Four Chimps Airlifted to Sanctuary in International Operation

The success of this multiyear, transnational effort means the chimps will spend World Chimpanzee Day in their new sanctuary home.

PORTLAND, Ore., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Four chimpanzees were successfully transferred from Guinea-Bissau to the Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection (LCRP), a chimpanzee sanctuary in Liberia. In a complex international operation, PASA and partners had been working on this transfer since first learning about the chimps in 2018. Through the global pandemic, and even a coup attempt, the team did not give up hope that these endangered animals could find a new life in a sanctuary. The four chimpanzees ? Simão, Fifi, Tzé, and Tita ? range in age from just over two to 12 years old.

PASA first learned about Simão in 2018, when a woman working in Guinea-Bissau, came across a little chimp living in a cage. It was Simão. The woman was concerned about his welfare and contacted PASA to explore bringing him to a sanctuary. The team at PASA got to work and soon learned of other chimpanzees in need.

"We were incredibly moved by Simão's story," said Kaitlyn Bock, PASA's Africa Operations Manager, who spearheaded the operation. "And when we learned about the other chimps living in similarly harsh conditions, we knew we had to help. After four years of hard work, to see them safely transferred at last, well, it's a dream come true."

Guinea-Bissau does not have a wildlife sanctuary, and there are no laws that prohibit private possession of chimps and other wildlife. These conditions meant that the chimps would need to be transferred to a sanctuary in another country, adding complexity and cost to the operation. PASA leveraged its members' expertise in transfers and veterinary care to formulate a plan.

Rebeca Atencia, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute in the Republic of Congo, and a wildlife veterinarian, visited the chimps in 2021 to assess their health and ability to travel. She recalls meeting Simão ? also called Simon ? for the first time.

"Simão was kept in a cage that had no floor and was made of metal fencing," she remembers. "He had to spend all day on bars of iron. The roof covered only one side, so when it rained, water entered everywhere. He did not have access to water or food, so if they forgot to give him water, he would be thirsty all day. Worst of all is that it was in the middle of a street where many trucks and cars passed by. In front of it there was a sawmill, so there was constantly a hellish noise."

The other chimps were kept in equally hard conditions. Fifi was in a small metal cage outside a hotel in Bissau, where she lived isolated from others for over 10 years. Tzé and Tita were each chained to trees. And sadly, the fifth chimp, Julio, died just months shy of the transfer, a heartbreaking reminder that not every animal gets a second chance.

Jim and Jenny Desmond, founders of the Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection sanctuary (LCRP), agreed to take the chimps.

"We are so fortunate to bring Fifi, Tzé, Simão and Tita into the LCRP family, thanks to the amazing work of our partners and supporters around the world," said Jenny Desmond. "We coordinated with the officials here in Liberia to arrange the necessary import permits, and helped secure free transport from DHL while our partners did the same in Guinea-Bissau. We're just so grateful that the chimps have arrived and that they're healthy. We are letting them settle in a bit. Then we can start the work of rehabilitating them after years of isolation and poor treatment. The most rewarding part of rescuing chimpanzees in need is getting to see each person emerge from their trauma, start to play and laugh, form new bonds, and transform into their true selves."

This transfer required a coalition to succeed. This included groundbreaking collaboration between governmental agencies in both countries: the Directorate General for Forests and Fauna (DGFF) and Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Areas (IBAP) in Guinea-Bissau, and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in Liberia. Also integral to the success of the operation were LCRP, the Jane Goodall Institute, and DHL, which generously provided air transport free of charge. PASA's global network of supporters provided ongoing support.

The operation underscores the complexity and cost of protecting endangered wildlife. Increasingly, this requires transnational collaboration, as wildlife habitat disappears due to development and climate change. The role of sanctuaries has become central in protecting endangered species and brokering international agreements.

"PASA members bring decades of expertise with transfers like this one," said Kelly O'Meara, executive director of PASA. "The power of our alliance is that we can now bring that knowledge to transform outcomes for endangered animals anywhere on the continent."

When asked why it matters to get four chimpanzees to a sanctuary, O'Meara reflected on the potential loss of the species.

"Set aside the simple fact that life in a cage or chained to a tree is no life at all for a chimp," she said. "But the reality is that within 30 years, we may have lost them all. Their habitat is declining, they are hunted for trophy parts and as bushmeat. Frankly, the odds are against them. That's why we say that in the race against extinction, every animal counts. These four chimps are a sign that there's hope, that we can do right by them ? and other chimps in need. On World Chimpanzee Day, that's worth celebrating."

Media Contact

Jean Fleming, PASA, 1 925-209-3329, [email protected]

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SOURCE PASA