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Suena and Poplap - the 2 subadult chimps that were seized in January after being found in filthy conditions in Goma withi nsufficient food and water - are thriving in their new surroundings at the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre near Bukavu.

Suena & Poplap are now inseparable - a truly joyous friendship has developed

Suena & Poplap were moved to Lwiro back in April, after a massive effort by
the Gorilla Doctors, ICCN and others to get these chimps to a better
place after they were abandoned by their keepers along with 3 other chimps
and 2 monkeys. I was in Lwiro on Tuesday this week - and was just amazed to
see how changed both chimps were.

Suena & Poplap try to figure out how to get food out of the firehose!

When I had first seen Suena and Poplap in the filth in Goma, they were
withdrawn, afraid, malnourished and dehydrated. It is remarkable what can
happen when animals have the proper care and company that they crave. Today
they have a zest for life that was unimaginable just 3 months ago.

Close companions

My congratulations to Carmen, Laia, Michel and the team of carers at Lwiro,
who provide sanctuary for over 40 primates, while also working to protect
primates in the wild.

Poplap is a totally different chimp now she has the constant care of a team of dedicated carers at Lwiro

If you would like to read more about Lwiro and donate directly to their
project please go here.

Five endangered chimpanzees and two monkeys, that were dehydrated, malnourished and kept in filthy conditions, have been seized by the Congolese Wildlife Authority in the city of Goma in eastern DR Congo and re-homed in two separate sanctuaries after 3 months of complex legal, political and logistical procedures.

These 2 male chimps - Padda and Athanga - were neglected in Goma, along with 3 other chimps and 2 monkeys.

The Congolese Wildlife Authority was forced to intervene on 1 January 2010 after the animals - kept in a so-called sanctuary in Goma - were at risk. Faustin - whom you all know very well from this blog - started feeding and hydrating the animals 3 times a day. All animals were legally seized on 12 January 2010, as you can see by the Statement of Seizure document below.

Poplap, a subadult female aged about 6 years, was in the worst condition. You could see her ribs, and she just sat in the corner of her cage among the rubbish. The employees of the house, next to which the cages were built, said that they were not given any money to feed the animals.

Suena - a subadult male - was the biggest chimpanzee of the 5. I was told that he had even escaped from his cage last year. He seemed totally bored, and craving physical contact, but everyone (until Dr Magda showed up that is) was too scared to go anywhere near him because apparently he was dangerous.

This Black Mangabey - kept in a cage next to a red-tailed Guenon - was also suffering acutely from malnutrition and dehydration.

Baby chimpanzees are cute, but they are wild animals and they do NOT want to be pets. By the age of 5 chimps are strong, and usually end up living a miserable life inside a cage.

In addition, it is estimated that for each chimpanzee in captivity, 10 have been murdered in the wild.

The Statement of Seizure is the beginning of any legal proceeding, and has to be done by the Congolese Wildlife Authority in all instances of animal seizures, as per the law in DR Congo.

Since 1 January until last week, when Suena and Poplap were finally transferred to a sanctuary near Bukavu (on the other side of Lake Kivu), the situation surrounding the care and pending transportation of these animals has been an ongoing saga. Moving animals - in fact moving anything - in Congo is enormously complicated. We decided, from the outset, that the best place for Athanga, Padda and Bihati was J.A.C.K., the sanctuary in Lubumbashi that has taken confiscated chimps in the past (you all remember Tongo, Mapima and the Kivu Four). After 3 false starts (cancelled flights, chimps unwilling to go into cages - you name it), the 3 chimps finally travelled a month ago, and are doing extremely well under the vigilant care of Franck, Roxane and Faustin (who has gone to help out for a few months).

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This is a video of the transfer of the 3 young ones - the video starts when Bihati has already been darted by Dr Magda, and then you see Faustin and Dr Eddy dealing with Padda and Athanga.This video goes some way to show what it takes from a veterinary perspective to handle this kind of situation.

These animals are now being care for by J.A.C.K. If you would like to donate to the future care of the 3 chimpanzees please go to www.jack.wildlifedirect.org and you can also read more about them settling in here.

This is what Suena did to his cage while in transit - during the 6-hour boat journey to Bukavu. Dr Eddy had to think on his feet, and ICCN was there to meet him off the boat with another cage!

And here are Poplap, and Suena. They had been separated for many months, and could barely even see each other (or another chimp) in Goma. To put it mildy, their life was absolutely miserable. In addition, everyone was scared of Suena, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy - people act scared, so he becomes tetchy and so on. Seeing this photo of the 2 of them, together, is heart-warming. And Carmen, the Spanish vet at Lwiro Sanctuary, says he is a gentle giant. If you would like to donate to their future care please go here.

Of course many people made this happen, and on behalf of ICCN sincere thanks go to:

Gorilla Doctors - TB tests, darting, checking out the strength of the cages, and the list goes on. Thanks Dr Magda and Dr Eddy.

PASA - who has funded the whole operation, which so far is around $15,000, and that does not include the 50 year + commitment to look after the animals.

Eddy - who works with me. Who spent days, literally, making contact with planes that may or may not be going to Lubumbashi. There were planes transporting cigarettes, planes transporting cars, you name it… he kept persevering to get the 3 chimps to J.A.C.K. And then he organized the boat for Suena and Poplap, which was actually a piece of cake in comparison.

Franck & Roxane at J.A.C.K. and Carmen at the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Center (near Bukavu) - who, by agreeing to provide a home for the rescued animals, have made a massive commitment. Many, many thanks.

As you can tell from the content of the blog we have already trained Rangers throughout Virunga National Park in how to shoot video and take photos. It is very important to document this park’s wildlife – not just the gorillas but all the animals. Virunga is arguably the most biodiverse park in Africa, but it is also the most threatened and so its species have suffered enormously from poaching, war and deforestation. That is why we get so excited when we see an increase in animal populations – whether it be the gorillas of Mikeno, the hippos of Ishango, the elephants of Kabaraza or the chimps of Tongo (and I could go on and on!)

So now a camera or Flip video camera form part of the essential field gear of many Rangers. And now we have gone one step further – the Rangers now have better Video equipment and are being trained by Katya in how to shoot the best images of the gorillas. This will then be expanded to other parts of the park.

Every additional step we take toward improving the content of this blog and transmitting better images is very important to us. It is part of the critical step of getting our message to the outside world.

Thanks again for all your support.

As most of you know, last weekend we sent three confiscated chimpanzees to the J.A.C.K Sanctuary in Lumumbashi. A video and pictures of their arrival have been posted on their blog, where you can also donate money towards the chimps’ long-term care.

Katya also filmed the chimps in Goma as they prepared for the long flight- note the skill with which Thierry walks with two chimps in his arms and another attached to his leg!

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The Kivu 3 left this morning. They were up at 4.30am for their milk and nappy changing and in their crates by 5.45am.

This is Thierry trying to get them used to their crates yesterday. You can see we put their name on each crate. Faustin had gone to see his wife and kids seeing as he went to Lubumbashi with the Kivu 3 and will stay for 3 months to give J.A.C.K. a hand.

We got to the airport at 6.30am, Faustin checked in, and then Etaito, Mavivi and Udongo were driven to the foot of the plane on the tarmac. You buy a special permission to do this - but it is obviously a much preferrable option to having to go through regular immigration and customs channels. Even though you are not leaving the country, you still have to show ID and go through the same procedure as if you were leaving DRC.

It is impossible to take pictures in Goma airport (your camera would be grabbed from you by a figure of authority!) - but here are some photos of the run-up to departure.

Mavivi and Udongo yesterday would not leave Thierry’s side. They were stuck to him like glue.

Etaito on the other hand, who you can see in the background, was quite happy to wander around on her own and play.

This is at 6am this morning. We loaded the 3 crates in the back of the truck. Faustin was giving the Kivu 3 bananas through a hole in the side. He also had milk bottles prepared for each one.

And almost at the airport…

Then it was up and up and away (after some paperwork!). Thanks again to PASA for paying for all of this. And now over to Franck and Roxanne at J.A.C.K… Remember that if you would like to support their brave efforts you can donate directly on their website.

And just as a footnote, there really is a lot to looking after these chimps that have been rescued and legally seized by ICCN. It is not just the day-to-day care and finding the funds to keep the operation going. It is also the lobbying to raise awareness that it is illegal in the DRC to traffick and buy chimps. The decimation in the wild of entire families of chimps has to be stopped if we no longer want to see these baby chimps abused and mistreated. The Kivu 3 - and the others at J.A.C.K. - are the lucky ones. Many end up like Maiko.

The Kivu 3 are doing well - Mavivi and Udongo have colds but are gradually recovering. Etaito now seems to be the stronger of the 3 - but Mavivi will probaby go back to being boss when she feels better.

I took these photos yesterday. They were all sitting on top of Faustin while Thierry was preparing some food for them. Udongo kept hitting Mavivi, provoking huge screams and hystionics from her!

Mavivi feeling the effects of a cold

Etaito is fighting fit - and stuck to Faustin. It was raining which is why they were all under the porch and not in the grass.

Udongo and Mavivi - a moment of peace for Faustin.

I will keep you posted. Keeping all fingers and toes crossed for a smooth flight on Saturday. I have all the papers ready - about 5 documents per chimp signed by the various authorities. Franck at JACK has coordinated all the plane tickets. I just need to make sure Faustin, Udongo, Mavivi and Etaito get on that plane on Saturday…

This video was shot before Maiko died (the morning of), as you can see there is a brief image of him. The autopsy has been done and the samples taken and the vets hope to get the results as soon as possible.

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Maiko died today. Not long after I posted this morning, at 11am local time. Dr Eddy and Faustin were doing their best and had managed to get his temperature back up from 33 degrees to 35.6 degrees but the anemia, dehydration and malnutrition were too much for the little guy.

Dr Eddy will now do an autopsy on Maiko - he also took blood samples that will provide an indication of what was wrong.

Earlier today…

It is utterly depressing to think that Maiko’s family was probably decimated in the wild, just so that he could be trafficked. And now he is dead too.  Completely pointless.

Now we need to concentrate on getting the other 3 - Mavivi, Etaito and Udongo - to J.A.C.K. And of course in the longer term the fight against the illegal trade in chimpanzees and other animals has to be tackled with effective law enforcement and education.

We have another chimpanzee situation here in Goma. There are now 4 baby chimps - all under the age of 12 months - who have been legally seized in recent days and weeks by the Congolese Wildlife Authority and must now be sent to the chimp sanctuary in Lubumbashi, J.A.C.K.

Carers Faustin and Thierry with the Kivu Four in Goma

It is an incredibly worrying situation from many perspectives. The 4 orphaned chimps have come from different places in North Kivu province, and their seizure shows that the trafficking of chimps - and the killing of the chimps in the wild that must come with it - is not letting up. It is very difficult to know how widespread the problem is, but since September 08 we have now had 6 chimps coming through Goma - and this is literally just by accident in the sense that we do not have a sanctuary here but are helping out more from a “care in transit” point of view.

This latest operation has been extremely complex because of the logistics involved. We first heard of the chimps last week - I received an email from Franck at JACK and Doug at Pasa, the Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance.

Mavivi - a female - was already in Butembo being kept very well at the offices of DFGFI, but Etaito had to be brought from Huicha (45km away), Udongo from Mutsora (120km away) and poor Maiko from Bafwazende on a motorbike (400km away towards Kisangani) because the roads are so bad. Faustin - the gifted carer that you have all read about before with the chimps Tongo and Mapima - and his colleague Thierry traveled to Butembo on Sunday to take care of the chimps. Then they traveled down in an ICCN car to Goma on Wednesday - over 200km. All in all a pretty grueling trip. And it is not over yet.

Mavivi is the boss of the Kivu Four - she is in excellent health having been cared for by DFGFI for over a month after her seizure. She spends most of the day in a tree looking down on the others, coming down to eat and drink.

Mavivi and Etaito play together - mainly in the plants and trees and on a climbing frame we have built. Etaito is not as confident as Mavivi nor as dominant, but she is in excellent health too and is only being treated for worms.

Next Saturday, fingers crossed, all 4 will be flown directly to Lubumbashi where care will be waiting for them at J.A.C.K.

Udongo had just been confiscated by the park authorities at Mutsora. As you can see he has little hair which is a result of malnutrition, dehyration and worms. The first day he clung to Thierry but now he is playing with the girls. He has an innocent look about him but is actually pretty crafty and will go up and hit Etaito and then run away!

The last chimp is Maiko. He is very very sick. He is dehydrated, malnourished, very thin and full of parasites and worms. We are very worried he may not make it. He was drinking and eating a bit - but now just lies there completely listless and immobile.

So today Doctor Eddy, one of the Gorilla Doctors, is going to take further steps to rehydrate Maiko with a nasal gastric tube. It is very distressing for Faustin and Thierry - but Mavivi, Etaito and Udongo seem to know what is up and keep going up to Maiko to take a look.

All of this of course adds up in terms of cost but PASA has agreed to cover the entirety of the costs, which total about $4,000 including the flights to Lubumbashi. PASA has also agreed to cover the cost of Faustin in Lubumbashi for 3 months as J.A.C.K. simply cannot cope with an influx of 4 more animals. They already have 19 and are badly under-staffed and under-resourced.

If you wish to contribute to the future care of the Kivu Four please donate through J.A.C.K.’s website at www.jack.wildlifedirect.org.

I will let you know how Maiko is doing tomorrow and over the next few days.

Now I realize that the mountain gorilla census is major news and you are all interested in hearing about the daily discoveries up in the Gorilla Sector by Innocent, Diddy and others - but I just wanted to let you all know that Mapima, our baby female chimpanzee who was seized is now at J.A.C.K. with Faustin and the other carers at the sanctuary.

She flew last Tuesday.

We have now confirmed that this is Mapima before she was seized. Faustin was able to compare our Mapima with the photo.

This was Mapima just before she left.

I also took a couple of videos of Mapima, before she headed to her new home in Lubumbashi, all the way down next to the Zambian border. Enjoy!

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If you wish to donate toward the care of Mapima and other chimps at J.A.C.K. please go to their blog.

I would also like to thank Chester Zoo for the £2,000 donation that has been received. In addition ICCN in Kinshasa has pledged $10,000 toward our appeal. So we are making progress.

I will be posting this week regarding expenditure to date using the donations that each and every one of you have so generously given in recent weeks. Thank you for supporting the Rangers during this incredibly difficult time.