Tacugama

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
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Mac with Dr Rosa, Bala, Hander and David from the Gola Forest Conservation Programme
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He is around a year old, a little older than Tombo – our first new arrival of the week – but badly underweight and very vulnerable.

Mac checked in just under 3.5kgs
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We were not sure that he would survive the first 24hrs with us but with care and attention from Posseh, Dr Rosa and the team he is slowly gaining strength. We’re not very clear what happened to Mac or his family. The Gola Forest Conservation Programme were informed of his existence and when he was confiscated in Panguma village there was little information provided as to how he came to be with there. At this stage we only know that they had kept him for at least 4 or 5 days before he was rescued.

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Given his low weight it will take us some time to be confident about Mac’s survival chances but the good sign is that he’s developing a healthy appetite for bananas along with his milk.

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Tombo and Urgent are taking an interest in Mac’s arrival into the quarantine area and there’s plenty of pan-hooting taking place as they survey each other from safe distances. We’re pleased to say that Tombo’s dysentery has cleared and she’s settling in though still not convinced about her hammock as a replacement nest. Both she and Mac have a place to stay inside our clinic at night as, especially as rainy season is in full force; they’re too small to stay in the cooler quarantine cages at night.

Tombo gets used to cuddles with Posseh
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Urgent is gradually settling in her new quarters but giving her any medicine is proving a challenge as she’s easily detecting any attempts to hide it in her food. Although fairly healthy she’s riddled with intestinal parasites that need clearing. She’s currently presenting a large balloon – the swelling of her genital area – as she’s ready to mate and is already responding to the communication between the chimps in the outdoor enclosures.

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Mac, Tombo and Urgent will have to stay in quarantine for at least three months so that we can ensure that they’re in a good state of health before we can introduce them to their new families. All being well Gaura should at least have good companions. He goes from strength to strength but is still too young to join the other infants in their enclosure.

Gaura “helping” Mama Posseh to clean his quarters
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We’d like to say a huge thank-you to the great response from Lucia, Sherri, Christine and Wanda in contributing to the costs of Urgent’s rescue. Three new chimps in a week is no small challenge and your help is much appreciated by all of us at Tacugama.

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