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

10 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