BUI: BOISTEROUS AND SWEET

Bui was brought to Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection by a Peace Corp volunteer with the surname Bui. While we are very grateful Bui ended up in our care we also found out that his rescuer had paid for him, which while understandable, sadly leads to more killings of chimpanzees and the sale of more orphans as it feeds the trade and creates demand.
We used the opportunity to ensure that other volunteers are requested at the start of their placements to report wildlife for sale or killed but to refrain from giving money to sellers.
Bui arrived quite sick and extremely skinny. He had likely been held for some time by his captors after they’d killed his mother. He had shrapnel lodged in his body in multiple locations and was severely dehydrated. Shy by nature and of course traumatized, Bui took quite awhile to emerge into the sweet, fun, playful and loving chimp he is today.
Now a toddler, Bui has grown into a boisterous little boy and has already made his way into the oldest group of chimpanzees at LCRP! His integration was slow and steady – we never push the chimps to transition until they choose to do so. Eventually Bui decided he enjoyed the antics of the older boys and girls and the playtime in the group and decided to stay for good.
Ultimately, when LCRP relocates to the forest at our permanent home, Bui will go with his group into the trees everyday and get to climb high and free. We are anxiously awaiting watching this once small and weak little boy in his natural environment once again.
We used the opportunity to ensure that other volunteers are requested at the start of their placements to report wildlife for sale or killed but to refrain from giving money to sellers.
Bui arrived quite sick and extremely skinny. He had likely been held for some time by his captors after they’d killed his mother. He had shrapnel lodged in his body in multiple locations and was severely dehydrated. Shy by nature and of course traumatized, Bui took quite awhile to emerge into the sweet, fun, playful and loving chimp he is today.
Now a toddler, Bui has grown into a boisterous little boy and has already made his way into the oldest group of chimpanzees at LCRP! His integration was slow and steady – we never push the chimps to transition until they choose to do so. Eventually Bui decided he enjoyed the antics of the older boys and girls and the playtime in the group and decided to stay for good.
Ultimately, when LCRP relocates to the forest at our permanent home, Bui will go with his group into the trees everyday and get to climb high and free. We are anxiously awaiting watching this once small and weak little boy in his natural environment once again.
When new chimpanzees arrive they are physically and emotionally traumatized. Our veterinary director does a full health check and treats them as needed. Some little ones arrive with broken limbs and shrapnel, and often have deep cuts due to ropes and chains that were used to restrict them while they were held captive. They are also given around the clock TLC, as nurturing and unconditional love is the most important part of their recovery. Feeding the chimps is a challenge. In the wild, chimpanzees eat over 200 different types of food! At LCRP, while we can’t replicate their diet exactly, we work hard to provide the chimps with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Little ones receive baby cereal multiple times a day and all the chimps get morning and evening cereal to ensure the get daily boosts of all the right vitamins and minerals.