Tacugama

As briefly mentioned in our last blog, we’re pleased to welcome Esther Hull and Ruud de Kort as volunteers as Tacugama. They’re here for a shorter than normal volunteer visit – just six weeks – but the chimps are certainly enjoying their input. Ruud and Esther have worked at Stichting AAP (Europe’s largest exotic animal sanctuary in Almere, NL) as part of the team looking after rescued laboratory chimpanzees.  In an earlier life Esther worked as a professional stage carpenter and has combined these skills with her chimp care experience to create better environments for captive animals,  Ruud is a veterinary technician.  It was great timing when they emailed Tacugama to offer their services.

As regular readers of our blog will know we are trying to raise funds to build new enclosures; we continue to receive new chimpanzees and our existing chimps continue to grow and we are really at maximum capacity.  The two small enclosures used by the younger chimps (most of Tacugama’s chimps have passed through these!) have been stripped of most living plants so there’s less for them to do and play with.  Although ropes provided by British Royal Navy have been good alternatives for forest growth, we really felt that the young chimps needed more enrichment.

The infants enclosure looking very bare
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And some of the occupants!
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Ruud and Esther have been busy with wood, old fire hose and tyres, creating a range of new features for the chimps and they’re going down well….

Jane tests out the tyres
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Joko checks out the new platform with a few friends

They’ve also working on ideas to keep those chimps who don’t have access to the enclosures entertained. Gaura, Tombo, Jessica, Mac and Bai Nyaa were presented with small logs with a hole filled with wild honey. Jessica quickly learned how to use a stick to get more out of the hole and Bain Nyaa followed with a bit of encouragement….. Mac just didn’t get the idea at all!

… meanwhile Gaura tried a few different methods and quickly lost patience with all of them!

Ruud and Esther are also looking at what more we can do for Solo until we can raise the funds for his enclosure – thanks to those who’ve donated so far.

Cheetah is making some slow progress. She has a good appetite and is pleased to see us but her ability to move is still very restricted. Every day we encourage her to do some exercises and also position her food so that she has to move to reach it. Hopefully she will continue with her gentle recovery.

Cheetah stretches for her food
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Young Bruno is almost through his quarantine period, he continues to be a patient and very sweet young chimp.
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We’re about to start our intensive EMCV vaccination and health check programme. Next week will see Dr Rosa, Ruud and Willie working closely with the Max Planck Institute team of Ann and Michel – it’s going to be a very busy month.