Archive for March, 2008
. I feel so bad because there were picture problems with the latest post, and to apologize, I’ve posted extra pictures of JAC’s introduction. It is true, Sheryl, JAC now looks happy and this is a real victory. Who knows were JAC would have been today if a friend hadn’t seen him for sale on that local market?
Just like most of the others, JAC has miraculously survived and it is JACK’s duty to give these orphans a second chance. You see, although life can be very tough and sometimes dangerous here in Congo, well, I dare say I’m privileged and it’s a honor to me to help this species…
Okay, let’s come back to JAC: have a look at the following pictures!
JAC wasn’t used to that prickly grass, so when running, he lifted his legs and feet up! He had a funny way to run and the others strangely looked at him
Playing of course with his friend, WIMBI.
Searching for WIMBI!
After all that running and playing, JAC wanted to sit and rest for a while…
… but the others simply wanted to continue the game…
From th early beginning, JAC has enjoyed his new environment. Franck and I knew he was ready to face something completely different and, today, we are still surprisingly amazed to see how fast JAC has got on well with all the members of the group ! Well done, JAC !
Before ending, J.A.C.K. wishes to thank Birgitta S. (10$) and Theresa S. (10$) for their monthly donations. Your support is important to help J.A.C.K. in providing the best conditions to the chimp orphans.
Hope you enjoyed the extra pics and that they came out all right.
Roxane, Franck & the Chimps
This month is full of emotions: we had the arrival of SEKI about two weeks ago and, last weekend, we decided to finally introduce JAC into the main group. Remember, JAC was that poor little one found on a market last September, and, beaten up, terribly sick, he nearly died…
September 2007 - JAC for sale on the market October 2007- JAC dying
Today, JAC has done a great step forward. For the last months, he’s done a lot of progress sociably and his health has considerably improved. His quarantine period took a bit longer than usual, but we had to be careful: the group wouldn’t have accepted a newcomer still traumatised or mentally weak.
JAC ….. BEFORE
JAC ….. NOW!
So, how did JAC deal with the group? At first, JAC didn’t want to come into the main enclosure. Only a few chimps were outside that day to facilitate the first approach and all went perfectly well.
JAC hesitated: a new life was offered to him and he only had to do just ONE step forward
Franck and I were particularly anxious about JAC’s attitude, but in a few minutes, JAC already felt home as one of the chimps, WIMBI, which had been his quarantine neighbour for a while, immediately recognised him and invited him to play and to run around the enclosure.
JAC followed by WIMBI: they had met before in the quarantine area
The other chimp babies of course were very curious and inspected the newcomer from top to toe…
JAC wasn’t used to such playing and running; he got rapidly exhausted. Very often, he wanted to get some shade and wished to lie down for a while, but WIMBI and the others didn’t let him rest a second.
JAC exhausted
Later on, the remaining chimps of the group were one by one allowed to meet JAC. As all went fine, it seemed they had known JAC for years: JAC met new friends, played all the time and we were very happy (and extremely proud!) to see him doing so well.
WIMBI, JAC’s best friend
On his arival in September 2007, lost and sick, JAC had decided not to live anymore. But today, I’m sure he feels more than happy to have been saved as he really appreciates the company of his new mates. Immediately, WIMBI came to fetch JAC
JAC also now has got a new mum: her name is SHASA; she is the eldest female. Very independent, SHASA usually looks after herself only. But today, things have changed: SHASA is protecting JAC and takes very good care of him. When a chimp teases JAC, he runs into SHASA’s arms and she just disuades any other chimp from coming closer. At night, SHASA and JAC share the same nest; we’re very surprised to see SHASA behaving like this….
SHASA, JAC’s new mum
As you can see, the introduction of JAC has been a great success. It took some time, we agree, but we wanted JAC to be completely ready to face other chimps. Today, the group is made of 12 babies and it gets harder and harder to insert a new one; especially if it is a male. Next to be introduced will be SEKI. His quarantine period won’t take long and we’ll keep you posted!
JAC
Roxane, Franck and the Chimps.
Let’s share that surprising news. A new young chimpanzee orphan has recently been seized by local authorities and brought at the Refuge Centre. SEKI is a young male of about 3 1/2 to 4 years old and is in an amazing condition: his fur is beautiful, his physical condition is great and SEKI doesn’t show any sign of malnutrition nor mistreatment.
SEKI’s story is a long story. That young chimp has been known and tracked by Ministry of Environment since 2006. By a curious coincidence, a picture of him was given to Franck and handed over to the authorities. It was in October 2006.
October 2006 -You have seen that picture already in a previous post; SEKI is on the left. He’s being sold on a market in a remote city called Kongolo (The other little one hasn’t been found yet!)
SEKI is easy to recognise. If you have a deep look on his right hand, you’ll notice the malformation of the phalanx of his index finger. Probably caught in a snare, this latter has left its mark on him and has enabled J.A.C.K. to follow SEKI from one owner to another. The phalanx of SEKI’s right index finger is malformed and has probably been caught in a snare. November 2006, a friend of us called me saying she had seen someone selling two chimpanzee babies on the street. An inspector of Environment was sent to check the information and met the trader: a young man, starving, begging food for himself and for the chimps. These latter were sick, dehydrated and the youngest was raw boned. During day, the owner walked with them on the streets, while, at night, the two little ones were kept in a very small crate full of dirt. November 2007 - Lubumbashi, the trader holding SEKI (left of the picture) and his little mate that has never been found
The detained chimps were hardly fed, eating peanuts and mangoes only. Both were sick and had diarrhoeas. Look at the right index of SEKI!
At night, the babies were locked in a small and dirty crate It took a few days before the legal documents of seizure were signed by authorities, and, of course, meanwhile, the trader moved, hid, and remained nowhere to be found. The Ministry of Environment lost all traces of the two little ones and end of 2006 we were sure they had left the country.
April 2007, a young expatriate lady came to visit the Refuge Centre. She really was surprised to find such project here in DRC and also mentioned she had a chimpanzee at home that was hurt. As her husband had become jealous of the young animal and as the chimp didn’t want the husband to come too close to his wife, the baby chimpanzee had been pushed and thrown onto rocks thus breaking his thighbone in two pieces…. On visiting J.A.C.K., the lady realised she had made a mistake in buying the little one and that she had been part of the slaughter of “her baby’s” family. Remember, to get one chimp from the wild, about ten are sacrificed as the elders protect their youngsters.
April 2007 - Lubumbashi, SEKI is staying with an expatriate lady who believes “her baby” is already adult. Her vet also told her he wouldn’t become taller as he is a “pygmy” chimpanzee…. Imagine how people, even vets, aren’t informed !!!
SEKI trying to walk after his operation.
The thighbone was broken in two pieces and SEKI couldn’t bend his leg ‘ So, the lady invited us to pay her a visit at home in order to check the chimp’s leg. This meeting gave us a lot of details on that poor little one and both Franck and I agreed on the same facts: SEC (this is the name he had from the smuggler and which the lady kept) wasn’t no longer a chimp; he had become a human!!! Although the young animal was well treated and was in good condition, it was horrible to us to see that!
SEKI had become the child the expatriate lady had never had: he was free to run round the place and was raised up like a human
Still in April 2007, we managed to convince the lady to contact the authorities to organize seizure onceSEKI’s leg was healed. It took months and months. When we met the vet who had operated the leg and who went to see the chimp regularly, he said the baby was fine, that the leg was ok and that the chimpanzee could have joined J.A.C.K. already. Franck and I then clearly understood the lady didn’t want to bring the chimp orphan at J.A.C.K.
You see, that lady was among the ”high ranking people” of Lubumbashi I spoke about in a previous post. Knowing that no-one would come to bother her, the young expatriate selfishly kept the chimp at her place telling us “her baby” still hadn’t recovered from surgery.
Finally, in February 2008, the lady decided to call Franck. “Her baby” had become too unruly : he used to leave the house to go and disturb the neighbours and she was losing control on him. As we always insist on procedures to be done in the most legal way, Franck contacted the local authorities to organise the seizure.
Early March 2008, SEKI was seized by Ministry of Environment. It wasn’t an easy task, as the little (strong!) one had to be anaesthetized in a bit to be transported and brought to the quarantine area of the Refuge Centre. These moments were full of emotions.
SEKI was anaesthetized to be brought at J.A.C.K. : he wouldn’t have accepted to enter the quarantine cage
“Before”, in his “former life” (with the expatriate lady), SEKI was free to run around the place. Also, he was treated like a human and raised up like a child. SEKI ate pizza, drank fanta and opened fridge and cupboards once feeling hungry…That young little one also watched tv, read books, and even weed on a pot or in the garden but never on the floor in the house…
Once awaken, SEKI decided not to stay behind the bars. Taught how to work with screwdrivers, nuts and bolts, the young chimp managed to unscrew a corner of his new dwelling and simply joined the team begging for a hug. As it was impossible to get him back, the vet injected a second (light) sedative to SEKI and we finally put him in a stronger quarantine place. Again SEKI was sedated
and put back in quarantine…
On his arrival, also, his name was changed: SEC has now become SEKI. Franck simply added the suffix “-ki” to make a link with the Swahili word “kilole” meaning finger (remember, his right index is malformed).
Today, the new comer is doing fine and has got accustomed to his new environment. We still stay with him, cuddle him and play. He’s got the toys of “before” as to enable him to make a better transition between the two different worlds. J.A.C.K.’s new challenge is to teach SEKI how to become a chimp again….
Dear All, you see, SEKI’s story is a long story but, unfortunately, he is the best example of human stupidity. People buy baby chimpanzees because they are cute and also because they feel pity in seeing a baby sometimes in a terrible condition. Smugglers know how to take profit of this pity and very often push people to buy young apes. But, then, the animals become uncontrollable and the owners get rid of them .
SO, PLEASE, NEVER BUY A BABY APE: THEY WERE BORN TO BE FREE IN THE FORREST AMONG INDIVIDUALS OF THE SAME SPECIES !!!
Thanks to all of you for reading and also, thanks a lot to Lucia C. and Theresa S. for their donations
Roxane, Franck and the Chimps
If I maintain the chronology of J.A.C.K. story, the next theme to speak about that comes into my mind is ANGELINE. Angeline with Bachi (left) and Shasa (right) Angeline playing with the chimpanzee babies Angeline is a young mother (two kids). Having studied Biology at Lubumbashi University, Angeline has always had interest in Nature and Wildlife. From the day she had been introduced to CHITA, BACHI and SHASA, her feelings have grown SO strong towards the chimp orphans that she has ever since been calling them “my children”. Most of the very little ones like to hang on her back Franck and I got really impressed by her. Angeline is the kind of person with a very good heart and has always been ready to do anything for the chimpanzee babies. Climbing trees, rolling with them in the grass, singing lullabies are attitudes very natural and full of sense to her. Angeline bathing ZAMBA with little DOGUY on her back Also, because she knows them all very well, she can immediately see when there’s something wrong . I remember, one day, she told me Chita (the dominant male) wasn’t in good condition. After having checked the young chimp thouroughly, and having found no particular sign of illness, I decided to wait before calling the vet. The next day, Chita had fever, his right hand was terribly swollen and he couldn’t use it anymore. It appeared to be full of infection due to a worm located inside the skin. This is very common here: a particular fly, the tumbu fly (Cordylobia anthropophaga), lays its eggs on your clothes and if you don’t iron properly, eggs enter in your skin and generate little whitish larvaes eating your flesh. Of course, it’s awfully soar and a human can immediately feel something’s wrong. But, a chimp can’t speak and if not seen on time, this disease can take extreme proportions. The scientific name is Furunculosis myasis caused by the Cayor worm. Chita’s hand was soar and terribly swollen
Chita walked with his left hand lifted
Chita’s hand was full of infection Our little orphans get blankets at night, especially during dry season (= our winter). Chita loves to wrap himself up in sheets, can’t sleep without his blanket and very often steals the others’. A blanket problably hadn’t been ironed properly causing Chita so much pain and, since then, blankets are bleached, boiled and ironed on both sides every day. Chita loves blankets
Chita at the very beginning. He now has become the alpha male of the group Angeline is also in charge of the kitchen. She’s the one I trained to cut the food and to prepare the meals for the babies. She knows exactly the preferences of each baby and organises every meal with a lot of care and attention. Preparing food for the little ones Today, Angeline has been working with us for about 1 1/2 year. The chimps of the refuge just love her and her surname is most appropriate as Angeline is really an “angel” for them. Thank you so much, Angeline, for your love and your devotion!
All the chimps do love Angeline JACK thanks Kevin for his monthly donation (10$) received end of February. And thanks to all readers, whatever their language, whatever their nationality. Roxane, Franck and the Chimps |
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With the Congolese authorities, we are working to end the illegal trade of chimpanzees in eastern DRC. 
