Protest sending African sanctuary chimps to Chinese zoo

February 6, 2004

Dear IPPL E-Alert List Member:

The Ugandan Wildlife Authority has announced plans to remove several chimpanzees from a wildlife sanctuary and present them as a gift to the Chinese government. The animals would be transferred to the Changsha Zoological Garden, a truly dismal facility. The two chimpanzees already resident at Changsha are single-housed in tiny, cold, featureless concrete cells. Visitors to the zoo can amuse themselves by shouting and throwing things at the animals. Go to http://www.aapn.org/zoopage.html for a glimpse of what could be the Ugandan chimpanzees' new "home."

The animals would reportedly come either from the Ngamba Island Sanctuary (a large, eco-friendly chimp sanctuary in Lake Victoria) or from the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) in Entebbe. The chimps who live in these rescue centers have all been recovered from the illegal trade in bushmeat and orphaned infant "pets." (Go to http://www.ngambaisland.org for information about the chimp island sanctuary; go to http://www.uweczoo.org/bio/chimpanzee.html to learn more about UWEC's "Conservation Through Education" programs.)

Further below are some biographies of chimps residing at UWEC, two or three of whom could be candidates for the transfer to Changsha. It seems to me that all of them have already suffered enough (too much) in this lifetime. IPPL BELIEVES THAT THEY BELONG IN THEIR NATIVE LAND.

HOW TO HELP

Those living in the United States may wish to contact Uganda's Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Edith Grace Ssempala, requesting in a respectful tone that plans to export wild-caught chimpanzees to China be cancelled. Note that all the chimpanzees at Uganda's sanctuaries are national treasures and members of an endangered species and that they and all Uganda's wild animals should live out their lives in peace and dignity.

Postal Address: 5911 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20011
E-mail: ugembassy@aol.com
Embassy web site: http://www.ugandaembassy.com/staff.htm#sempala

Ugandan embassies to many other nations are listed at:
http://uganda.embassyhomepage.com

PROFILES OF CHIMPS AT UWEC

Profile Information: Ruth

Ruth was confiscated with another chimpanzee called Amina, from Entebbe Airport on 6th January 1989. It has been impossible to trace where they both came from and where they were going to, but they were definitely being sent overseas by illegal traders. Ruth was estimated be about 4 years old at the time.

Amina and Ruth have a very close bond, which may be the result of going through a very frightening time together prior to their rescue. However, they settled in well with the rest of the chimpanzees at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC). Ruth gave birth to a baby on 14th October 1998. Unfortunately, she could not produce enough milk, and attempts were made to separate her and the baby, so that the keepers could supplement feed the baby. This was unsuccessful and the baby was put to sleep on 24th October 1998. This was a very stressful time for her.

Profile Information: Matoke

Matoke was confiscated from Kilembe by Ruwenzori National Park officials. It is suspected that he was originally brought to Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was taken to Mweya at the Queen Elizabeth National Park and then transferred to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) on 24th June 2000.

Matoke was in poor condition and infested with lice when he arrived at UWEC and would only eat bananas. This was how he got his name - from the Ugandan word for bananas. Matoke was initially bathed with lice shampoo, but escaped and went missing for 3 days. Keepers finally found him near the gate of the chimp exhibit. The chimps were very curious about him. After a period of special care, Matoke was successfully introduced to the UWEC chimp group in September 2000. He now eats a regular, varied chimpanzee diet and although he is small, always gets a good share of food.

Profile Information: Kigogoro

Kigogoro was found in Kasese in January 1970 and handraised by a Ugandan doctor. She was then taken to Entebbe Zoo on 8th September 1976. When Kigogoro first arrived at the Zoo, she lived in a cage with a concrete floor, next to four other chimps. However, when Entebbe Zoo became the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) in 1994, an exhibit was built for the chimpanzee group and they now live together in a naturalistic setting.

Kigogoro has produced one baby with Zakayo and this infant was given to the government of Korea. [IPPL IS LOOKING INTO THIS ONE; WE WANT TO KNOW WHETHER HE/SHE WAS "REJECTED" AND WHERE IN KOREA HE/SHE ENDED UP.] She is very protective of new and young chimpanzees and is very gentle with them. She does not fight for food and does not like conflict. One of her little fingers is missing, but it is not known for sure how this happened.

Profile Information: Zakayo

Zakayo is the alpha male in the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) chimpanzee group. He was found in June 1972 at Semliki, in the Bundibugyo district of Uganda, and was handraised. Zakayo was then surrendered to Entebbe Zoo on 10 June 1976 as he was becoming difficult for his carer to manage.

When he first arrived at UWEC, he lived in a cage with a concrete floor, next to four other chimps. Visitors would offer him cigarettes and alcohol and tease him, making him very angry. When Entebbe Zoo became the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, an exhibit was built for the chimpanzee group and they now live together in a naturalistic setting. Zakayo has sired seven offspring to date and is very protective and fatherly towards the younger chimps.

Profile Information: Amina & Yankee

Amina was confiscated with another chimpanzee called Ruth, from Entebbe Airport on 6th January 1989. It has been impossible to trace where they came from and where they were going to, but illegal traders were definitely sending them overseas. Amina was estimated to have been about 5 years old at the time.

Amina and Ruth have a very close bond, which may be the result of going through a very frightening time together prior to their rescue. They have settled in well with the rest of the chimpanzees at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.

Amina gave birth to a baby female, Yankee, with Zakayo on 18th July 2000. Amina is a good mother and looks after her baby well.

Profile Information: Kitomi

Kitomi was confiscated near the Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve in Western Uganda. He was taken to Mweya at Queen Elizabeth National Park, before he was flown to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) on 11th November 1999. He was estimated to be 5 years at the time.

Kitomi had many psychological and physical problems, as he had been severely mistreated before he was confiscated. He had a chain attached around his waist that had caused deep wounds, and he was in poor body condition. Although, he disliked human presence and tried to get away from the keepers, he was happy being with the other chimpanzees. It will take a long time for his psychological wounds to heal, but he is slowly learning to accept the humans at UWEC as his friends and not his enemies.

Thank you, as always

Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman
International Primate Protection League
PO Box 766
Summerville, SC 29484, USA
Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988
E-mail - smcgreal@ippl.org, Web: www.ippl.org

P.S. Would you like to help support IPPL's own ape sanctuary? Now you can sponsor one of IPPL's own gibbons and receive quarterly updates on "your" animal (Courtney, Beanie, Arun Rangsi--or a gibbon of your choice). Visit www.ippl.org and click on "Adopt an IPPL Gibbon."