Support orphaned and wild Chimpanzees in Uganda

Introduction

Chimpanzee Trust secures funding from various individual donors, foundations and agencies to support chimpanzee conservation efforts in Uganda and globally. In 2020 the Trust joined the GlobalGiving Foundation which helps to gather all the donations and they are remitted monthly to support the operations. This ongoing support has been crucial for the care and welfare of orphaned and rescued chimpanzees on Ngamba Island. Some of the activities undertaken to ensure the best care is given to the Chimpanzees under our care include; the provision of a balanced diet to the chimpanzees, maintaining their health as well and monitoring their behaviours among others.

Chimpanzee Health

Various preventive health measures have been undertaken;

• Monthly multivitamin supplements are given to specific individuals as determined from the previous health check. This is usually for chimpanzees estimated to be over 30 years of age.
• All chimpanzees were dewormed with albendazole quarterly to control helminthiasis in the chimpanzee community.
• Maintaining a good diet for the group, attending to specific needs, deficiencies, and or supplements required for each individual
• All the chimpanzees in July underwent the annual health examinations. 

Feeding at Ngamba Island

The chimpanzees continue to be fed four times a day at 8:00 am, 11:00 am, 2:30 pm, and 6:00 pm with a carefully balanced diet. Due to rising prices, foods like okra and green pepper have been substituted with garden eggs, which are cheaper but offer the same nutritional value.

Dry rations, including maize, millet and soy flours, beans, and soy seed, along with fresh vegetables and fruits, are delivered every 10 days from the mainland using a motorized canoe boat.

The vegetable garden established with support from Children of Conservation has helped reduce expenses on some greens, thereby lowering overall costs. The harvests included lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and cucumbers. To boost garden yields, an irrigation system will be installed, enabling year-round vegetable production.

After the 6:00 pm feeding, which takes place indoors, each chimpanzee is given hay grass for nesting in the hammocks in their sleeping facility. This incentive encourages them to return from the forest, as the forest's limited size cannot support the daily nest-building of each chimpanzee. Providing hay helps mimic the natural behaviour they would exhibit in the wild. 

Daily behavioural research data collection.  

As a daily routine the animal caregivers have consistently observed and monitored chimpanzee behavior daily. They conduct focal observations for ten minutes before feeding times and during the feedings, as well as in the evenings while the chimps wait at the feeding area to return to the holding facility. Over 600 recorded behavioural observation scans have been collected, focusing on behaviours such as grooming, feeding, dominance, social play, aggression, tool use, and abnormal behaviours like coprophagy, rocking, and hair plucking. The data sheet now includes animal interactions, helping the Trust understand how the chimps interact with other animals, insects, and birds during feedings. Through these observations, it has been noted that chimps like Medina, Ruparelia, and Cocoa eat lake flies, chase monitor lizards and mongooses, and hunt birds. Additionally, several researchers have conducted indoor behavioral and cognitive research at the sanctuary. The results of their findings will be shared once the data analysis is complete.