Beautiful photos of orphaned baby chimpanzees at West African sanctuary
The centre looks after 50 baby chimpanzees who were snatched from their families for the pet trade or orphaned when their mothers were killed for bushmeat.
The Chimpanzee Conservation Centre (CCC) is a sanctuary and a rehabilitation centre for rescued orphaned chimps in West Africa. Located on the banks of the River Niger in the Haut Niger National Park in Somoria, Guinea, the centre covers around 6,000 square kilometres of savannah and forest.
Keeper Albert Wamouno feeds Missy after a bushwalk at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty Images
Established in 1997, CCC is supported by Project Primate, a US not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and preservation of chimpanzees in West Africa and around the world. The centre currently looks after 50 western chimpanzees, one of the most endangered sub-species of chimpanzee. Most of the babies were snatched from their family groups for the pet trade or orphaned when their mothers were killed for bushmeat.
The centre rehabilitates and cares for the animals, and ultimately aims to release them back into the wild, a process that takes more than 10 years. When they arrive at the centre, the baby chimpanzees often have serious health conditions that need round-the-clock care, such as skin and respiratory diseases. They often have psychological disorders related to abuse and captivity, as well as malnutrition.
French volunteer Audrey Lenormand, 27, holds ten-month-old Soumba, the 50th baby chimpanzee to arrive at the CCCDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesSpanish veterinary volunteer Christina Collell performs a health check on new arrival Kanda, a five-month-old chimp who was rescued from traffickersDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesFrench volunteer Audrey Lenormand, 27, holds ten-month-old Soumba for the first time. Soumba was recently rescued from traffickersDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesSurrogate mothers Anissa Aidat, 23, and Audrey Lenormand, 27, hold new arrivals Kanda and Soumba. Both animals will spend their first three months with their surrogate mothersDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesFrench volunteer Anissa Aidat, 23, holds new arrival Kanda, who will spend his first three months with surrogate mother Anissa, quarantined away from other animalsDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesThe baby chimpanzees take an interest as French volunteer Audrey Lenormand, 27, attempts to learn Malinke, one of the local languagesDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesTen-month-old Soumba is left alone momentarily for the first time since her arrival at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesA portrait of of Missy at the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre in Somoria, GuineaDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesThe nursery group are given milk substitute ahead of their bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesKeeper Daouda Keita collects the baby group from their enclosure for their first bushwalk at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty Images
After a period of quarantine, the chimpanzees are integrated with a group of their peers. They spend many years learning and re-learning the skills that they will need once release back into the wild. For the first few years of rehabilitation, orphaned chimpanzees go on daily bush outings accompanied by volunteers and a keeper. They are able to freely climb trees and learn how to forage for food and socially interact.
Keeper Sekou Kourouma takes the nursery group on a bushwalk at the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre. The nursery group are in the early stages of gaining their independence, and look to keepers and volunteers for reassurance during their daily outingsDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesKeeper Sekou Kourouma takes the nursery group across the savannah during their daily bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesOne of the chimps takes a closer look at keeper Fayer Kourouma during their forest bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesAlbert Wamouno interacts with Hawa during a bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesKeeper Albert Wamouno interacts with Hawa during a bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesAlbert Wamouno interacts with Hawa, rescued from poachers who had killed and eaten Hawa’s motherDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesFive-year-old Labé enjoys one of her daily bushwalks at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesKeeper Sekou Kourouma listens to music on his phone as some of the nursery group play during a bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesMissy and Hawa groom each other during their daily bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesNoel hangs from trees over the River Niger during one of his daily bushwalksDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesOne of the baby group swings in trees during a bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesOne of the baby group drinks from the River Niger during a bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesThree-year-old Hawa sits in the shallows of the River Niger during one of her daily bushwalksDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesKeeper Kouyate Konio and volunteer Anissa Aidat bond with members of nursery group during a bushwalk at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesDominant male of the group Sam lays in grassland during a bushwalk in the savannahDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesOne of the baby group swings in trees during a bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesCamille Le Maire, 27, from Nice in France, struggles with several of the nursery group after an afternoon bushwalkDan Kitwood/Getty Images
The older chimpanzees have access to a five hectare enclosure where they can find food, nest in trees at night. Keepers interact with them only for veterinary care or with occasional help with meals. As this is the final stage before release, this phase lasts for a few years to allow the building of stable, unified community relationships that best reflect that of wild groups.
Keeper Albert Wamouno lets the adult chimpanzees back into their enclosure for their evening meal at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesShelly stands in a tree in her enclosure at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty ImagesSory Keira interacts with 12-year-old Lobai through the enclosure fence at the Chimpanzee Conservation CentreDan Kitwood/Getty Images
As they grow older and become more confident with other chimpanzees, human contact is reduced in preparation for release back in to the wild, when possible. Once released into the Haut Niger National Park, the chimpanzees rarely see CCC staff or other humans. Released chimps are fitted with radio and GPS collars to allow monitoring. Results have been encouraging so far – a few released females have integrated with wild chimpanzee communities, resulting in the birth of five babies.
The centre also aims to educate the local and international community about the threats faced by wild chimpanzee populations and raise awareness to prevent illegal wildlife trafficking. Find out how you can help the centre protect more chimpanzees.
