A kind of paradise...

One of our first touristy stops was a place called Chimpanzee Eden. I'd seen in on Carte Blanche (a local TV news programme) and read about it in a magazine. It is one of the most amazing, well-run sanctuaries I've ever seen (not that I've seen all that many). It was a real eye-opener for us and quite sad in many respects, you can't believe how badly some people are prepared to treat animals! I think it's mainly because they're just so human in appearance and because they're so intelligent (as intelligent as a 6-year old child!) that people take advantage of them. Each and every one of the animals at Chimp Eden have been rescued from horrendous situations and they are all thriving in their new home. They have contact with other chimps, they're well fed and are allowed all the outdoor space they should've been given all their lives. Chimp Eden has 3 camps and approximately 30 chimps. They are now allowed to interact with people and only the carers are allowed to supply them with meals, about 5 times a day. As I go through the photos below, I'll give you the background on the chimps (it's all on their website, plus lots more, if you go through the chimp adoption page). Please excuse the faint white lines, these photos were taken through 2 fences, we weren't allowed any closer...

The first two are Marco (5) and Mowgli (3.5). Both these chimps were orphaned by the bush meat trade. ie their mothers were slaughtered and they were sold off as cute pets. Chimps crave body contact and since these two were unable to receive their mother's love, have found comfort in one another. It's nothing sexual, just unsatisfied instinct. It's so sad, they seriously do not let each other go...

Martha (14) was hand reared as a pet by a family in Ghana until she was 4 and then given over to a zoo until she was 14. Although she was never physically abused, she did not integrate with the chimp group and was kept isolated at the zoo. As their website says, she basically grew up in social isolation in a concrete cage. She's quite an aggressive chimp and doesn't like new comers, invariably spitting at them (I know a child like that)...

This is Martha again...

Tamu (1.5) was also orphaned by the bush meat trade in Sudan. He's one of the youngest chimps at Chimp Eden. He's waiting for food here...

This is Charles (25) with one of the youngsters in their camp. Charles was rescued from a prominent South African circus, the Boswell Wilkie Circus (can I say that here?). He was used for entertainment purposes and when he became to large and dangerous, he was locked in a small cage in a dark back room. He was left in isolation and it appears that he's been severely physically abused. He was rescued with another chimp, Jessica, who was kept in a cage alongside Charles. Charles was in a bad mental state, he was severely depressed and malnourished. He had plucked his fur, mainly on his face and arms and because of living in the dark had lost his dark pigment. He did not settle into the adult enclosure at Chimp Eden, but has been moved into the juvenile enclosure and is their alpha male. He gets on well with the young chimps and is adjusting well. Jessica is with him in this camp now...

This one was definitely the cheekiest ape I could I could find all day...

This is Martha with little Lily (2) (Never mind, Wendy, there was one called Suzie too, I just don't have a good photo of her). These two are never far apart and it seems that Lily's adopted Martha as her mother. Lily was also orphaned by the bush meat trade. She was raised as a pet by the poacher who shot her mother and while not physically abused, she was kept in very poor conditions. Her owner tied her to a wooden crate in his garden out in the sun. The rope was too short for Lily to be able to get into the shade. When she was rescued, there was no sign of any water or food...

This is Jessica (25). She has the same life story as Charles. She also has 3 missing fingers, evidence of her abuse. She has gained weight well and has recovered from her past well...

Joao (60-65) is the oldest chimp at Chimp Eden, possibly the oldest in South Africa. He has retired from his position as alpha male in his enclosure and Zac has now taken over from him. Joao arrived in Maputo, Mozambique with a touring circus company when he was 3. They left him behind and he was sent to the zoo. He stayed there for over 30 years and when his companion chimp died after falling ill with an unknown virus, he was put into isolation until his rescue in April 2006. He did not integrate with other adult chimps well and had smoking and drinking addictions that needed to be broken. He was eventually integrated into the young chimp enclosure...

Here's Zac (20) enjoying the sunshine. Chimps don't like cloudy days, I must be more closely related to them then I thought. Zac, along with Guida (a female, who's since died), was kept chained to a tree outside a night club in Luanda. The two chimps were tied with short ropes to separate trees and were not allowed any physical contact with each other. They were fed irregularly and were taught to drink and smoke for patrons entertainment. Zac's condition was so poor on his arrival at Chimp Eden, that their vet didn't think he'd make it...

So human, it's scary...

This is Cozy (11). He's third ranking in his enclosure after Joao and Zac. Cozy was born in America, sold to an Italian & his girlfriend and raised on the road, living out of a caravan like a gypsy. Cozy was dressed up in human clothing and made to pose for photos with tourists. To make him less aggressive, he was castrated (this is apparently something fighting males do to weaken the opposition, so Cozy, although a beautiful, big, strong male chimp, can never become the alpha). His Italian owner died suddenly, the girlfriend got a job in a club and Cozy was left isolated and locked up in a 1.5m x 1.5m cage in the dark. When he first arrived at Chimp Eden, he could hardly walk. Like Zac, he's one of their biggest success stories. And he struts his stuff when there are visitors, standing up on hind legs and banging his chest. He even threw a stick at someone...

Nina (4) was rescued from bush meat hunters by authorities in South Sudan. She was then moved to a zoo and from there onto a safe house. She was rescued with 4 others and moved to Chimp Eden SA...

I have so many photos of these beautiful creatures. I was so moved to be so close to them and to hear of the hard lives they've led. Hats off to Dr Jane Goodall and all the wonderful staff at Chimp Eden for making such a difference in these animal's lives.

Sue x