chimp transfer delayed

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, rescues
Date: February 3rd 2010
By: jack

Dear All,

The 3 expected chimps from Kivu didn’t arrive. Chimps being unpredictable, we have been told one chimp refused to get into the crate.

Franck and I were very disappointed as the last three weeks had been constant work to finalize everything before the arrival of the new comers…

We still don’t know when the animals will come. The flying company we have worked with so far no longer flights between Goma and Lubumbashi and it won’t be easy to find another company ready to board 3 chimpanzees and Faustin…

I’ll keep you informed once we get confirmation of transfer. I don’t think it’ll be for this week….

Thank you,

Roxane

Comments (1)

D day – 1: the abandoned chimps on the way…

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Rescued Chimps, donations
Date: February 1st 2010
By: jack

Dear All,

Tomorrow will be another busy day!

The three young abandoned chimps from Kivu I have recently talked about should arrive tomorrow afternoon with the ITAB flight from Goma to Lubumbashi. We really hope Faustin and the chimps will have a good flight and that they won’t encounter any trouble at the different airports. Franck and I will be waiting for them and transfer them as soon as possible to our sanctuary.

But, today was a day full of events. As to prepare the quarantine area for the 3 new juveniles, we had to empty it and get it cleaned thouroughly. Also, to do so, we had to sedate Elia, Joma and Tika who were still in these quarantine cages in order to move them to a bigger quarantine enclosure.

I was extremely anxious this morning as I hate sedating animals even for a short while…

Elia and Joma fell asleep quite fast and allowed us some health checks before carrying them to their new place.

Joma sleeping

But Tika gave us a hard time! The drugs didn’t work on him and it took a long time before the vet could start the health check.

Tika health check

The 3 chimps woke up in a new enclosure and they now can move and run a lot more than in their former isolation cages!

Elia & Tika waking up after sedation

Another thing on today’s agenda : moving the baby group of Santa and Kimo to their brand new quarantine facility that has been built thanks to your generosity of last December!

I’ll write a particular post on this soon with all the details as the new quarantine isn’t completely finished yet. the babies entering their new quarantine facility

Before I end, I wish to share these two following pictures.

Pasa in the arms of Wimbi

If you have a deep look at the smallest chimp, you’ll see that it is Pasa who is now with the big ones of the main group. He got successfully introduced yesterday and Mwisho, the alpha, now protects both Tongo and Pasa!

Mwisho, Pasa and Tongo

I’ll try to come back tomorrow with the first pictures of the abandoned Kivu chimps

Roxane

Comments (6)

abandoned chimpanzees in Kivu

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, DRC, J.A.C.K., rescues
Date: January 28th 2010
By: jack

Dear Friends of J.A.C.K.,

Some of you know already about the primates near Goma that have been abandoned by their owners wishing to start a sanctuary and who left the DRC because they ran out of money.

5 chimpanzees (2 adults and 3 youngsters), 1 red-tailed guenon and 1 black mangabey were found in bad conditions (dehydration, malnutrition) – some even showed signs of depression, especially the adult chimpanzee female…

Thanks to a solid team made of PASA and different local organisations (Virunga National Park, the Africa Conservation Fund, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and the Congolese Wildlife Authority-I.C.C.N.) the abandoned animals have been given proper food, water and attention for the last weeks.

The red-tailed guenon and the mangabey were sent on January 18th to the Lwiro Primate Center.

The two adults should be sent to proper sanctuaries ready to accommodate them and the 3 young chimpanzees will be transferred to J.A.C.K. in a near future (next week!).

Faustinis already working with the chimps in Goma and tries to get a good contact with them as he’ll fly over to J.A.C.K. too. We hope he’ll stay a bit longer this time!

Although J.A.C.K. recently had to cope with 6 new comers in 6 weeks, we agreed to take these 3 younger ones to give them a new chance.

That’s why J.A.C.K. has been building extra quarantine facilities and has improved former facilities to make them stronger ) and more adapted to the growing chimpanzees of our sanctuary (the chimps at J.A.C.K. are getting older and develop their strentgh every day!).

We also had to accelerate the introduction programe as to get more space in the quarantine area… But the alpha male is giving new comers a hard time and things have to be slowed down on that side… we don’t want babies to be hurt, nor traumatised!

Since end 2009, we have been working hard to welcome these 3 new comers and I hope they’ll settle in fast as they are quite older (5 to 6 y) than the orphans we have rescued till now…

The story of this poor animals is a real nightmare: they have been the victims of human ignorance. Running a sanctuary isn’t an easy task and you can”t start “something” with wildlife like this!

3 young chimps next to boat construction area - imagine the dust, the paint, and the noise....© 2010 Virunga National Park

We haven’t finished building yet and we still urgently need funds. We still need you! Thanks to you, we have been able to start constructing the quarantine facilities and we hope we’ll be able to end these on time again thanks to your participation.

new quarantine facility

I’ll send more soon,

Thank YOU for THEM

Roxane

Comments (5)

2 of the ‘Kivu 4′ presented to the main group

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps
Date: January 22nd 2010
By: jack

Dear Friends of J.A.C.K.,

Sorry for updating so late: power cuts have been part of our every day life for the last weeks not to mention the heavy rains preventing any Internet connection.

Remember, some days ago, Rosie was introduced to the baby group. She has now found a place in this group and Santa is taking good care of her. On the picture below, Santa is hugging both Rosie (left) and Dian…

This time, Pasa and Africa, the 2 eldest babies of the ‘Kivu 4′ group that arrived last year in February have started their introduction program.

Yes, because J.A.C.K. is running out of space and must get funds to build extra quarantine facilities, we have no other choice than present chimps to one another (if they are ready and strong to do so!) and to empty our current facilities…

At first, both have been introduced to the big open air enclosure of the main group. The group was already inside for the night and Pasa and Africa have been allowed to discover this new area.

It seemed they were completely lost!

Then, the little ones have had the opportunity to meet young members of the main group.

Pasa and Africa do get on well with youngsters such as Doguy, Zamba, Wanza. Our dominant female, Shasa, also does take good care of them and this is a good sign.

But it was high time Africa and Pasa met ‘the boss’: Mwisho, the alpha male. The first presentations went well and Mwisho really appeared to be protective.

The second day (yesterday) was horrible: once the gate open, Mwisho simply attacked to 2 babies who tried to run away and sought for help and protection from us….

Today, Africa and Pasa spent some time with the others of the main group, not with Mwisho as we absolutely wanted the babies to get confidence in the chimps again…

What about Dian?

Dian, the 3rd baby of the ‘Kivu 4′ and because of her very young age, she still remains with the others of the baby group. When rains are not pouring and devastating everything, Mama Angeline and I take these little ones in the small bush we have around the project and they all enjoy climbing and playing in the trees…

I’ll try to come back soon with more news

Thank You,

roxane

Comments (6)

124.025 visitors for free at J.A.C.K. in 2009!

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, DRC, Education, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre
Date: January 8th 2010
By: jack

Dear All,

124.025 visitors came at our project for free last year among which 80% were kids from different schools!

Conservation and Education go together and a free entrance is also a way to make more and more local people aware about Environment, about Wildlife and Protection of their national patrimony.

J.A.C.K. needs you to continue having these visitors for free and wish you to continue participating in our action. It is essential for Great Apes that more and more people get interested in their Environment. So, any donation is always more than welcome!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Roxane

Comments (2)

A Happy New Year present for You!

Category: Background, Congo - DRC, DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre
Date: January 2nd 2010
By: jack

Hi Friends of J.A.C.K.

Now that 2009 is completely over, I wish to send YOU all our Best J.A.C.K. Wishes for this Year 2010 !

Today, I’ll share the first picture taken at our J.A.C.K. complex : the introduction of little Rosie in the baby group!

Yes! She made it! And Santa was always behind to protect her…..

Pasa (left), Rosie (middle) and Dian (right)

The J.A.C.K. baby chimp group is now made of 7 little ones aged between 1 and 1/2 and almost 3 years old.

Another surprise, the first 2010 footage : Pundu playing with his best friend Gismo, the cat… Enjoy!

Franck and I thank you all for your encouragements and support given in 2009 and hope you still will be with us in 2010.

We also want to thank each member of our precious team. They worked hard in 2009 and some even have assisted us instead of taking their days off. Papa Augustin, Mama Maguy and all the others, thank you for your Devotion and for the Love you have for these wonderful babies…

A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!

Roxane

Comments (8)

100 orphan kids for Christmas at J.A.C.K.

Category: Background, Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, Education, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre
Date: January 1st 2010
By: jack

Hi Everyone!

As to definitely say goodbey to the year 2009 and to end on a very good note, Franck & I wished to share this particular event with you!

You all know that J.A.C.K. takes care of chimpanzee and galago orphans. This time, J.A.C.K. wanted to do something different. This time, J.A.C.K. decided to organise an unusual event for young Congolese orphans.

That’s why, on December 24th, about 100 orphan children from Lubumbashi were invited at the J.A.C.K. complex for Christmas.

Madam Thérèse Lukenge Kapibwe, Provincial Minister of Education, Youth, Scientific Research, Woman’s condition and Family, had also been invited to participate at the event ….

and so were the medias.

The children sang and seemed happy to be at J.A.C.K.

Most of the faces changed a few minutes later when Father Christmas arrived with his hands full of presents!

Curiosity but also…. fear, happiness and joy was seen on every faces…

Each child received a Christmas present which was a red bag full of toys, cookies and school items.

Later on, a Christmas lunch was offered to all of them!

But we insist on the fact that our small NGO couldn’t organise this all alone. We had good friends and local donors assisting us . But there was ONE main local sponsor whose generosity has been without limits: the Trust Merchant Bank.

Thanks to the TMB Bank, J.A.C.K. has been able to offer a few moments of joy to orphan kids as for most of them, it was the first time they had met Father Christmas …

Thanks to the TMB Bank, J.A.C.K. organised a big lunch for all these excited kids who are not used to have Christmas parties…

Thanks to the TMB Bank, J.A.C.K. has been given the opportunity to make more people aware about what is going on with Great Apes in the DRC as these children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow!

Great thanks to the TRUST MECRHANT BANK for this wonderful support! It was appreciated by everyone especially by the kids!

Also, we keep on reminding you that J.A.C.K. is a small NGO and that we need your help to continue taking care of the 29 orphan chimpanzees of the Refuge. J.A.C.K. must develop its education program. 3 new chimpanzees are due to arrive soon from Kivu. J.A.C.K. hasn’t collected the funds necessary to build the extra quarantine enclosure. Please, if you can, donate now…

Thank YOU for THEM!

Roxane & Franck

Comments (6)

Rosie being introduced

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps
Date: December 29th 2009
By: jack

Hi Everyone,

Do you remember Rosie? She is the baby chimp that arrived end of September 2009 and which had been rescued by Mrs Rosemarie RUF of the okapi Center in Epulu (Northern DRC).

Because our quarantine facilities are full and because we still need funds to build more infrastructures, we decided to shorten Rosie’s quarantine period which usually takes 90 days.