Taronga Zoo is heading into the jungles of central Africa
again to help Chimpanzee Champion Jane Goodall.
Soon Zoo staff, including veterinarian Dr Kimberley
Vinette-Herrin, will be heading to the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga
Chimpanzee Sanctuary to help chimpanzees rescued from poachers and the pet
industry.
Mr Kerr said: “This is the latest chapter in a long partnership that began
with our contribution to the global Chimpanzoo research project and continued
with our joint involvement in Uganda’s N’Gamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary.”
“Not only is the Zoo contributing funds raised by our Taronga Foundation
to Tchimpounga, which is the Africa’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary, but we are
also providing expert advice on the ground, sending specialists in veterinary
science, behavioural research and capital works. Dr Vinette- Herrin is scheduled to conduct
over 60 general examinations and we’ll be looking at other staff placements and
partner projects to help.”
On World Environment Day, June 5, the Zoo’s Director,
Cameron Kerr, announced $150,000 in funding for Dr Goodall’s Tchimpounga
Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre.
Dr Goodall said in
June: “With this, we will be able to move faster towards securing operational support
for Chimpanzee rescue and reintroduction, building a new island sanctuary for unreleaseable chimpanzees, upgrading the
original site as a quarantine centre and staging site for the release program,
expanded law enforcement to stop illegal great ape hunting and developing an
Education Centre catering for 2000 plus students per year.
Tchimpounga was
established in 1992 by JGI and the Congolese Ministerie de le Economie
Forestiere (MEF) to hold 60 orphaned or rescued chimpanzees. There are now over
140 chimpanzees in care at the site 35 km north of Point Noire, Congo’s second
largest city. The sanctuary includes dry open savannah, densely wooded gorges,
flood plains and mangroves. There is heavy bushmeat pressure to supply markets
in the nearby city of Pointe Noir, but things have improved since the area was
protected.
The Zoos’ funding
will help with re-construction and expand the centre’s capacity. The TCRC was established in The Congo in 1992 to
rehabilitate orphaned chimpanzees. Originally
designed for 60 chimpanzees, it now houses 141.
Taronga’s work
with the JGI has included support of Dr Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Youth
Program, founding partnership for the N’gamba Chimpanzee Refugee on an island
in Lake Victoria and contribution to the global Chimpanzoo Observational
research project.