His birth was watched live by many online.
Chimp Eden is part of the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa, and is home to 34 chimpanzees mainly rescued from the illegal bush meat and pet trade. Adult chimps are usually killed for their meat while the babies are used as pets or for entertainment to draw people to businesses such as nightclubs and bars.
One such example is Zac. He was chained to a tree outside a nightclub in Luanda and was badly undernourished with his fur falling out. He had been taught to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes in order to amuse guests.
Zac’s recovery was one of the most dramatic at Chimp Eden. He had to go through rehabilitation and detoxification, but has now earned the alpha position in his group of chimpanzees. Nina was a little orphan, confiscated from bush meat hunters in the Sudan.
She and the other small ones from Sudan – Thomas, Dinka, Zee and Charlie – still tend to stick together. Nina, however, had a very unplanned pregnancy, and now has a healthy little baby of her own.
Charles and Jessica were rescued from circuses, and are now alpha male and alpha female of their group.
The Chimp Eden sanctuary, just outside Nelspruit, provides a safe haven for these chimps in large enclosures with trees and natural vegetation. Here they live a semi-wild chimpanzee life (foraging and interacting) with each other.
They are supplied with adequate and healthy food, and are treated with constant kindness. These aspects were in short supply in their previous lives.
The sanctuary is open to the public, and relies on the public to help in the work they do. There are 3 tours a day at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00 and visitors ar welcome.
Chimp Eden is open all year round, 7 days a week, however tours are weather dependent. Tours are one of the educational tools used to explain the plight of chimpanzees in the wild, worldwide.
One can either adopt a chimp or make donation or volunteer at the sanctuary.
More information can be found on www.chimpeden.com and on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/JGISA.
