2008 July | Tacugama

Junior back on high

Category: Introduction, Tacugama | Date: Jul 30 2008 | By: tacugama

Great news this week is that we’ve been able to release a fully fit Junior back with his friends, Kouze is especially happy to have Junior back. Thanks again to Drs Sorn and Andrew Routh for their lifesaving surgery. The experience does not seem to have frightened Junior at all, this is one of the first photos we were able to get of him in the enclosures!
.

3 responses so far

Australian artists staging exhibition

Category: Tacugama | Date: Jul 25 2008 | By: tacugama

We were recently contacted by two Australian artists who learned about Tacugama through a documentary called “Chimps under Fire” from Animal Planet. They’ve been moved to create a series of works that will be exhibited in October at Monarto Zoo in South Australia.

Leigh Rust and Patrick Hedges are not only helping to raise the profile of Tacugama, they’re also donating a large portion of the profits from their works to Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and the Monarto Zoo to help conservation efforts for our amazing chimpanzees. Their exhibition will coincide with the official opening of Monarto Zoo’s new chimp habitat.

We’re extremely grateful to Leigh and Patrick and we’ll let you all know how the exhibition goes. In the meantime we’re providing photos of the Tacugama families for the guys to use as source materials for their work. Here’s a couple of tasters for you…

…. from Leigh
.

7 responses so far

And Mac makes three…..

Category: Introduction, Tacugama | Date: Jul 21 2008 | By: tacugama

…. new chimpanzees received by Tacugama in a week. Yes 3, as we posted our last blog about Urgent we received news that another young chimp was on its way to us from the Gola Forest and that evening Mac arrived to join the Tacugama family.

Mac arrives
.

8 responses so far

Urgent Arrival

Category: Tacugama | Date: Jul 17 2008 | By: tacugama

We have another new chimpanzee at Tacugama – an adult female of about 15 who goes by the name of Urgent (as apparently she’s always in a rush for her food).

Following information we received from the Gola Forest Conservation Programme, the end of last week saw us travelling to the south-east of Sierra Leone, past Kenema to the village of Gorahun. We’d been told of Urgent’s plight and after some checking around realised that, as she is a big chimp, the only option was for us to go and get her. After a total of 5 hours driving and an overnight stop in Kenema, early Friday morning we were joined by Jessica from the Gola Forest team to drive another 2 hours on very rough roads by the edge of the Gola forest (passing the chiefdom where Gaura was found).

Village near Gaura’s home
.

8 responses so far

Another orphan arrives!

Category: Blogroll, Chimpanzee, Gaura, Tacugama | Date: Jul 10 2008 | By: tacugama

Three days ago we received an urgent call informing us that a baby chimp was being sold at Lumley beach area in Freetown. Our informer was instructed to keep negotiating with the dealer until our arrival.

Willie, our head keeper, and Tommy, wildlife ranger were swiftly dispatched. On their way they picked up two police officers and with their help the baby chimp was confiscated without too much hassle.

The man, a woodcutter from Tombo village situated in the peninsula of Freetown, obviously explained a fancy story that he came across three adult chimps in the bush and when they saw him, they panicked and took off leaving the baby behind.

Tombo village is a gateway by boat to many provincial coastal villages, and we think this baby must have been capture in the south of Sierra Leone and transported into Freetown peninsula for a quick sale. The dealer was in a hurry as he was willing to sell the baby for a mere $25.

Tombo on arrival to Tacugama with Willie
.
Continue Reading »