DSWF supports Habitat Ecologique et Liberté des Primates (HELP) to save African great apes threatened by deforestation, hunting for bushmeat and disease outbreaks.

HELP is pioneering an innovative solution to break this cycle of confiscation and long-term care in the already overcrowded sanctuaries in Africa and exploring the possibility of returning orphaned chimpanzees back to their natural environment.

DSWF provides funding to HELP - to track, study and protect both mothers and their babies who are born in the freedom of the forest.

Report by Baiju McCubbins, HELP

Chimpanzees under threat

Throughout their range, African great apes are threatened by deforestation, hunting for bushmeat and disease outbreaks. Large bodied chimpanzees are a good target for the hunter, bringing a high return on the price of a shot gun cartridge. Their dependent young are not valuable as a meat source and are typically captured alive to be sold into the illegal pet trade or the entertainment industry. These victims of the bushmeat trade often end up in sanctuaries requiring long term and expensive care for the rest of their lives.

Habitat Ecologique et Liberté des Primates (HELP) is pioneering an innovative solution to break this cycle of confiscation and long-term care in the already overcrowded sanctuaries in Africa. HELP has been exploring the possibility of returning orphaned chimpanzees back to their natural environment.

I first visited this project as a volunteer in 2001. I was so moved to see the chimpanzees roaming free and without sustenance from human beings that I have remained involved with the project ever since.

History and objectives of the project

HELP was started in 1988 by Madame Aliette Jamart in the city of Pointe Noire in Congo-Brazzaville. She started by rescuing and caring for the orphans in her home. In 1991, she received permission from the government authorities to create a sanctuary on a lagoon at the edge of the Conkouati Reserve, now the Conkouati-Douli National Park.

The chimpanzees were placed onto islands to learn survival skills such as forming social units, foraging and nest building prior to being released. This rehabilitation process was an essential step between captivity and complete freedom.

After undergoing rigorous health checks, 37 of the 50 rescued chimpanzees regained their freedom in a series of seven releases between 1996 and 2001. They were released into an area of forest called "The Triangle" which is a 90 minute boat ride from the sanctuary camp. This site was selected after extensive field surveys confirmed that the released chimpanzees would not be a threat to the existing flora and fauna.

The chimpanzees were tagged with radio collars to enable HELP to conduct a long term study of their adaptation and integration process back into the wild. Data regarding their movements and behaviour is collected using scientific sampling techniques. Two shifts of staff and volunteers observe the chimpanzees from their awakening at dawn to nest building in the evening. The knowledge gained from this study will be used to build a model to share with other sanctuaries who may wish to replicate this solution to long term care, by returning orphaned chimpanzees back to their natural environment.

Those chimpanzees that were deemed unsuitable candidates for release are still cared for today at the sanctuary. Here, they will live out the rest of their lives in semi-freedom as the islands are not large enough for them to be nutritionally self-sufficient.

Results

Today, eight years after the initial release - HELP is reporting the highest known survival rate of (62%) of any primate re-introduction program with a confirmed mortality rate of 14% and disappearance rate of 24%.

HELP has also indirectly contributed to an increase in the flora and fauna by providing in-situ protection of the region we operate in. Project staff presence and the location of the release site bordering the rivers that serve as the main transport routes for illegal bushmeat have served as a significant deterrent to poachers. Over the years, there have been increased sightings of and encounters with other wild animals such as the forest elephants, gorillas and wild chimpanzees.

Forest elephant - courtesy - HELP.

Personal experiences

My encounter with the chimpanzees Massabi and Mossenjo sticks vividly in my mind. They regained their freedom in one of the early releases (1997). Their adaptation has gone so well that an attempt to locate them is only made occasionally; to ensure that they are still alive and well. Their last known location is always at least two weeks old and they are usually difficult to find. On this occasion, as soon as we spotted them, they took off towards the swamps knowing that we would have difficulty following them. Although it was incredibly frustrating - this experience proved to me that the project was actually achieving its goal! Seven years after their release into the forest, Massabi and Mossenjo are surviving today and actually avoiding contact with human beings.

On my second visit to the project, I was thrilled to see a released chimpanzee called Jeanette with her new baby, Mai. The hope is that Mai will survive and grow up in the freedom of the forest!

DSWF support will protect new mothers with babies

The most exciting news for HELP was that four babies were born to the released chimpanzee females in 2003. Three of these newborns are still alive today. If DNA testing reveals that the babies have been conceived due to interactions with wild chimpanzees, this will be a significant step forward in the re-introduction process.

DSWF grant money will be used by HELP specifically to track, protect and study the behaviour of these new mothers to ensure the long term survival of this species.

The baby Erica, sadly did not survive - courtesy Tubbs, HELP		Mai with Jeanette in the forest - courtesy: Sourmail, HELP

In summary

The largest ever release of captive chimpanzees by the HELP project into the wild has proved a success. Five of the 37 chimps released in the Republic of the Congo have bred in the wild.

If you would like to help the project to reintroduce orphaned chimpanzees into the wild please following the links below to make a donation or you can phone the Foundation Office on 01483 272323.

Every little contribution helps wildlife and remember 100% of your donation will go in full to the project - thank you!

You can also help by becoming a member of DSWF. Click here for more information

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