Conserving Senegal's Chimpanzees through Education

In case you have not noticed, we increased our funding goal for this project, and I wanted to thank you for all your generosity in helping successfully raise funds that help conserve chimpanzees in Senegal and also contribute to the education and wellbeing of people that live alongside the Fongoli chimps.

I thought I would provide you access to something I recently wrote about someone in Fongoli that really was instrumental to the success of the chimpanzee research project and to the success of Neighbor Ape activities. This summer we lost Mboule Camara, the first field assistant at Fongoli, chief of our small village and native Fongolian. I wrote a personal account of some of my relationship with Mboule and what he meant to the Fongoli project, and I hope you'll read it here:

http://savannachimp.blogspot.com/

In reflecting on Mboule's life as I knew it, I felt as if it were also appropriate to write something about him and the kind of person he was in an update to this project. Mboule exemplifies the friendly and generous nature of almost everyone I have met in rural southeastern Senegal. I could truly not do what I do in terms of chimpanzee research without their aid, and the projects that Neighbor Ape has been able to do in the area in part helps repay such kindness but also is impossible without a community effort. Our relationship also goes such a long way to conserve the biodiversity of the area, and I believe that we have had a good impact on the welfare of girls' education as well.

Thank you again for your generosity!

A new school year has started again in Senegal, and Neighbor Ape is supporting several school children in Kedougou and two young women in business school in Dakar.

Since the village of Djendji still has school supplies in hands from our gifts of previous years, we are focusing our efforts on making plans to build and help initially stock a pharmacy there - more info on that coming within the next few months!

Perhaps the biggest news item is that orphan chimpanzee Toto has finally been sent to his new sanctuary home at the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre in Guinea. I'm including a photo of Toto in his travel cage - the first time he's had to be in a cage, but he adjusted well and is out of it now. We have word he is acclimating well and should get photos soon! One of his "Dads", Dondo Kante, will be there with him awhile, helping him adjust.

Neighbor Ape was also able to donate one third of the funds needed to build new enclosures for Toto and his new group, while Friends of Animals provided the rest. We also financed half of his moving costs and wages for a new caretaker at the CCC for several months. We are especially grateful to Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee project personnel, D. Kante, J. Keita and M. Sadiahko for taking care of Toto while juggling their usual duties, especially over the last year when Neighbor Ape took over all financing responsibilities for Toto.  A new donor provided a large portion of the funds that were used to build new structures for Toto and his new family, as well.

Neighbor Ape will continue to support Toto via gifts to the CCC, even after his human Dad returns. You can also find info on the CCC Facebook page if you want to sponsor Toto directly via their fundraising page.

In other news, artisanal and corporate gold mining is still a big threat to chimpanzees in Senegal, but we are collaborating with other stakeholders in Senegal to come up with solutions. We can hopefully share some of those plans here over the course of the next year!

Thank you for your generous support from Neighbor Ape, the people of the Fongoli and Kedougou communities, the Fongoli chimpanzees and orphan Toto!