had positive meetings and contacts.

Today, I want to share this particular event: a huge donation, again!

Yes, as since its early beginning, JACK has been closely followed and advised by a good friend, Simon HICKS, chairman of a British Charitable Trust “Conservation Works” which aim is to give advice to projects that put endangered species first while setting up a knowledge base that evaluates, analyses and informs ‘what works’ in Conservation.

Both Simon and his wife are working in Conservation Programs and we met them in May 2006, just after JAK (the first baby we started with) had been seized by authorities.

Thanks to Simon, our NGO has established particular links with the Congolese Government. A Consortium has indeed been set up between the DRC Government, para-statal organisations and JACK. That’s the reason why JACK doesn’t work alone. We work with the Ministry of Environment (the only people empowered to confiscate wildlife), the Congolese Botanical and Zoological Gardens (who host the JACK Refuge in the Lubumbashi Zoo) and the Congolese National Parks as the aim is to release the chimps in areas protected by ICCN.

Today, Simon is no longer staying with us in Lubumbashi and because he moved to Nairobi, he decided to donate our NGO his car as a sign of friendship and collaboration between Conservation Works and JACK.

We are most grateful to Simon and his Charity for having donated this car because JACK didn’t have any.

As to mark the occasion, the Trust Merchant Bank  (TMB) in Lubumbashi without whom  J.A.C.K. wouldn’t have existed decided to create an exceptional sticker.

Being our main sponsor, the TMB wanted to share its commitment in the Protection of the Congolese wildlife through this sticker which also shows JAK, the first little one we started with in April 2006 and who was assassinated a few months later by saboteurs…

Merci à la TMB et à toute  son équipe pour son soutien tant moral que financier! Grâce à vous, J.A.C.K. arrive à réaliser de grandes choses!!!

Baby Maïka on the picture with us

Also, before his departure, Simon wanted to give Franck a very particular present: a book that had belonged to his family and which is (we believe) one of the first books ever written on pygmies or chimpanzees (1739). A wonderful present too!

Thank you Simon and Karen for all that kindness and for encouraging us. Your friendship is precious and although you aren’t in Lubumbashi any more, collaboration continues…

Roxane

6 responses so far

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: May 28 2009 | By: jack

Yes, Everyone, good news for Tongo: we managed to introduce him back into the main group! 

After Tongo had had his last milk of his quarantine period (with Maman Angeline below), Maman Maguy and Papa Augustin struggled to get him out of his isolation cage.

Tongo doesn’t like to be hugged and is in some ways still quite wild. So, it wasn’t that easy to move him ….

Papa Augustin & Maman Maguy with Tongo

At the beginning, when seeing all the others,Tongo was very scared.

Tongo waiting in the presentation area before the others were allowed to come in

Fortunately, Kala, one of the males and good friends of Tongo, took the little one in his arms and calmed him down.

Then, Jane and Kina, two females, came in to fetch the baby and carried Tongo on their back as to say “OK, it’s enough! Let’s go now!!”

Tongo wasn’t put at once with the whole group.  We had previously decided which friends were to welcome Tongo first and all went fast and well!

At the end, when all the group was gathered, Seki took over Tongo’s protection and no other chimpanzee could even approach the new comer.

We at JACK are all glad to see the little one back into the main group!

Tongo on Seki’s back

Roxane

8 responses so far

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Rescued Chimps | Date: May 27 2009 | By: jack

Hello Everyone,

Maïka is the youngest chimp orphan that came at JACK last February and she has now become more confident, stronger and healthier.

Her best mates are Santa, Kimo and of course the ‘Kivu 4′ with whom she spends her days playing in the quarantine open air enclosure of JACK.

Maïka’s favourite games: climbing up trees and swinging in branches…

Kimo loves her very much and is always teasing her.

Always in a good mood, this little chimpanzee is an adorable baby. She is very social and likes to stay with almost everyone. I can very often feel she’s grateful to us for having saved her life…

Roxane

6 responses so far

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., JACK overseas | Date: May 26 2009 | By: jack

Yes, last week Franck attended the PASA meeting at the Columbus Zoo (Ohio) where he was given time to present the most recent progress of JACK.

Also, while being in the US, Franck has taken the opportunity to visit important zoos such as the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago). He is coming back to Lubumbashi end of this week.

Thanks a lot to the PASA team but also to Rebecca, Christopher, Jill  and all the others for assisting Franck during his first stay in the States.

Roxane

One response so far

Category: J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, donations | Date: May 21 2009 | By: jack

Dear Friends,

Let me introduce you to Justine.

Justine is the youngest supporter JACK has ever had and she has been with JACK for about two years now. She is 9 years old, lives in France and has been interested in Great Apes for many years.

Her parents are animal lovers too, but Justine’s preferences are on chimpanzees - especially the chimps of the JACK Refuge!

That’s the reason why Justine’s family has adopted Doguy : they have always put much attention to the different needs of their young adopted chimpanzee and JACK is very grateful for their help and interest.

Merci Justine pour nous soutenir et pour être si passionnée par ces nobles créatures. Un jour, je suis certaine que tes rêves se réaliseront et que tu pourras venir voir le petit Doguy (qui devient grand!) à JACK!

Merci aussi à tes parents et à ta petite famille qui te soutiennent et t’encouragent à aller au bout de tes rêves…

A bientôt,

Roxane

5 responses so far

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: May 19 2009 | By: jack

Hi Everyone,

Tongo is doing fine and has still his antibiotic treatment. Maman Angeline (below) and the rest of the team takes good care of little Tongo and sees that medication is given 3 times a day.

There hasn’t been any traces of infection and it is really amazing how fast this little one has recovered!

By the en of the week, I’ll introduce him back to the group. We believe he was attacked accidently and if we keep him separated too long from the others, he’ll lose his place among the others…

I’ll send you pics of Tongo’s reinsertion into the main group and I hope this coming step will be fine…
Roxane

8 responses so far

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: May 13 2009 | By: jack

Dear All,

This morning, the chimps had a terrible fight during feeding time (milk) in the night enclosure. There was such agressiveness and nearly all the group was involved into the quarrel we actually couldn’t see who was fighting against who…

The keepers shouted and managed with Franck to separate the group. But it was too late… Tongo had been taken into the fight and we do think the biggest males tried to emasculate him. He defended himself, cried and some females came to help him, licked all the blood…

Tongo waiting for the vet to arrive and licking his wounds

The vet arrived. We sedated Tongo as he refused to be hugged. The vet had a closer eye on the different injuries: a small piece of his penis has been bitten off,  the arch of his left eye brow needed a stitch and his right foot showed traces of deep bites.

Chimps are known to like conflicts and war. But this is the first time we attend such violence and, from my side, it’s really heartbreaking, as poor little Tongo didn’t deserve this!

I’ll keep you posted about Tongo’s progress. Tongo has now waken up and had something to eat at lunch time. He’s doing all right and has started antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment already…

Tongo waking up

Roxane

17 responses so far

Category: Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Rescued Chimps | Date: May 12 2009 | By: jack

Hey Christine C. and the other Friends of JACK!

A few days ago I took pictures mainly for you, Christine C.,  and I think this time you’ll agree Pasa has got more fur than when he arrived last February…

Look at his back, his arms and tummy… I hope you (and of course the other Friends of JACK!) will enjoy the pics!!???

Roxane

4 responses so far