MONROVIA, Liberia ― Some of the world’s most respected primate veterinarians gathered in Liberia to help animal charity Humane World for Animals temporarily relocate a group of former laboratory chimpanzees so that their unique island sanctuary home can get an upgrade. The primate experts from Liberia, Uganda, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States helped the charity sedate and transport the first six of 61 chimps in what will be a multi-year upgrade project. The six chimps―Bean, Kowura, Hannie, Denyon, Will and Goofie―have been temporarily moved to a new, purpose-built chimp villa on the mainland while construction begins on their island to build a new structure for health check-ups and extreme weather sheltering. The chimps will be moved back to their island once the upgrade is completed later this year.
Humane World for Animals―formerly called Humane Society International―cares for 61 chimpanzees at its Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge in Liberia, most of whom were once subjected to decades of invasive experiments at a research laboratory in the country. The chimps live a near-wild forest existence in small groups split across six estuary islands, where the sanctuary’s dedicated caregivers visit them twice a day to provide food and fresh water. The charity is now embarking on the ambitious project to upgrade their island homes so for the safety of both the chimps and construction workers, the primates had to be moved off the island during the building works.
Dr. Richard Ssuna, Humane World for Animals’ veterinarian and director of Second Chance, said: “This was a huge operation involving more than a year of careful planning. On the morning of the successful big move, we gave the chimps a sedative in their mango treat and then tranquilized them once they were sleepy so that we could load them into crates. With our care team monitoring them every step of the way, we took them by boat across the river and by truck to their new temporary chimp villa where they are all settling in nicely. The new structure we’re building on their island home will make veterinary care and check-ups far easier.
“Most of these chimps endured years of invasive research from which they still have health repercussions and many of them are now quite old so they require daily health checks, medication and sometimes more hands-on medical examination. The new structure will allow us to provide such care directly on their island with as little disruption as possible, which is the best outcome for these very special apes.”
Humane World for Animals’ own veterinarians in Liberia, Dr. Ssuna and Dr. Chikondi Koana, were joined by experts including world-leading wildlife surgeon Dr. Romain Pizzi from the United Kingdom, Dr. Nathan Mweru, wildlife veterinarian from Uganda, and primatologist Stany Nyandwi from South Africa. Staff from Humane World for Animals’ Black Beauty Ranch sanctuary in Texas, U.S. also joined the project. \
Ben Johnson, senior animal caregiver at Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge, is one of a handful of sanctuary staff who originally cared for the chimps when they were at the laboratory in the 1980s and has stayed with them ever since.
Johnson reflected: “I have known most of these chimps for their whole lives so this was a special day for me personally and professionally. I am so happy we were able to move them safely for the upgrade but I am even more excited for when we can return them back to their island home. They have been through so much hardship in their lives, it feels like a privilege every day that we get the chance to put that right by letting them live free and wild at this very special sanctuary.”
Wildlife surgeon Dr. Romain Pizzi, who joined the team from the U.K., said: “Safely anaesthetising a single chimpanzee can be challenging enough, even in the best of zoos. Anaesthetising a whole group of chimpanzees essentially living wild on an island with dense forest vegetation, while working from boats, is a whole different level of challenge. Many months of hard work by the fantastic Humane World for Animals Liberia care team really paid off on the day. The chimps calmly accepted their treats with a secret dose of sedative inside, and remained near the shore peacefully grooming and foraging while they all fell into a deep sedation. We were able to give them a brief health check on the island before transporting them safely to the care facility. I couldn’t have hoped for a smoother, quicker translocation. It was fantastic to be part of such an efficient team.”
Sue Tygielski, senior director at Black Beauty Ranch, said: “Being on the ground with our Liberia team, it was clear to see the trust they have developed with the chimps that allowed them to skilfully, calmly and safely sedate them. I watched in awe as they carefully transferred each heavy and cumbersome crate carrying a sleeping chimpanzee from a rocking boat to dry land. The attention and care they demonstrated for the chimps was impressive. It was a career highlight for me to get the chance to fly all the way from Texas to be a part of this extraordinary project.”
All 61 chimpanzees at the Liberia refuge will eventually benefit from the same renovation on their respective islands, where they roam freely on the large, forest-covered islands and live in social groups that are as close to chimpanzees in the wild as possible. Second Chance is the only sanctuary in Africa to have former laboratory chimps.
Fast facts
Many of the chimps at Second Chance were captured from the wild as infants or purchased from the pet trade before ending up at the laboratory.
There were once more than 400 chimps who were subjected to invasive experiments over a 30-year span at the laboratory.
Many of the chimps perished during the two civil wars in Liberia from 1989 – 1997, many shot and killed by militia.
In the early 2000s, the lab phased out chimpanzee experiments and transferred the remaining chimps to the estuary islands where staff brought them fresh water and food.
In 2015 when the lab withdrew funding to care for the chimps, their caregivers put out an emergency appeal for help. Many animal groups responded; Humane World for Animals provided emergency care and made a life-long commitment to look after the chimps.
Chimpanzees typically live for 50-60 years.
Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge has a team of more than 40 staff who ensure the chimps’ wellbeing and safety.
The chimps receive medication and birth control (for females) via their daily food provided by the staff.
Second Chance provides employment opportunities within the local community, purchases local fresh fruit and vegetables for the chimps’ daily food, and funds local initiatives such as repairs to schools and roads.
Humane World for Animals Liberia supports wildlife protection projects around the sanctuary including protecting the forest ecosystem and its wildlife inhabitants from logging, poaching and destruction for farmland and funding local government agencies to search for bushmeat at highway checkpoints.
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