Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Liz's Notes History Support Activities Future
After doing my Vet Nursing, I had to work off all my debts in animal clinics in UK. For the last week in UK, I was going over to Munich to see Nicole and discuss an 'exciting new' idea for our future (the birth of AWARE). Fate sat me next to a wonderful Indian man who gave me the contacts I needed in order to get back into the field of primates and conservation. These contacts were in The Jane Goodall Institute. They were very interested in my skills and previous experiences and were looking for someone to help with the establishment of a new South African chimp sanctuary. They suggested I get my chimp experience at the best chimp sanctuary, Ngamba Island. Ngamba has the most knowledgeable caregivers and of course, Debby Cox, the founder. Three months of volunteering turned into 6 and then another 6 months as their Marketing Co-ordinator.
Ngamba Island was officially opened in 1998. Debby Cox was bashing around war torn Burundi with some confiscated chimps and was asked to create a sanctuary in Uganda. Certain miracles occurred and they had a 100 acre island of pristine forest for a sanctuary (this, of course, is the short version but there was a hard slog to get it all going).
An organisation called Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT) was formed together with local and international trustees. Some of the international trustees support with funding, but tourism to Ngamba, membership and sponsors form the bulk of their support. Chimps can live up to 70 years. The costs of food, healthcare, staff salaries etc. are extremely high. Check out the membership to their 'Friends of the Sanctuary' programme.
Ngamba Island has 39 chimps. They were confiscated from Congo and Uganda. They spent their first few months in quarantine at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Trustee and official confiscation body of illegally kept wildlife in Uganda). The island is a densely forested haven for the chimps with a small section for staff and visitors. Day visits and overnight stays form part of the tourism activities. They also do community outreach programmes with the neighbouring islands. One of the philosophy's of CSWCT is to employ and capacity build Ugandan people to look after Uganda's heritage. And so, although there is no need for volunteers (staff members are skilled to carry out every task for the organisation), there is a 'Long stay Programme'. This allows visitors to come and spend time on the island, helping out and getting a first hand experience of how a sanctuary is run, and about the realities of the great ape crisis in Africa.
CSWCT must care for the 39 chimpanzees as they mature into strong adult chimpanzees, and face the possibility of re-introducing them into the wild. Additionally, the 39, once living separately, are currently being joined together into one larger group.
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