Organization of The Day: Pandrillus

One of Africa’s most endangered primate species are drills, and they are listed by the IUCN as the highest conservation priority of all African primates. Not much is known about their behavior or ecology. However, we know that their entire world range only consists of about 40,000 km within the Cross River State, Nigeria. Their population is approximated to be anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000. These animals are another victim of the bushmeat trade, which often leads to young being orphaned when their mothers are killed. These orphaned drills are then taken into captivity.

 

Photo credit: Cyril Ruoso/Pandrillus

Pandrillus was part of a landmark achievement in 2003 when two adolescent female gorillas were smuggled into Nigeria from Cameroon and later seized by government authorities. The two governments collaborated in the protection of wildlife smuggling and coordination on environmental issues. Nigeria is sadly a large center for wildlife trafficking, and Pandrillus works with law enforcement to try to reduce such activities. Pandrillus also played a vital role in the permanent closure of the Calabar Zoo, removing its last captive animal and transporting it to their Afi Mountain Drill Ranch facility. Pandrillus houses a Drill rehabilitation and breeding center, where animals that have been orphaned or held in captivity are nursed back to health. The center has recorded over 250 births, making the project the world’s most successful captive breeding program for an endangered primate. This center is also treats and serves another bushmeat-effected primate, Chimpanzees.

Rescued Chimpanzee at the Drill Ranch

After being rehabilitated or having matured, the primates are then introduced to the Drill Ranch at Afi Mountain, the project’s field site that serves as a highly protected wildlife sanctuary. Pandrillus recognizes the importance in the cooperation of surrounding communities and has created an education program for the surrounding 17 villages, bringing them together for a conservation-based interest for the first time. The organization’s efforts do not stop there. They work directly with Limbe Wildlife Center to create a drill ranch where natural indigenous plants and trees are grown to inspire emulation of the primates’ natural habitat. Pandrillus is ceaseless in their efforts to conserve wildlife, and their achievements have been remarkable.

Photo credit: Cyril Ruoso/Pandrillus

 

To learn more, please visit their website.

Snail farming may save African apes from poaching

Only about 300 apes survive in Nigeria’s Cross River National Park on the Cameroon border. Poaching from nearby poor villagers searching for food or meat to sell has reduced the rare apes’ numbers to about one-tenth of their population a century ago. “These are some of the most endangered apes in Africa,” says James Deutsch of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “The people are poor and protein is hard to find, so they will eat gorillas.”

Over the past six months, though, a pilot effort has trained and equipped eight poacher families to farm African giant snails, a local delicacy about 5 inches across, with funding from the Arcus Foundation of Kalamazoo, Mich., a great-ape conservation group. “Hunters will eat anything they find,” Deutsch says, but the likely profit from snail farming, about $413 a year, exceeds the profits from bushmeat trade, for which one gorilla’s meat earns poachers about $70.

Chimp infant, Cross River N.P, Nigeria (Credit: Cyril Ruoso)

African Giant Snail

To read the full article, click here

Conyngham volunteer travels to Africa to help protect great apes from poaching

When Nicole Cook, a postmaster from Conyngham, entered a school in the Nigerian village of Iko Ekperem, she wrote her name on the board, pointed at a globe to show where she came from and led the children in a pledge.

“I had them raise their hand and put a hand on their heart and swear they would never hurt a monkey,” Cook said.

Charred and de-haired chimpanzee hands.

Cages just barely big enough for a chimpanzee to stand up in are used to transport illegally caught chimpanzees around Africa and the world.

Read the full article about the volunteers from Conyngham here