J.A.C.K.

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: Mar 27 2009 | By: jack

Hi Friends of JACK,

Sorry for this delay in posting…

Last week, we had flu again at the project. And this time, it happened because a visitor -again! - had thrown into the main enclosure a can contaminated with a very tough flu virus. The chimps fell terribly sick and one after the other joined the quarantine area! Too bad! I had to give antibiotics to some of them as  flu turned into severe bronchitis.

Flu contaminated the Kivus as well as little Santa and Kimo. Because Santa was too bad, Papa Augustin (Santa’s carer) decided to treat her without consulting us. He gave her one complete spoon of Amoxicillin and in a few hours time Santa didn’t move any more, could hardly breathe and her heart was beating too fast. Jean-Claude, our Congolese vet, was called in emergency and gave her the first treatments. I spent 48hours observing Santa day and night as she was too bad. Her breath was horrible : it seemed to be too painful to her to take deep breaths…Santa has showed a clear allergy to Amoxicillin and now we know she must have other medication in case she’s too sick!!

Today, one week later, Santa is doing a lot better although still very tired. She starts playing again and is eating more and more. Her face is extremely pale - you can see she went through difficult moments.

Santa

But now it is Maïka’s turn to be too bad. For the last two days, this little one has had high fever and blood in her stools. According to the first lab analysis, she has got too many white cells and  Maïka might have ulcers in her intestines or somewhere else… so, she started a particular treatment yesterday night. Maïka hasn’t eaten nor drink much these days and has lost weight already. She’s very small, young and thin and I do cross my fingers she’ll get better very soon.

Maïka

I’ll keep you posted,

 Roxane

9 responses so far

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, Illegal trade, J.A.C.K., Rescued Chimps | Date: Mar 19 2009 | By: jack

The Kivu Four are doing fine. Faustin left last week and the babies know now each member of our team.

Africa is the eldest of the Kivus and she really had no trouble at all in settling in. She has got wonderful hair, eats almost everyhting and is kind with everyone.

Pasa is the only male of the group. He has lost most of his hair which is now growing back.  He doesn’t like to eat much but drinks a lot of milk!

He wants people to stay with him constantly, is always seeking human contact and, at the beginning, he didn’t get on well with Dian, the youngest of the Kivus… They very often fought.

Dian is the youngest. She has wonderful hair too and is very independent.

She doesn’t like to stay in the arms or to be hugged too often.

For the last few days, the three of them have had the opportunity to go and stay in the open air enclosure of our quarantine where they can play, climb up trees, hide in high grasses, etc.

top: Africa & Dian                               below: Pasa

But they aren’t alone as baby Maïka sometimes takes part in  these new games and enjoys staying with the Kivus.

Maïka

Because of her very young age, Maïka still is with us at home but regularly goes to the project to be in touch with the others. Her place isn’t in our living room: she’s doing fine now and must learn to stay among others of her own kind…

Pasa

Before I end, I wish to thank Chantal, our best friend and also our volunteer, for some of the nice pictures she shared with us on this blog.

Thanks also to all of you who are reading and supporting us. Don’t forget that your support is crucial to the development and for the evolution of the JACK Project,

Roxane

5 responses so far

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Meet our team | Date: Mar 12 2009 | By: jack

Dear All,

Yes, you are right Theresa and Sheryl, when you say Faustin is an Angel. He has saved Santa but Faustin has also  brought and given so much love and care to Tongo, Santa/Mapima and to the ‘Kivu 4′. Faustin is a very interesting person  and we at JACK are extremely grateful to him for all that good and excellent work he has always provided.

Faustin and Tongo the first baby chimp he flew with from Goma (August 2008)

For this new rescue mission, Faustin was due to stay 3 months at JACK in order to help us with the ‘Kivu 4′. But, unfortunately, he left early this morning because his father died last week and because he had to go back to Goma to fix several family problems.  Maybe he’ll come again to Lubumbashi next month… nothing is sure yet…

Faustin arriving from Goma with Santa/Mapima (November 2008)

So, Papa Augustin and Mama Maguy and Mama Angeline are now taking over Faustin’s job at the quarantine and it isn’t that difficult any more as Africa, Dian and Pasa have adjusted to their new environment and are now used to our surrogate mothers.

Faustin and baby Maïko who died

Thank you again, Faustin! Encore merci pour votre merveilleux travail! 

Faustin with Maïka and the ‘Kivu Four’

We hope you’ll come back very soon!

Roxane

8 responses so far

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Rescued Chimps | Date: Mar 11 2009 | By: jack

Dear Friends,

Terrible news for today, believe me!

Santa/Mapima and Kimo are no longer at home with us and are now staying at the Refuge in the quarantine area ready to be introduced.

Santa (left) & Kimo

They have been presented already to the ‘big’ ones of the main group: Chita, Bachi, Wanza and of course Shasa, our oldest female.

Yesterday, Papa Augustin, their carer,  had just cleaned their quarantine cage and left a few minutes asking Faustin to keep an eye on the two little ones.

Kimo & Santa playing in their nest

Suddenly, Faustin heard very strange noises: Santa was screaming and then a long silence. He ran to Santa and saw that her neck was stuck in the handle of her nest and that the baby chimpanzee was almost strangled.

Reconstitution of how Santa was kept in the handle

Faustin immediately called for a knife, cut the handle while Papa Augustin was holding and lifting baby Santa unconscious. She wasn’t breathing any more. Her lips were blue and her face was grey. Without hesitating, Faustin blew some oxygen through her nostrils and, fortunately, managed to reanimate her!

Santa’s face was grey and her eyes remained red for hours

Santa’s eyes remained red and slightly swollen the whole afternoon. She was held in observation until the next morning and everything is fine again now.

Santa and her Teddy

Santa was lucky and has been more lucky than poor Muchana, the eight-year-old-male gorilla that was found dead in his sleeping quarters end of February at the St Louis Zoo. Such horrible accidents unfortunately do occur  in captivity although all measures are taken to prevent these. The handles of Santa’s nest were quite small and have just been sewn together so-that no chimp can pass the head through…

Again, thank you Faustin to be here with us! Thank you for the good work!

Roxane

6 responses so far

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, Illegal trade, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: Mar 04 2009 | By: jack

Hi Everyone,

Maïka arrived on Saturday 21st of February… the same day as the ‘Kivu Four’.

Remember, I told you Franck and I had just arrived from the airport that day that a lady called us saying she had just seen a chimp for sale on the streets of Lubumbashi…

I can’t tell you how bad Franck and I felt. No new infant ape had been seen for sale in Lubumbashi for the past months and…suddenly, we got that call insisting on the size and the young age of the baby chimpanzee.

The Lubumbashi inspectors of Environment checked the information and managed to seize the female who arrived at the Refuge around 5 p.m. Exhausted, sick and traumatised, we decided to bring  her home.

Maïka was very bad. She hardly moved, had high fever, refused any food… Also, the little one had several cuts on her hands and feet and there was an open wound on the palm of her right hand.

The vet came on Monday and made her 3 injections (deworming stuff, antibiotics and vitamins). All went extremely well afterwards and on Tuesday, Maïka did her first steps at home. Because she was so weak, Franck and I were very surprised to see her walking around the place.

Maïka has already been introduced to the ‘Kivu Four’. They played for hours, climbed up trees, ran in the grass… all of them enjoyed these particular moments.

Lunch time: Faustin, the ‘Kivu Four’ and baby Maïka holding a tomato in her left hand

The little female is now safe and we’re sure that if she had stayed with the traders or with other people, Maïka wouldn’t have survived.

I chose to call her ”Maïka” as to keep in mind that baby “Maïko” had to be here too…

Roxane

8 responses so far

Category: Chimpanzee, Congo - DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: Mar 02 2009 | By: jack

Hi Everyone,

Let’s update today on Doguy’s eyes.

Two weeks ago, Tristan (Doguy’s Guardian Angel), managed to be in contact with several vets specialised in eye issues and, for more substantial diagnostics, we sedated both Doguy and Shasa (the eldest female of the group also having a white spot on the cornea…)

All went well during sedation and the two local vets we worked with here in Lubumbashi diagnosed a bacterial keratitis.

Doguy’s right eye has got an ulcer and particular attention was given to this eye.

Ulcer in Doguy’s right eye

Both chimpanzees were given antibiotic subconjunctival injections as to provide local treatment. Remember, Doguy refused unguents or even drops in his eyes.

After the sedation it took some time before both chimpanzees woke up.

Their eyes were swollen. See how Doguy looked like:

Oral wide-spectrum antibiotic treatment has been started and it seems their eyes are improving a lot. Doguy’s ulcer has become a small transparent spot again just the way it was at the early beginning last month. So, we cross our fingers and hope to see this spots disappearing totally…

Doguy”s eyes today: small white spots like before…

Before I end, I wish to thank Tristan and all the people he has contacted in the States as well as Nonee, a vet working with chimpanzees at Sweetwaters (Kenya) and whose emails and information were precious. Thank you again, Nonee!!!

Roxane

4 responses so far