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CHIMPOSIUM 2000 FOSTERS COMMUNICATION
The Chimposium 2000 fund-raiser scheduled for December 9 at noon at the Indaba Hotel in Sandton, South Africa, will highlight man's ability to communicate with chimpanzees. Pal Award winners Roger and Deborah Fouts will present a lecture on their ground-breaking 30-year study of chimpanzee intelligence, based on their sign language "conversations" with Washoe and four other chimps at Central Washington University in the United States. The Foutses, whose work was chronicled in the popular book Next of Kin, will be joined at the Chimposium by Chimfunshi co-founder David Siddle, along with a photo exhibit by Martin Harvey, canvas murals by Delia Grieg, and bushveld paintings. Other facets include a raffle, merchandise sales, and updates on the latest Chimfunshi news.
CHIMFUNSHI CO-FOUNDER TO SPEAK
David Siddle, who founded the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage along with his wife, Sheila, in 1983, will attend the Chimposium 2000 fund-raiser on December 9 at the Indaba Hotel in Sandton and offer an update on the latest sanctuary news. Siddle is 73 years of age and was the driving force behind many of the innovations that are central to Chimfunshi's success, including the seven-acre walled enclosure, the use of electrical fencing, and the design of the 500-acre enclosures. He's also earned the scars of a life among chimps, having been badly bitten and injured on several occasions. But Siddle, who also drew up the plans for the recently completed Chimfunshi Education Center, shows no sign of letting up.
POSTERS BENEFIT EDUCATION CENTER
An extremely generous donation of 20 posters was made to the Chimfunshi Education Center recently by Rae Downey, who operates the Global Poster company in Long Island City, New York, USA. Downey, who was approached by Chimfunshi-USA vice-president Arlene Brahm, contributed 20 wildlife posters -- valued at USD $250 (R1500) -- then paid for the shipping charges himself. What's more, Downey also purchased a Chimfunshi Family Membership. For more information, and a look at Global Poster's catalogue, visit the company's website.
BUDDY ON THE MEND AFTER BROKEN LEG
A mysterious accident that left Chimfunshi infant Buddy with a broken right leg on October 30 was remedied only through the services of one of Zambia's top orthopedic surgeons. When Buddy, who arrived at Chimfunshi from New Zealand in December, 1999, pitched up with a badly broken right leg after a fight with some other youngsters one day, Chimfunshi co-founder Sheila Siddle had no choice but to charter a plane and fly to Lusaka for treatment. There, Dr. John Jealous, who normally treats only humans and is frequently booked months in advance, happened to be free, and offered to perform the operation on November 1. He inserted a steel tube into the broken bone in Buddy's leg, then closed off the wound with dissolvable stitches that could not be pulled out. As a result, Buddy is now back at Chimfunshi, although he is being kept apart from the other youngsters until he is healthy enough to fend for himself. Nevertheless, Buddy's surrogate mother, Buffy, insisted upon being let into his cage and remains his constant companion.
AMERICAN SCHOOL ADOPTS JUNIOR
The Kent Phillips Elementary School in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA, made a generous contribution to Chimfunshi recently by adopting Junior. Encouraged by Friends of Chimfunshi member Mary Lu Walker, a singer-songwriter who performed at the school and sang her chimp song, "George, George the Chimpanzee," which was inspired by the chimp of the same name after a visit to Chimfunshi. Walker actually wrote the song for the children of the Simba School in Ndola, Zambia, but now performs it wherever she goes. At the Kent Phillips School concert, Walker waived her usual appearance fee if the school would agree to adopt a chimp. The children are from Frank Cullen's 4th grade class.
GERMAN CHIMFUNSHI TAKES OFF
Sprechen sie schimpansisch? Thanks to the efforts of Chimfunshi trustee Stephan Louis, Chimfunshi now offers a German-language newsletter that includes beautiful photographs, news updates, and contact information for the sanctuary's German fund-raising efforts. If you'd like to receive the German newsletter -- or know someone else that would -- please contact Mr. Louis by telephone at 49-40-734193-220 or by e-mail.
TRAVEL CHANNEL INCLUDES CHIMFUNSHI ON "MUST-DO" LIST
A visit to the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage was included in the recent television special, "101 Things To Do Before You Die," which debuted December 3 on the Travel Channel and will be re-broadcast later this month on Decmber 9, 14 & 17. Using footage supplied by American documentary filmaker Kelli Murphey, the Travel Channel special also singled out fantasy trips such as running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, trekking to Macchu Picchu in Peru, and skin-diving off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. For more information, and updated broadcast times, click on the Travel Channel's website.
CHIMFUNSHI PART OF SINGAPORE EXHIBITION
Photos, posters, news clippings and banners from the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage are part of an exhibition entitled, "Apes: The Untold Story," being held at the Bugis Junction shopping mall in Singapore through December 3. Ogrganized by the Wildlife Watch conservation organization, the exhibition is designed to highlight the poaching, smuggling, and de-forestation that threaten man's closest relatives. "Apes" is sponsored by the National Geographic Channel and the International Primates Protection League (IPPL), and includes displays by the Jane Goodall Institute, the Orangutan Foundation, and the Great Ape Project International. The exhibition is next slated to travel to schools in and around Singapore after its current run. For more information, write to Wildlife Watch.
GREAT APES GO ON TRIAL
The Great Ape Trial Project, a mock case based on a hypothetical brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that seeks to have a chimpanzee recognized as a "person" under the law, will be argued by 11th grade students in Lachute, Quebec, Canada, on December 5. Inspired by real-life cases currently rumbling through the U.S. lower courts, the Great Ape Trial Project will agrue issues such as euthenasia, bio-medical animal testing, and what legally defines a "person." The plaintiff in the case is Elizabeth Hart, a nine-year old chimpanzee who will be represented in court by a guardian ad litem. For more information, contact the Great Ape Trial web page.
CIRCUS CHIMPS CONFISCATED IN CHILE
Three chimpanzees are believed to be part of a menagerie confiscated from Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Chile on November 10 and are prohibited from leaving the country after the circus failed to produce the proper CITES travel permits. The circus, which is Mexican, apparently entered Chile without the legal CITES permits, but is objecting to the Chilean government's crackdown. Chilean conservation groups, meanwhile, are rallying to keep the circus from leaving with the animals, which includes two elephants, 12 tigers, and one baboon. For more information, contact the Primates Siglo XXI by e-mail.
SIERRA LEONE SANCTUARY SPREADS OUT
Ten mischevious young chimpanzees were released into an 8 1/2-acre enclosure of protected rain forest recently at the Tacugama Sanctuary in Sierra Leone. Funded by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the sanctuary will eventually house up to 31 chimps, all orphaned by the bushmeat and pet trades. The enclosure is surrounded by an electric fence, and is the first taste of "virtual" freedom for many of these chimps -- some of whom have been kept behind bars for up to 10 years. For more information, visit WSPA on-line.
U.S. LAWMAKERS TACKLE APE ISSUES
Just as President Bill Clinton signed the Great Ape Conservation Act into law on November, allocating up to USD $5 million annually to primate conservation in Africa and Asia, U.S. lawmakers began wrangling with a bill that is threatening to split the primate conservation community. The Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act (S. 2725) offers permanent retirement for hundreds of "surplus" chimps currently languishing in U.S. research laboratories, and is supported by Jane Goodall and In Defense of Animals (IDA), among others. But language in the act that might allow chimps to be "re-activated" has forced organizations such as The Great Ape Project to oppose it. Both sides are gearing up for a long fight, but IDA Program Director Suzanne Roy is adamant. "They have more than paid their dues," she said. "Their permanent retirement must be non-negotiable."
SINGAPORE ZOO MAKES CONCESSIONS
Saying that the Singapore Zoo's infant chimpanzees are disciplined but "not abused," zoo CEO Bernard Harrison nevertheless announced that the zoo will soon move its young chimps to larger cages. An outcry was raised recently over the zoo's practice of forcing infant chimpanzees to pose for photographs with tourists, prompting animal welfare groups to protest the zoo's treatment of Poko, Rhamba and Gombe. The chimps were kept in cages that measured 2 x 3 meters, but Harrison said larger enclosures will be built. Nevertheless, the International Primate Protection League (IPPL) has called for a letter-writing campaign to halt the photo-taking practice. For more information, contact the IPPL website.
MYSTERY BABY IS CHIMFUNSHI'S 18th
Liza Dolittle gave birth on September 18 to the 18th infant at Chimfunshi since 1991, but sanctuary officials have been unable to determine the baby's sex. The infant, the third born to Liza after Ingrid (1991) and Lori (1995), has been kept largely out of site by Liza, who is one of 42 chimps living in the 500-acre enclosures. In fact, Liza only comes near the handling facilities at mealtimes and refuses to enter the night cages. The father is almost certainly Charley, who still appears to be the dominant male in that social group.
CHIMFUNSHI INSPIRES 'WILD THINGS' AUTHOR
Noted children's author Elizabeth Laird used the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage and co-founders David and Sheila Siddle as the inspiration for her latest "Wild Things" adventure, Chimp Escape. The story follows a young girl's attempt to carry an infant chimp to safety across Central Africa, winding up at a Zambian sanctuary called "Sakomunto," which is run by an elderly couple named Jean and Pete. Jean is described as "short and stocky, wearing a worn t-shirt and old trousers," while Pete is "a man who looked like Father Christmas...whose face was framed in a white circle of beard and hair." Sound familiar? Chimp Escape is the ninth in the "Wild Things" series for Laird, who spent several weeks at Chimfunshi researching the project and dedicated the book to the Siddles' grandchildren. For more information, contact Macmillan Children's Books by e-mail.
CHIMFUNSHI RELEASES BABOONS
Chimfunshi officials released five baboons back into the sanctuary's 10,000-acre protected reserve on September 10, the latest in an ongoing practice of returning monkeys, birds, antelope and baboons to the wild once they are fully recovered. The baboons -- which included two males, two females, and an infant -- were set free in the heaviest forest approximately six kilometers from the main compound. Unfortunately, a young female nicknamed "Nunka" (smelly) chose to return and is now the only baboon residing at Chimfunshi..
"ENVIROMUSIK" PLAYS FOR CHIMFUNSHI
American recording artist J.P. Taylor, whose folk-fusion songs inspired the "Enviromusik" genre, has donated 20 CDs to Chimfunshi's membership drive. Taylor gave 10 copies of his latest CD, "Singin' for the Earth," and promised 10 more of his next CD, which will be released in November. An elementary school teacher from Florida who began writing songs as a way to help his students understand concepts such as conservation and the environment, Taylor credits pioneers such as Jane Goodall and Jacques Cousteau as his biggest influences. For more information, please contact J.P. Taylor's website.
IFAW GRANT BUYS CHIMFUNSHI TRUCK
A generous grant from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has been used to purchase a badly needed truck for the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. The grant, which was organized by IFAW's South African representative, Sarah Scarth, was applied to the purchase of a Toyota 4 x 4 Landcruiser, which will be used to shuttle supplies, staff, and chimps between the main compound and the new enclosures. For more information, please contact IFAW's website.
GREAT APE CONSERVATION ACT GETS NOD
The Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 legislation has been unanimously approved for debate on the floor of the United States Senate. If passed and signed into law, the act would provide USD $5 million / R30 million per year for conservation programs designed to protect our closest relatives -- gorillas, chimps, and orangutans. The legislation, which was first introduced by Senator Jim Jeffords (R-VT) last year, has received backing from Jane Goodall and groups such as the Humane Society for the United States, the Doris Day Animal League, and The Fund for Animals, and was unanimously approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in July. To urge your senator to support the bill, write to the U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510, USA, or contact the U.S. Senate on-line..
APES IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION
The world's great apes will be extinct within 20 years without urgent action to reduce the impact of the bushmeat trade, according to a recent article in The Times of London. The announcement was made by a coalition of 34 leading primate experts, who called for international measures to guarantee the long-term survival of of chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. The article also revealed that the fluorishing "bushmeat" business earns over USD $1.2 billion / R7.2 billion per year, and is described by Scotland Yard as a "growing problem." Said chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall: "If the international community does not respond vigorously and comprehensively to the crisis, most endangered medium and large sized mammals and many endangered birds and reptiles will be extinct within the next 10 to 20 years.".
GREAT APE PROJECT SEEKS U.S. CENSUS HELP
The Great Ape Project (GAP), a group working to raise legal and moral status of chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos, is now conducting a census of these apes in the United States. Patterned on the US Census Bureau's recent human census, GAP's project in the US is being undertaken because all of the great apes, human and nonhuman alike, are intelligent, live in complex societies, can suffer mentally as well as physically, and should be counted as individuals. All thus deserve formal recognition through a census. Further, many nonhuman great apes are currently subjected to unacceptable living conditions which need to be challenged. For more information on how to assist, please e-mail Sarah Whitman, Census 2001 Campaign Director, or visit the GAP website.
REFUGEES THREATEN CHIMPS IN UGANDA
Hungry refugees fleeing the ongoing civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo are threatening to literally devour the wild chimpanzee population in western Uganda. Wilhelm Moeller, a consultant with the Uganda Wildlife Education Center, said the Congolese practice of eating apes has spread to Uganda with the refugees, threatening the estimated 3,000 wild chimps left in western Uganda. Many of the refugee camps are close to wild chimpanzee habitats, and the incidents of refugees arrested while poaching apes is on the rise. Said Uganda's Tourism Minister, Moses Ali: "This is very serious. We are investigating these new threats."
MAGGIE BECOMES A MOTHER
Maggie, a female who arrived at Chimfunshi from Rwanda along with George, Misha and Georgette in 1991, gave birth to her first infant on July 14. The baby, a female, was named "Miracle," in keeping with Chimfunshi's tradition of giving offspring names that start with the same letter as their mother's. Unfortunately, Maggie did not display good maternal instincts, and Miracle was taken away after approximately a week, to be hand-reared by Sheila and David Siddle in their home. The 17th infant born at Chimfunshi, Miracle will be introduced to other babies in Chimfunshi's nursery when she is older and stronger.
BANGUI CHIMPS SETTLING IN
Despite an exhausting trek that covered four countries in three days, the two male chimps rescued from desperate situations in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui last month are adapting quickly to life at Chimfunshi. Bobby and Nick (whose name was changed from "Noel," since there is already a Noel at Chimfunshi) were initially kept in separate cages, but Chimfunshi co-founder Sheila Siddle decided to place them in the same enclosure after just a day-and-a-half, prompting wild hugs and cries of delight from the two chimps. Siddle said Bobby (8 1/2 years) and Nick (7 years) are friendly, although years of malnourishment makes both grow impatient at mealtimes. "Feeding them is such a pleasure," Siddle said.
U.S. SPACE CHIMPS FINALLY FIND A HOME
The Center for Captive Chimpanzee Care officially broke ground on August 17 for its sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida (USA), bringing 21 chimpanzees that were bred for the United States space program closer to a permanent home. The first stage of the USD $1.4 million (R 8.4 million) construction will cover six acres of the Center's 150-acre complex, and will include housing units that allow the chimps to cross over bridges onto an island. A research centre will also be built. Dr. Carole Noon, who conducted several studies on the chimps at Chimfunshi, is the director of the Centre and said she hopes to one day accomodate as many as 200 chimpanzees. Said Noon: "The idea is to let them be chimps again." For more information, contact the Center for Captive Chimpanzee Care's website.
SPANISH CHIMPS LEARN TO MAKE TASTIER FOOD
A toothless chimpanzee at the Madrid zoo in Spain has given her companions a taste for turning fruit and vegetables into purees that could be a scientific first, according to Reuters. The female chimp, Linda, had her teeth removed by a beach resort photographer to stop her from biting tourists. But after moving to the Madrid zoo in 1992, Linda began mashing up her food, leading most of her companions to rub their apples, carrots, lemons and oranges on a sharp corner in their enclosure to make a puree, then licking up the pulp. This is the first known evidence of chimps "altering" their food, as humans do.
JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE LANDS MILLION DOLLAR GRANT
Telecommunications pioneer Craig O. McCaw of the United States has donated USD $1 million (R6 million) in support of the endowment for the Jane Goodall Institute, the second million-dollar gift received by the institute in recent weeks. McCaw's donation, made on behalf of the Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation, continues his tradition of supporting environemental causes throughout the world. Said Dr. Goodall: "Craig's generousity will go a long way toward helping JGI make the world a better place for all living chimps. His gift bolsters my confidence that JGI will realize the goals of its endowment." For more information, contact the JGI website.
CHIMFUNSHI PALS NAB AGFA HONORS
Longtime Chimfunshi photographer Martin Harvey and the SABC television program, 50/50, were big winners at the recent 2000 Agfa Wildlife and Environmental Photography Awards. Harvey, whose photos of Chimfunshi chimps have graced books and magazines for years, nabbed three awards -- including first place in the Insect category -- while 50/50 received the 2000 Agfa Environmental Award for its devotion to nature and conservation issues. For more information --and a peek at the winners -- contact Agfa award website.
CHIMPS INHERIT FORTUNE IN DENMARK
A Danish woman who died without heirs has left her entire inheritance of USD $60,000 (R360,000) to the six chimpanzees at the Copenhagen zoo, according to Agence Presse France (AFP). The woman had regularly visited the zoo's chimp enclosure with her terminally-ill daughter, and believed the zoo could best use the money. Zoo officials have yet to decide what to do with the donation, but are reportedly considering building a more luxurious enclosure for the chimps.
NEW ZEALAND CHIMPS HAPPILY WORK FOR FOOD
Chimpanzees at the Wellington Zoo are more active, more assertive and generally healthier as a result of an experimental "habitat enrichment" program initiated recently by zookeepers, according to the New Zealand Herald. Food dispensers placed inside the chimps' enclosure can only be activated by fashioning simple tools from sticks and twigs, which the chimps are given each day. Nesting behavior will be encouraged next, along with plans to promote socialization, much as chimps experience in the wild. The program is part of a study by masters student Melanie Vivian of Waikato University, who said all zoos would benefit from such a scheme. "A lot of zoos work on preserving genetic diversity," she said. "But we think we've got to preserve natural behavior. If there is not natural behavior...then you're not preserving a species in its true form."
CHIMFUNSHI, WSPA TEAM UP TO SAVE BANGUI CHIMPS
Noel and Bobby, two young male chimpanzees, arrived at Chimfunshi on August 10 after being rescued from deplorable living conditions in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui. The chimps were transported out of Bangui by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), which negotiated for their release, then accompanied the apes on a three-day trek across Central and Eastern Africa. The chimps are Chimfunshi's 75th and 76th residents. Noel, who is 8 1/2 years of age, was being kept alone in a filthy cage at the Bazoubangui Zoo in Bangui. All the other chimps had died recently at the zoo -- including a male believed to be almost 40 years old -- and it was feared Noel would not survive much longer. Bobby, who is 7, was found chained outside of a restaurant in Bangui as a tourist attraction. The chimps were freed only after several months of negotiations involving United States diplomats, CAR government officials, and animal welfare experts from Kenya, Zambia, South Africa and Uganda. For more information, contact WSPA.
CHIMFUNSHI-USA APPEARS AT KINSHIP CONFERENCE
Chimfunshi-USA's efforts to tap the American market began with the inaugural Kinship With All Life conference, a three-day animal welfare seminar July 8-10 in San Francisco. Organized to bring together top animal and environmental experts, the conference was sponsored by the San Francisco SPCA and included a large exhibition area where Chimfunshi-USA, among others, set up shop. Friends of Chimfunshi member Karla Boyd manned a booth that sold Chimfunshi merchandise, recuited new members, and distributed brochures, and a television played videotapes of the Chimfunshi chimps.
U.S. CONGRESS PASSES GREAT APE LEGISLATION
The United States Congress voted unanimously on July 27 to pass The Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000, a landmark bill that would provide $5 million annually towards the conservation and protection of great apes in Asia and Africa. The measure, which was championed by the U.S. Humane Society, received widespread international support -- including Congressional testimony by Jane Goodall -- and now heads to the U.S. Senate, where Senator Jim Jeffords' companion bill (S.1007) is advancing. Said Wayne Pacelle, senior vice president for U.S. Communications and Government Affairs: "This legislation provides vital funding for measures that will help ensure that current great ape populations are not further diminished as a result of poaching or habitat destruction." To demand support of the bill, either write your U.S. Senator at the U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510, USA, or contact the U.S. Senate on-line.
JAPANESE CHIMPS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE
More than 100 chimpanzees living in a sanctuary run by a Japanese pharmaceutical company are in danger of being uprooted as their maintenance has become a financial burden on the company. The chimps, some of which were once used to develop the hepatitis B vaccine, are costing the Nagoya-based Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Company approximately USD $2.5 million (R15 million) each year. The Primate Society of Japan plans to ask the government to nationalize the park, but the government -- which imported some of the chimps from Africa in 1975, appears reluctant to get involved.
CONTROVERSIAL U.S. GRANT ANGERS CHIMP EXPERTS
The James S. McDonnell Foundation's decision to award a USD $1 million (R6 million) grant for a chimpanzee cross-fostering program has enraged primate and animal welfare experts. Daniel Povinelli, a researcher at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the U.S., plans to study the differences between the reasoning methods of humans and chimps by placing eight baby chimps in human foster homes (a process called "cross-fostering"), then removing them once they have bonded and installing them in research facilities. Povinelli's belief that such disorientation will approximate mental disabilities in humans has been dismissed as absurd by chimp experts, who contend that the apes will needlessly suffer. To protest this grant program, contact Susan Fitzpatrick, PhD, The McDonnell Foundation, 1034 South Brentwood Blvd., Suite 1850, St. Louis, MO 63117, USA, or lodge your complaint by e-mail.
DR. JANE GOODALL BEGINS INT'L TOUR IN CHICAGO
Famed primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall will embark upon an international lecture tour with a five-day stop at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago beginning Aug. 23. Goodall, whose tour, "Gombe at 40: A Reason for Hope," is drawn from her lengthy study of chimpanzees in Tanzania, will take part in a seminar to discuss field research on large-brained animals, and will also speak on primate conservation. A display of Goodall's research will also be on view until Sept. 4. For more information, contact the museum at 1-773-549-0606.
GABON ENDS LOGGING IN APE AREA
In a ground-breaking agreement between timber companies and conservation organizations, the Government of Gabon has agreed to end logging in the 1,900-square-mile Lope Reserve, home to the highest density of large mammals ever recorded in a rain forest. The Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) brokered the deal, which will halt the devastating logging operations that caused wild chimpanzees societies in the Lope Reserve to engage in violent turf wars less than a decade ago. The Gabonese government is now considering turning Lope into a national park, provided funding can be found. Said Dr. Lee White, a WCS ecologist: "The challenge now is to continue the momentum and good will to include other protected areas in Gabon." For more information, contact the WCS.
CHIMP ELECTROCUTED AFTER ESCAPING FROM DALLAS ZOO
Judy, an 11-year old female chimpanzee, died from electrocution on July 24, shortly after escaping from her new enclosure at the Dallas Zoo. Acquired just one month earlier, the chimp escaped from her cage and reportedly attacked a keeper, then left the zoo property and climbed a telephone pole in a nearby neighborhood. A zoo veterinarian fired a tranquilizer at the animal, causing her to fall from the pole. As she fell, the chimp grabbed a power line and was electrocuted. Said zoo spokesman Chuck Siegel: "This is a very tragic circumstance. It's a very sad time for all of the zoo employees."
FLU CLAIMS TWO CHIMPS
A severe influenza that affected numerous chimpanzees at Chimfunshi in June ultimately caused the death of two. Cora, a 16-year old female who arrived at Chimfunshi in 1986, died after a prolonged battle with the virus, as did Benjamin, an infant that was born to Big Jane this past April. Cora joined Chimfunshi after being kept as a garage attraction, but never seemed to get over the nerves and insecurity caused by her trauma. She gave birth to Connie in 1996, who remains happy and healthy, and is being cared for by other females in the group. Benjamin, meanwhile, was the second offspring of Big Jane, whose daughter, Bijoux, will turn 10 years old this month. Both chimps will be greatly missed.
CHIMP CRISIS PAGE DEBUTS ON WEBSITE
Chimfunshi's ongoing battle to reduce the suffering of chimpanzees around the world goes high-tech this month with the addition of a "Chimp Crisis" page on the website. Up-to-date information, photographs, and contacts concerning chimps being kept in sub-standard conditions can be found on the page, along with links to organizations such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) that are helping Chimfunshi in this fight. Among the featured chimps are Ola, the famous Swedish TV chimp being kept in a zoo in Thailand, and the chimps suffering at run-down zoos in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Have a look and make a difference!
CHIMFUNSHI PHOTOGRAPHER FEATURED ON CD-ROM
Noted South African photographer Martin Harvey, whose photos of Chimfunshi chimps have graced books and magazine covers for years, is featured in an inter-active CD-Rom called "African Wildlife Collection." Offered by the Wildlife Pics website, the CD-Rom is priced at R125.00 (USD $22) and can be ordered on-line. The disc also includes sound bytes of animals, screen savers, and video footage of the Okavango Delta. See for yourself at Wildlife Pics.
CHIMFUNSHI SECRETARY PASSES AWAY
Maggie Kotola, a long-standing friend of Chimfunshi who served as the sanctuary's secretary, died on June 22, 2000, after a lengthy illness. Ms. Kotola was a vital link in the communication chain between the Orphanage and the outside world, working from the Wallcrete office in nearby Chingola. She was a great lady and her cheerful disposition will be greatly missed by us all. The Friends of Chimfunshi wish to extend our condolences to her family, who are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
GERMAN BIKERS RALLY 'ROUND CHIMPS
The annual Louis Summer Bike Party held on July 1 in Hamburg, Germany, raised an incredible DM 8,000 (USD $4,000 / R24,000) on behalf of the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. Organized by Chimfunshi trustee Stephan Louis, the party raffled off merchandise donated by bike suppliers and sold a whopping 8,000 lottery tickets. Mr. Louis' efforts deserve a heartfelt "danke schön!"
CHIMFUNSHI RATES BBC COVERAGE
The two 500-acre enclosures opened by Chimfunshi in April rated coverage in the July issue of "BBC Wildlife" magazine. The article, entitled "Great Day for the Apes," includes a photograph of Barbie as an infant taken by South African photographer Martin Harvey.For more information on BBC's wildlife coverage, contact the British Broadcasting Corporation's website.
ZOO LEGEND JOHN ASPINALL DIES AFTER LONG ILLNESS
Friends of Chimfunshi member John Aspinall, one of the most widely revered animal experts in the world, died on June 29, 2000, in Great Britain after a long bout with cancer. Mr. Aspinall, 74, was the founder of two of the United Kingdom's leading zoos -- Howlett's Zoo and the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park -- and helped pioneer the field of captive gorilla care. He also introduced millions of Britons to wildlife through his books and television programs. For more information, contact the Howlett's website.
"50/50" TV SHOW RETURNS TO OLD TIME SLOT
The South African Broadcasting Company's popular environment program, "50/50," will return to its old time slot at 7:30 p.m. as of Sunday, June 25, after a prolonged public outcry. "50/50," which has featured Chimfunshi and its chimps on numerous occasions over the past decade, was rescued from a much later -- and less popular -- time slot after angry viewers protested, signing an on-line petition from as far away as Antartica. The recall, which was organized by the WildNet Africa website, included objections from schoolchildren and residents of old-age homes and eventually forced the SABC to re-think its time-switch. Said WildNet managing director Dr. Andrew McKenzie: "Thank goodness, it seems as if some sanity has prevailed."
MOST SIERRA LEONE SANCTUARY CHIMPS SURVIVE MENINGITIS THREAT
A deadly outbreak of meningitis has been eliminated from the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, but not before three chimps died from the disease. Emergency relief provided by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and U.S. primate veterinarian Dr. Jim Mahoney managed to protect 28 of the sanctuary's chimps, but three infants died shortly after contracting the virus in May. Ironically, the outbreak occurred at a time when the Sierra Leone sanctuary was thriving, including plans to open an 8 1/2-acre forest enclosure.
HUMANE SOCIETY LOBBIES U.S. SENATE TO PROTECT LAB CHIMPS
The Humane Society of the United States has called upon the U.S. Senate to pass a bill designed to improve the conditions of laboratory chimps. The Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance and Protection (CHIMP) Act would establish a system of sanctuaries for the chimps who were bred and used for research by government agencies, but are now surplus to the needs of biomedical researchers. The bill, which is sponsored by Senators Robert Smith (R-New Hampshire) and Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), enjoys the support of a broad consortium of animal welfare organizations and activists, including Jane Goodall and the National Anti-Vivisection Society.
CHIMFUNSHI WINS MAJOR UNITED NATIONS AWARD
The Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage's 17-year battle to rescue and rehabilitate chimpanzees has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which named the sanctuary to its Global 500 Roll of Honour for the Year 2000. Chimfunshi co-founders David and Sheila Siddle received the award at a U.N. World Environment Day ceremony on June 4 in Adelaide, Australia, and earned praise from UNEP executive director Klaus Toepfer, who said, "These 'silent heroes' are members of a broad and growing environmental movement that is flourishing around the world...UNEP hopes that others will be inspired by their extraordinary deeds." The Global 500 award was created in 1987 to honor individuals and organizations that seek to protect the environment, and past winners include Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Gerald Durrell, Greenpeace, Sir Edmund Hillary, Jimmy Carter, Jane Goodall, the National Geographic Society, and Prince Bernard of the Netherlands, among others. For more information, check out the UNEP website.
CHIMFUNSHI HONORED BY GREEN TRUST
The Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage recieved a special Natural Resources award at the prestigious Nedbank / Mail & Guardian Green Trust ceremony on June 1 in South Africa. Although Green Trust awards are limited to candidates either within South Africa or bordering nations, Chimfunshi was granted a special commendation in honor of David and Sheila Siddle's long-time commitment to the environment in Zambia. A short Chimfunshi documentary (supplied by the SABC television network) was shown, and the sanctuary received extensive coverage in a Mail & Guardian newspaper supplement on June 3. The Nedbank / Mail & Guardian Green Trust award were created in 1990 to honor those who share "a vision of a clean, healthy, green future," according to the Green Trust credo.
IT'S A BOY FOR BIG JANE!
Big Jane, a 19-year old female who has resided at Chimfunshi since 1989, gave birth to her second baby on April 25, 2000. The male infant, named "Benjamin," joins a family that includes seven-year old Bijoux, and all three live in one of the 500-acre enclosures that were opened in mid-April. Benjamin is the 15th infant born at Chimfunshi since 1991, and appears healthy and strong.
A CHIMP'S 'BEST FRIENDS'
Chimfunshi is the subject of an article in the current issue of "Best Friends" magazine, a glossy periodical published by the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, USA. Entitled, "My Life as a Chimp," the two-page piece is written by American journalist Terri Haag and features photos of several of the infants, including one of Stephan gnawing on a boot. For more information, contact the Best Friends website.
KINSHASA ZOO UPGRADE DOUBTFUL
The Pan African News Agency reported May 15 that an ambitious, three-phase plan to modernize the deplorable Kinshasa Zoological Gardens in the Democratic Republic of Congo is being dismissed by many animal welfare experts as unlikely ever to occur. Bantu wa Tumba, the zoo's interim director, sought to counter the negative publicity heaped upon the zoo in recent months by proposing a scheme to upgrade the zoo's sub-standard facilities. But there is no government money for such an overhaul, and several experts believe Wa Tumba was simply trying to divert attention from the zoo's disastrous decline in animals -- down to just 37 species, compared to 56 in 1990. Groups such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) have lobbied for the zoos's remaining animals to be airlifted to safety, while Chimfunshi has offered to take the chimpanzees, monkeys, and some birds.
CHICAGO APE CONFERENCE RAISES ALARM
A great ape conference held May 12 to 14 in Chicago, USA, revealed that estimates of chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans in the wild are far lower now than they were even a year or two ago. Over 400 experts from 12 nations attended the conference, and agreed that poaching, deforestation and human encroachment have pushed great apes to the brink of extinction. According Conservation International, 10 percent of the world's 608 primate species and subspecies on three continents are critically imperiled. Said John F. Oates, primate expert at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York: "We have a crisis of such immense proportions that I don't believe most people realize how bad it is."
JANE GOODALL LOBBIES U.S. LAWMAKERS
Chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall led a consortium of conservationists to Washington, D.C. on May 18, where they testified before the U.S. Congress in support of legislation banning the so-called "bushmeat" trade. Senator Jim Jeffords (R-Vt.) and Congressmen George Miller (D-Calif.) and Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) have all sponsored proposals to outlaw the illegal ape trade, and Goodall warned that time is growing short. "At the turn of the last century, there were some 2 million wild chimpanzees in Africa," she said. "...Today, at most, an estimated 150,000 chimpanzees remain. And for other primates, the situation is even more alarming."
APES IN COURT?
According to Great Ape Project executive director Paul Waldau, captive apes could soon enjoy legal rights in the U.S. judicial system. A May 14 article in the Sacramento, California (U.S.) Bee newspaper highlights the case of Moe, a 32-year pet chimpanzee in California who bit someone, then won the support of the 650-attorney Legal Defense Fund (LDF). The fund is acting as Moe's guardian ad litem, working to represent his "best interests" in court, much as it would those of a child or a mentally disabled person. Said LDF executive director Joyce Tischler: "Moe is not interested in voting or (freedom from) sexual harassment. Moe has interests that an adult male chimpanzee has."
CHILDREN'S AUTHOR SUPPORTS CHIMFUNSHI
Caroline Arnold, an award-winning author of children's books from the United States, has generously agreed to supply her books at a discount for the library of the new Chimfunshi Education Centre. Titles such as Animals of Africa, Hawk Highway in the Sky, Mealtime for Zoo Animals, and Ostrich, among others, will soon be available to pupils at the Education Centre. Arnold is the author and sometimes illustrator of over 100 titles for all levels of reading, and is considering a chimpanzee book as her next project. For more information, contact Caroline Arnold's website.
CHIMFUNSHI OPENS LARGEST CHIMP ENCLOSURES EVER
The long-awaited transfer of more than 40 chimps into two 500-acre enclosures at Chimfunshi took place from April 14 to 17, marking one of the most profound developments in captive primate history. Now, chimps such as Pal, Spencer, Milla and Chiquito are free to roam through thick forests, fruit groves and open grassland, only returning to the handling facilities each day if they wish to be fed. Aided by a team of veterinarians from the University of Pretoria at Onderstepoort, South Africa, Chimfunshi officials anesthitized each of the chimps, then performed medical exams before shuttling them approximately six kilometers to their new homes. At the new enclosures, the chimps' reactions ranged from curiousity to utter joy. For Complete Coverage - Click Here
CHIMFUNSHI ADDS LOCAL TRUSTEE
Stephen Robinson, a contracting and construction specialist who helped shepherd the 500-acre enclosure projects to completion, was named to Chimfunshi’s Board of Trustees at the mid-April opening. Robinson is a specialist with the Contractual, Commercial and Project Management Services company in Kitwe, Zambia, and is expected to play a vital role as Chimfunshi seeks to expand its commercial operations. Robinson is the ninth member of Chimfunshi’s board, which also includes Sheila Siddle (Zambia), Enoch Kavendale (Zambia), Madeline Gould (Zambia), Richard Watson (United Kingdom), Ingrid Regnell (Sweden), Shirley McGreal (United States), Stephan Louis (Germany) and Doug Cress (United States).
UGANDA SEMINAR SENDS STRONG MESSAGE
Leading primate experts joined together to ask African governments to intervene on behalf of wild chimpanzees before they become extinct, following the 1st Chimpanzee Sanctuary Management Workshop held in Entebbe, Uganda, in late April. Organized to try and bring more cohesion and communication to the primate sanctuary movement, the workshop included representatives of 12 of Africa's 15 chimpanzee sanctuaries, along other experts such as Karl Ammann, winner of the 1999 Chimfunshi Pal Award, and IFAW coordinator Sarah Scarth. Delegates recommended that African governments officially designate forests inhabited by chimpanzees as protected areas, enhance existing forest reserves, provide more money to wildlife authorities, and establish corridors for primate migrations. Statistics released during the workshop show that half a ton of bush meat -- mostly of chimps -- is transported through Cameroon every day, while at least 30 chimpanzees are eaten every day in Congo.
UGANDA CHIMPS ON THE RISE
The orphaned chimpanzee population on Ngamba Island in Lake Victoria is thriving and has risen from 19 to 26 in the last two years, according to official reports. The chimps, re-located to the island in 1998, are cared for under an umbrella agreement between leading conservation agencies, including the Uganda Wildlife Association, IFAW and the Jane Goodall Institute, and can be sustained on the island for 60 years. Ngamba project director Debby Cox said that approximately 250 tourists visit the island monthly.
V.I.P. PRIMATES PASS AWAY
Two famous "talking" apes died recently, refocusing attention on man’s efforts to communicate with his closest relatives. Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee who learned over 300 signs, died at the age of 26 at The Fund for Animals’ Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, U.S.A., while Michael, a lowland gorilla who lived alongside Koko at The Gorilla Foundation sanctuary in California, U.S.A, died at the age of 27. Although the quickest learner of sign language in chimp history, Nim was scheduled to be used in hepatitis experiments when he was rescued by The Fund for Animals in 1983. Michael, meanwhile, never attained Koko’s sign-language fame, but produced colorful paintings (nicknamed "guerrilla art") that raised thousands of dollars for primate care. Both will be sadly missed.
HIGH-PROFILE BUSHMEAT GROUP TACKLES ISSUES, POACHERS
A powerful coalition of over 100 conservation groups and wildlife experts have formed the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force (BCTF), which will seek solutions to the hunting and de-forestation that threaten the world’s primates. Announced by Jane Goodall in an April 8 article in The Washington Post, the BCTF hopes to fashion a "broader global constituency" to counter the bushmeat industry’s devastating effect. For more information -- or to sign an on-line petition -- go to The Bushmeat Project website.
BONOBO CHIMPS FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
According to a recent Reuters report, Bonobo chimpanzees may not last long in the wild due to de-forestation, the bushmeat trade, and the civil wars that have ravaged their central African homelands. Experts believe that less than 2,000 wild Bonobos remain in the Democratic republic of Congo -- down from 100,000 in 1980 -- and the pygmy chimps will not last much longer. Claudine Andre, who operates a Bonobo sanctuary in Kinshasa said, "In a normal year, I would receive one bonobo baby a year. Now I have received five in three months."
UGANDA CHIMPS GET BIRTH-CONTROL IMPLANTS
According to an Associated Press report, the Ugandan Wildlife Society is giving birth control implants to female chimpanzees in two sanctuaries to keep the numbers down. Implanon, the trade name of the Dutch-manufactured implant, is inserted under the skin of the females' forearms when they reach reproductive age, and eight females have already undergone the procedure. The implants, which cost R360 / $60 for a three-year dose, were donated by an anonymous Australian organization.
CHIMPS ON THE MOVE IN RE-LOCATION
Virtually all of Chimfunshi's 70 chimpanzees in residence will get new living quarters as part of the orphanage's massive transfer scheduled to be held
from April 14-17. The largest chimpanzee re-location ever attempted, Chimfunshi officials and veterinarians from the University of Pretoria at Onderstepoort have spent months planning the operation, which will see more than half of the chimps released into two 500-acre areas. The chimpanzees currently residing in the 14-acre enclosure (which includes Chiquito, Mikey, Dura and Tobar, among others) will be re-located to one 500-acre enclosure,
while those in the 7-acre enclosure (such as Charley, Tara, Boo Boo, and Big Jane) will be transferred to the other 500-acre enclosure. The chimps living
in the 5-acre enclosure (including Tina, Zsabu, Violet and Tam Tam) will then be switched next-door to the 14-acre enclosure, while the 12 babies in the
nursery will graduate to the 5-acre site. Finally, a new group of bachelors -- comprised of males unable to co-exist within the established social groups -- will be created to fill the 7-acre enclosure.
COVER BOY THOMPSON GRACES MAGAZINE
The Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage is the subject of a cover story in the latest issue of Travel Africa magazine. A picture of Thompson -- taken by longtime Chimfunshi photographer Martin Harvey -- is featured on the cover, along with pictures inside of the Siddles, Billy the hippo, and, of course, the chimpanzees. Travel Africa is one of the world's leading Africa wildlife and tourism periodicals, and is available at booksellers throughout Africa and Europe. For more information -- and a peek at Thompson -- visit the magazine's website at www.travelafricamag.com.
WEBSITE NABS ANOTHER AWARD
The Chimfunshi website has once again been honored, earning the "Dr. Matrix Award for Science Excellence" from Dr. Matrix' Web World of Science, and is
being featured as a "select site" by the organization as a top student resource (http://scientium.com/drmatrix/award.htm).
According to the Dr. Matrix citation, winners are "distinguished by the quality of their content alone. A flashy Web site will not receive this award if its content lacks interest and integrity. A simple Web site will receive this award if it serves the interests of discovery, mental enrichment and thoughtful enjoyment. This award doesn't go to "cool" sites. It goes to the great sites. It's not a daily or weekly award, but an award based on presence, here and now. It is given in gratitude, with no other request but that you keep doing what you're doing."
The Dr. Matrix award is the second in recent weeks for the Chimfunshi site, which received the "King of the Jungle" award from the George's Jungle webmasters ring in February. Chimfunshi's website, which debuted in August, 1999, was created by Kerry Anderson of Dimension Data in Johannesburg, South Africa, with help from several Friends of Chimfunshi members and has already recorded over 2,000 "hits."
WILD FOUNDATION SINGLES OUT CHIMFUNSHI
The WILD Foundation, an eco-educational organization based in Ojai, California, USA, recently honored Chimfunshi with a $500 grant. The WILD Foundation funds a number of wildlife and conservation initiatives around the world.
CHIMFUNSHI - USA ANNOUNCES BOARD
After the establishment of a permanent U.S. address in Boston, Chimfunshi - USA has named the following officers and board members: President - Doug Cress, Charleston, S.C.; Vice-President - Arlene Brahm, Boston, Mass.; Members - Jim Trecker, Oradell, N.J.; Julie Hart, Longview, Texas; Carol Rosenthal, Santa Monica, Calif.; Sandra Cress, Charleston, S.C. For more information, please contact Chimfunshi - USA, P.O. Box 5873, Boston, Mass., 02114.
KINSHASA CHIMPS REMAIN IN LIMBO
A March 11 Associated Press article on the plight of the 12 chimps languishing at dilapidated Kinshasa Zoological Garden in the Democratic Republic of Congo underscored the need to remove the animals before they die of starvation or disease. The story described "rusting cages (that) are painfully small, with gaping holes in the bare concrete floors. Many pens haven't been cleaned in months." Chimfunshi has offered to take the chimps and is working with animal relief agencies to seek the release of approximately 100 animals left at the zoo, but the DRC government has so far resisted all offers. Conditions at the Kinshasa zoo were first made public by Chimfunshi, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the Bushmeat Project at a joint press conference in November, 1999.
LUBUMBASHI ZOO NO BETTER
Kinshasa is not the only DRC city where chimpanzees are suffering. Four chimps at the Lubumbashi zoo in the southern DRC are also being kept in deplorable conditions, and Chimfunshi officials are trying to win their release as well. Recent reports indicate that the one ofthe chimps, a female named Cora, was injured after zoogoers pelted her with stones, while Rambo, a young male, is so malnourished that he is abnormally small and weak.
CHIMFUNSHI OUT IN FORCE AT IPPL GALA
Chimfunshi was well represented at the International Primate Protection League biennial meeting, held March 26-28 at the IPPL headquarters in Summerville, South Carolina, USA. Along with IPPL chairperson Shirley McGreal, a Chimfunshi trustee, the gala included an update by longtime Chimfunshi member Carol Noon on her sanctuary that is being built in Florida to house the U.S. space chimps, and was attended by Chimfunshi - USA board member Sandra Cress.
BOSTON TV STATION GOES BANANAS FOR CHIMFUNSHI
A television station in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, has become one of the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage's biggest backers, thanks to the efforts of one special employee: FOC member Arlene Brahm. WHDH-TV, Channel 7 an affiliate of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), was the first station to air the Chimfunshi TV advert back in January, and recently purchased over $1,000 worth of Chimfunshi merchandise, in addition to memberships and chimp adoptions. Brahm admits she lobbies fellow employees agressively to get involved, but added, "It's kind of neat, seeing the office filled with Chimfunshi mouse pads and Chimfunshi coffee mugs
CHIMFUNSHI WEBSITE EARNS "JUNGLE" AWARD
The Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage website, which debuted in August, 1999, was recently honored by the George’s Jungle webmasters ring with the "King
of the Jungle" award. The website was cited for its "style, continuity, reliability, ease of use and good solid theme." George’s Jungle is an independent
organization that monitors website content and creativity, paying special attention to sites of an educational nature. The Chimfunshi website, which
was designed by Kerry Anderson of Dimension Data in Johannesburg, South Africa, with input from several Friends of Chimfunshi officials, recently surpassed 1,000 hits since going on-line, can be found at www.chimfunshi.org.za. Check it out!
CHIMFUNSHI EXPANSION REACHES AMERICAN SHORES
The Friends of Chimfunshi recently expanded its operations to America, opening its first headquarters in the United States. Chimfunshi - USA is based in
Boston, Massachusetts, and will handle American memberships, adoptions, merchandise orders and media campaigns, along with coordinating fund-raising efforts in the U.S.
Registered as a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization in the U.S. since 1991, Chimfunshi -USA will shortly announce a board of directors. For more information,
please contact: Chimfunshi- USA, P.O. Box 5873, Boston, MA 02114.
· CHIMFUNSHI TV ADVERT FINDS INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE
The Chimfunshi television advertisement that was unveiled at the Chimposium ‘99 gala in Johannesburg continues to tap new markets around the world.
Already in rotation on U.S. cable networks such as CNN, TNT, Discover and Animal Planet, along with regional U.S. networks in cities such as Boston,
Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., the Chimfunshi spot is expected to debut on SABC’s southern African networks and M-Net in March.
CHIMFUNSHI CHIMPS FINALLY ON THE MOVE
The Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage will embark upon one of the most ambitious chimpanzee transfers in history next month, when about 40 of the
sanctuary’s chimps are relocated to two 500-acre enclosures, easily the largest area ever set aside for ‘captive’ primates. The three-day move -- which is
scheduled to begin on April 14 -- will provide the chimps with thick forests, open grassland and fruit groves in which to live, the closest many will ever
come to living in the wild. The new enclosures lie approximately six kilometers northwest of Chimfunshi’s current site, in the middle of the 13,000-acre
Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust property that was purchased by the Siddles several years ago. Handling facilities, roads, and parking areas
were constructed at the new sites under the direction of project manager Ian Forbes beginning last May, and electric fencing surrounds each
enclosure.
Although the original plans called for a single 2,500-acre enclosure in which all of the chimpanzees would be released, it was decided to parcel out smaller
areas in order to keep established social groups intact and prohibit aggressive males from fighting. Still, these two 500-acre areas are larger than the total acreage of the Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, San Antonio, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas and Denver zoos combined.
JO’BURG ZOO KEEPERS TABBED TO MANAGE CHIMFUNSHI EXPANSION
Ian and Katherine Visser, a husband-wife team who managed a wide variety of species at the Johannesburg Zoo, have been hired as the first permanent
keepers in Chimfunshi history. The Vissers, South African natives who spent their honeymoon at Chimfunshi, recently received work permits from the Zambian government and are expected to join the Chimfunshi staff by March . They will help oversee the massive chimpanzee transfer scheduled for mid-April. Ian Visser became widely known for accompanying Zsabu and Violet to Chimfunshi from the Johannesburg Zoo in 1992, an event that was covered by SABC’s 50/50 news team, and he was a featured speaker at the 1998 Friends of Chimfunshi annual general meeting. He is also a member of the South African Police Department’s Endangered Species Protection Unit (ESPU).
WORLD-WIDE WEB EXTENDS CHIMFUNSHI REACH
Seeking to broaden its worldwide membership, the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage has joined two on-line charity databases that will allow the sanctuary to access its larges audience to date. Chimfunshi is now registered with Charitygift and GuideStar, two non-profit databases that collectively feature over 1.2 million charities registered in the United States. Chimfunshi is eligible thanks to the 501 (c) 3 non-profit status it has enjoyed in the U.S. since 1991. Both sites feature information, pictures and logos of Chimfunshi and the Friends of Chimfunshi, and include links to the Chimfunshi website. In addition, donors will be able to contribute to Chimfunshi by using credit cards for the first time. For more info, contact either Charitygift (www.charitygift.com) or GuideStar (www.guidestar.org) on the world wide web.
CHIMFUNSHI MEMBERSHIP ON THE GROW
The Friends of Chimfunshi continues to grow rapidly, and now counts over 480 members around the world. Even more impressive is the Chimp Adoption Scheme, which has registered 110 adoptions since it was begun in 1998 -- including a whopping 56 adoptions in 1999!
BUDDY IS 72ND CHIMFUNSHI CHIMP
Buddy, a three-year old infant chimpanzee who was rescued from circus in New Zealand, arrived safely at Chimfunshi on December 15 after more than 2 years of protracted negotiations. Orphaned following the death of his mother, Lola, earlier this year, Buddy becomes the sanctuary’s 72nd chimpanzee. Officials from Chimfunshi and Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE) attempted for the past 24 months to win the release of Buddy, Lola and Lola’s 10-year old son, Sonny. But circus officials -- after initially refusing to let any of the three go -- agreed to part with Buddy only after his mother died, and continue to turn down all requests for Sonny. Buddy, meanwhile, has been moved into an enclosure with Buffy -- a female who arrived in September -- and appears to be adapting well.
YOU CAN COUNT ON CHIMPS
A female chimpanzee at Kyoto University in Japan has shown she can remember the correct sequence of five random numbers - an experiment that adds to the growing body of evidence that animals have some basic numerical ability.
According to researchers, the chimp, named Ai, performed about as well as an average pre-school child. Ai succeeded better than 90 percent of the time in identifying four numbers in the proper order, and was successful about 65 percent of the time with five items, far better than chance in each case.
COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF CHIMP
According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a British court found Mary Chipperfield, the matriarch of Ringling’s Chipperfield circus brothers, guilty of 12 counts of cruelty for beating a baby chimpanzee with a riding crop. Chipperfield said the chimpanzee, Trudy, refused to go to bed and that hitting animals did them no harm. Chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall testified that Trudy’s life was "barren, sterile and cruel."
BELLA PASSES AWAY
Chimfunshi lost a dear friend recently when Bella, a 17-year old female, died of unknown causes. An established member of the 7-acre group, she arrived at Chimfunshi in 1984 and was a friendly, sociable chimp. Bella gave birth to a stillborn infant in 1991, but her second, Brenda, was born in 1995 and has since been adopted by other females in the group.
CAMEROON SANCTUARY UP AND RUNNING
The Friends of Chimfunshi wishes to congratulate Sheri Speede, a veterinarian from Portland, Oregon, USA, who recently rescued three chimps held in deplorable conditions at a beachfront hotel in Cameroon. Funded by the International Primate Protection League (IPPL) and In Defense of Animals, Speede helped found a primate rehabilitation center in Cameroon, giving three chimps -- Jacky, Becky and Pepe -- a new lease on life.
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