What are the Orphan Chimpanzee Sanctuaries?
The Jane Goodall Institute Sanctuary program came into being to respond to the plight of chimpanzee infants whose mothers were shot for food. There is little “meat” on infants, so hunters often try to sell them as pets or attractions in hotels or bars. This is illegal, as chimpanzees are classified as endangered in almost all African countries. But local authorities are reluctant to confiscate the chimps unless there is a sanctuary to receive the orphans. Caring for orphan chimpanzees is costly. They may live 60 years and can almost never be returned to the wild. “There were many who urged me not to get involved with orphan chimps,” recalls Jane Goodall, “but for me there was no dilemma. I could not turn my back on the outstretched hands; the pleading eyes; the pathetic, malnourished bodies of the orphans. And so, our sanctuary programs began.” Today, JGI’s donors support chimpanzee sanctuaries in Kenya, Uganda and the Republic of Congo, with a fourth being constructed in South Africa.
