J.A.C.K.

Category: Background, Congo - DRC, Education, J.A.C.K. | Date: May 11 2009 | By: jack

Hello Friends of JACK,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend and that most of the ladies had a memorable Mothers’ Day!

Today, I want to talk about two authors and friends, Alain HUART and Chantal TOMBU, who have had their brand new book recently published. This piece of art is written in French but you actually don’t need to speak this language to appreciate the beauty and the colours of the pictures. The book is called “Congo, pays magnifique” (Congo, wonderful country). More pictures can be seen on the following website: http://congo.skynetblogs.be/

Alain mainly works in Kinshasa for the Ministry of Agriculture and is an excellent photographer. He came at JACK on September 12th 2007 and encouraged us a lot to continue the good job. While visiting, he told Franck JACK at that period was ’till at the embryonic stage compared to Lola ya Bonobo’…

Alain and Chantal visiting JACK

Born in the Congo, Chantal is an Art Historian. She used to work at the National Museum of Lubumbashi.  Thanks to her, JACK has had many opportunities to organise lectures at the Museum thus making people and authorities aware about Great Apes and their threats in the DRC.

lecture at the National Museum of Lubumbashi

Together, Alain and Chantal have decided to set up a book showing the beauties of our country, the DR Congo. There are plenty of magnificent pictures and the texts are full of interests. This master piece gives a colourful and positive idea of the DRC, which is very often criticised and forgotten…

Franck and Chantal

Page 138 is dedicated to JACK and if you have a better look at the pictures, you’ll recognise Maman Angeline carrying both Zamba and little Doguy! The chimp on top, of course, you’ll recognise him too: it’s Chita, our “boss” (dominant male)!!!

Chita (top) and Maman Angeline with Zamba & Doguy. On the left, one of the different signs people can read during their visit of the Refuge ” Buying a chimpanzee means you are part of the trade since you have participated to the slaughter of the whole group”

Thank you again, Alain, Chantal and all the other participants of this wonderful book: writing about JACK will help the project and its chimps to be known all around the world!  

Encore un tout grand merci pour EUX! Et encore félicitations pour le très beau travail!

Roxane

3 responses so far

Category: Background, Congo - DRC, Illegal trade, J.A.C.K., Rescued Chimps, Uncategorized, seized chimpanzees | Date: Apr 07 2009 | By: jack

Dear Friends of JACK,

The month of April is very particular to Franck and myself : it was on the 6th of April 2006 that we first  met JAK, a dying baby chimpanzee for sale on the streets of Lubumbashi…

JAK is the first chimpanzee ever confiscated in the Southern DRC province of Katanga.

When meeting him we didn’t know he was going to be assassinated by saboteurs willing to stop us.

Nor did we expect the J.A.C.K. project would take huge steps forward shortly after the sabotage…

But one thing is sure, JAK has become a symbol for the Conservation and the Protection of his own kind  as thanks to him, the lives of other chimpanzees have been and are being saved.

Thank you, JAK!

We miss you so much !

Roxane

6 responses so far

Category: Background, Congo, DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre | Date: Dec 23 2008 | By: jack

Friends of JACK,

We do THANK  ALL  OF  YOU  for having been on our sides for the last 12 months and for having encouraged and supported us. One year ago, JACK was a small Refuge Centre that no-one had ever heard about and we are grateful to WILDLIFE DIRECT  for having given us the chance to blog and to share our experience in the DRC.

Today, our action has been spread worldwide and the JACK Refuge for seized chimpanzees has taken huge steps forward…

Thank you again for being with us,

JACK, Franck, Roxane & the Chimps

4 responses so far

Category: Background, Chimpanzee, Congo, DRC, J.A.C.K., donations | Date: Nov 17 2008 | By: jack

Hello Friends of JACK,

These coming days are going to be very particular as our Southern Province of Katanga is hosting the “PASA Vet Workshop 2008″.

About 22 delegates have travelled from their place to reach Lubumbashi and for most of them this experience will be their first one in the DR Congo.

Thanks to the kindness of the highest authority of our Congolese Province, Mister Moïse Katumbi Tshapwe, the Governor of Katanga, this event has been possible and we also want to thank Madam Thérèse Lukenge, Provincial Minister of Environment of Katanga , who opened the Workshop early this morning and cheerly welcomed the PASA delegates.

It is the first time PASA organises one of its workshops in the DR Congo and it is a real honour to us to welcome the whole team here in Lubumbashi.

On Wednesday the 19th of November, PASA delegates will have the opportunity to come and to visit JACK. Mr Doug Cress, Executive Director of PASA, and Rosa Garriga, vet at Tucugama, already paid us a visit yesterday mentionning they didn’t expect to see so much.

JACK is still very young and unlike most of our visitors, Mr Cress and vet Rosa were impressed by the work that we have been achieving for the last two years…

Well, dear Friends, let me come back to you later on these days. It’s already late and we still need to have a few things done before tomorrow.

Roxane

8 responses so far

Category: Background, DRC, J.A.C.K., Refuge Centre, Rescued Chimps | Date: Sep 04 2008 | By: jack

Dear All,

Our complex is located in the Lubumbashi Zoo and is in some way particular because our NGO has used abandonned enclosures of the old zoo to start its Refuge.

JACK was created two years ago with 3 chimpanzee babies. Today, there are 17  orphans and the infrastructure has to be adapted to the growing chimps of the Centre. 

Our friend, Franck, is coming back next week in order to build better night enclosures for the chimps. These constructions will be possible thanks only to the support of a lady I already spoke about, Mrs. Ing-Marie Persson of the Sweden Chimpanzee Trust.

We only have a few weeks to do all the works as everything must be ready before the rains start ie end of October. So, the coming weeks will be extremely busy and it’s a good thing our friend and Animal Advisor of JACK  is coming: my husband and I are completely overloaded !!!

Franck with Chita (left) and Jacky

Franck has decided to come because he knows we need help. His stay with us is very important: his previous experience will enable us improving the Refuge infrastructure and organization.

Franck also left his job and paid the ticket (USD 1900) to fly to Lubumbashi. JACK wished to pay that for, but couldn’t afford paying…. With the two latest chimps coming, we have had  many expenses. And today, I need your support.

Yes, could you help us in paying Franck’s ticket back? This would be great and extremely helpful, really… Thank you !! 

Now, before ending, let me give you some news about Tongo and Jane. 

As you know already, Faustin had to go back to Kivu leaving little Tongo behind with his new sister, JANE.

Faustin was very sad last Thursday. Tongo was his baby and since he left, Faustin has called us many times  to get some updates on the two little ones.

JANE takes good care of her brother but very often teases him and sometimes prevents him from drinking his milk. She is very funny and behaves that way to have our full attention. This is a normal attitude especially for someone who has been locked up for two years alone in an old 4 x 4…

On arrival, two weeks ago, Tongo ate bread and had milk three times a day. Because of the parasites he had, he didn’t eat very much and had no appetite.

Today, he’s asking for more milk (every 4 hours) and eats bananas, apples, carots. This is a good thing !!

Dear friends of JACK, thanks for the donations recently given - just remember that your aid is essential for the continuity of the Refuge.

Roxane

3 responses so far

Category: Background, J.A.C.K. | Date: Feb 09 2008 | By: admin

8 responses so far

Category: Background | Date: Dec 27 2007 | By: admin

Hi Everyone!

We just wanted to wish you all the best for this Merry Season.  May the New coming Year be good for YOU from the very start, may every success and happiness come to YOU, may you prosper and may all your dreams come true!

Have a beautiful New Year!

Also, Franck and I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to Sherri S. who donated $25  and to Cathy who donated $100. Thank you so much!

5 responses so far