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» The Limbe Wildlife Centre, Limbe, Cameroon...
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» An African Adventure to Remember

 


As the level of illegal hunting continues to rise, so too does the number of confiscated chimpanzees. This year alone the Centre has rescued four chimpanzees in just six months. Since chimpanzees can live into their 50s, planning is essential. The Centre is now proposing to develop a protected field site where monitored release of the chimpanzees will be possible. This proposed field site will send a strong conservation message to the people of Cameroon: that these animals should, and can, remain in the wild.

This year the Centre’s summer educational workshops were supported by the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund as part of the “Conservation aCross Cultures” project. As part of the program, Cameroonian students attended a three-day educational workshop highlighting the bushmeat crisis in West Africa. They also discussed cultural differences and conservation issues with Busch Gardens Adventure Camp students through online instant messaging. Both the Cameroonian students and Adventure Campers created educational posters to share with their family and friends, encouraging them to take an active role in conservation by sharing their knowledge.


 


The Limbe Wildlife Centre, Limbe, Cameroon, West Africa

By Coffy Bennis, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

For years I’ve heard wonderful things about a sanctuary in West Africa – the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon. This past May I had the opportunity to experience firsthand the accomplishments of this wildlife haven.

A result of a partnership between the Pandrillus Foundation and the Government of Cameroon, the Limbe Wildlife Centre excels in both animal care and conservation education. During the past decade, West Africa’s wildlife population has been hit hard by the illegal bushmeat trade. Due to this increase in illegal hunting, sanctuaries all over Africa are dealing with an influx of “bushmeat orphans” – young animals who have lost their mothers to illegal hunting and who are in need of lifelong care.

Bushmeat orphans who are confiscated and brought to the Centre are the fortunate ones, rescued from a grim fate and given a second chance. Eve, a 1-year-old female chimpanzee who arrived at the Centre on New Year’s Eve of last year, is one example. Young chimpanzees like Eve require constant care and physical contact, both of which she receives from staff and volunteers. Soon Eve will join several chimpanzees in the nursery enclosure where she will socialize with other young chimps.