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Frequently Asked Questions
How many chimpanzees are currently under your care?
We now have over sixty chimpanzees. All but two are under seven years old.
Do you rescue adult chimpanzees?
Yes, we have two young adult chimps – Johnny and Priscilla (both estimated at 13 yearsold).
Why do chimps end up at LCRP?
Unfortunately, Liberia has a rampant bushmeat trade and the by-product is the live pet trade, which includes young chimpanzees. The culture has accepted this trade for decades, even though the killing, selling, or keeping of protected species is illegal. LCRP with our partners is addressing this threat (and others threats such as habitat destruction) through awareness campaigns, training and capacity building, stronger enforcement of wildlife laws and prosecution. LCRP’s existence makes it possible for the authorities to confiscate chimpanzees and other wildlife and enforce existing laws.
Are you seeing an increase or decrease in the number of chimps that need rescuing?
When we embarked on this mission, we knew that for the first several years the number of chimpanzees coming to us would increase if we were doing our jobs successfully. The goal is that over time, with the right awareness and enforcement initiatives, these numbers will drastically reduce. With this in mind, the number of chimpanzees coming into LCRP’s sanctuary can be deceiving. The number of chimpanzees in our care is increasing. However, this does not necessarily mean the killing of chimpanzees is increasing. One variable to increased numbers of reports and confiscations is the establishment of LCRP and the broad based awareness campaigns and law enforcement networks we are building. Now, more people are aware that it is illegal to kill, sell, trade, keep or eat chimpanzees, and that these activities threaten Liberia’s biodiversity, so reporting has gone up. Law enforcement is being financially supported and capacity is being built, which has led to more confiscations. However, we can’t ignore the possibility that more chimpanzees are being killed and sold. It is important that we track and evaluate everything we do so we can develop a clear understanding of the root causes and address them in the most effective ways. Luckily with a lot of collaboration and hard work at addressing the root causes of the chimpanzee trade, we are making an impact and seeing change in attitudes and behaviors in Liberia.
What happens once a chimp has been rescued?
When a chimpanzee is rescued, he or she is transferred to LCRP as soon as possible. The first priority is simply to provide him/her with around-the-clock love and nurturing. LCRP’s veterinarian conducts an observational physical exam and we make notes of anything that may be an issue or need treatment. The first weeks are critical to ensuring recovery from both physical and emotional trauma suffered by all individuals coming to LCRP. Regardless of age upon arrival, every baby has at some point lost his/her mother (and family members most likely) so we know at the very least immense suffering has occurred. Some chimpanzees come in more depressed than others. Many have been tied or chained or kept in cages or boxes. Some have been physically injured and abused.
Personality plays into the recovery process as well. Just like humans, some chimpanzees are more open to help or are more resilient. Some chimps are very shy while others more outgoing. Following intensive care and quarantine to ensure new arrivals are healthy – both for their sake and the sake of current residents – chimpanzees are introduced to one or two of the other chimps in the infant (or youngest) group. This is all based on health, emotions, group dynamics, personalities and more - every situation is different.
There is no guide to this process – it is impossible to predict how things will play out and the best response must be determined hour by hour, day by day. Gaining someone’s trust is the big challenge and only comes with time and lots of love. Some chimps jump into our arms and never want to leave. Others take many days before they will trust the food we are offering or love we want to give.
Once a chimpanzee is fully integrated into the nursery group he/she continues to receive around the clock care and nurturing from human surrogates. In the wild, chimpanzees stay with their mothers in the nest until the age of 4 or 5 years old. In the wild, chimpanzee infants never cry for want of anything – their needs are met. At LCRP we can’t replicate this perfectly and we cannot give these children back their mothers. However, we feel our job is to give them as close to what they’d have with their real mothers and family as possible. The single most important thing we do for individuals upon arrival is offer them unconditional, 24/7 love. This has the greatest impact on their chances for survival.
Personality plays into the recovery process as well. Just like humans, some chimpanzees are more open to help or are more resilient. Some chimps are very shy while others more outgoing. Following intensive care and quarantine to ensure new arrivals are healthy – both for their sake and the sake of current residents – chimpanzees are introduced to one or two of the other chimps in the infant (or youngest) group. This is all based on health, emotions, group dynamics, personalities and more - every situation is different.
There is no guide to this process – it is impossible to predict how things will play out and the best response must be determined hour by hour, day by day. Gaining someone’s trust is the big challenge and only comes with time and lots of love. Some chimps jump into our arms and never want to leave. Others take many days before they will trust the food we are offering or love we want to give.
Once a chimpanzee is fully integrated into the nursery group he/she continues to receive around the clock care and nurturing from human surrogates. In the wild, chimpanzees stay with their mothers in the nest until the age of 4 or 5 years old. In the wild, chimpanzee infants never cry for want of anything – their needs are met. At LCRP we can’t replicate this perfectly and we cannot give these children back their mothers. However, we feel our job is to give them as close to what they’d have with their real mothers and family as possible. The single most important thing we do for individuals upon arrival is offer them unconditional, 24/7 love. This has the greatest impact on their chances for survival.
Are the chimps together in a group?
Yes, chimpanzees are integrated with other chimps as soon as is physically and emotionally healthy. Currently we have five separate groups with overlap at various stages of their recovery. As almost all of our chimps are still young, we have many caregivers who spend days and nights with the chimpanzees so they enjoy the company of other chimps (very important) but also receive the ‘adult’ care and nurturing they are missing with the loss of their wild mothers/family members.
Integration is a complex process and extremely hard to predict without careful assessment, even with little ones. We take the process very slowly and allow the chimps to choose their pace, their people, their caregivers (when possible) and the amount of time they spend with their new groups. The primary concern for the chimps at LCRP with most of them being so young is ensuring everything happens slowly and carefully and in what the individual feels is a safe environment to avoid regression. Integrating chimpanzees is probably the most challenging part of caring for the chimps as it requires great flexibility, a lot of hands, and is a very ambiguous process.
Integration is a complex process and extremely hard to predict without careful assessment, even with little ones. We take the process very slowly and allow the chimps to choose their pace, their people, their caregivers (when possible) and the amount of time they spend with their new groups. The primary concern for the chimps at LCRP with most of them being so young is ensuring everything happens slowly and carefully and in what the individual feels is a safe environment to avoid regression. Integrating chimpanzees is probably the most challenging part of caring for the chimps as it requires great flexibility, a lot of hands, and is a very ambiguous process.
Do the chimpanzees have contact with humans?
We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support we've received for the chimpanzee orphans and their future. We’d like to address the 'cuddling' aspect of the work we do. The individuals who come into our care have witnessed their mothers and often other family members being killed. They fall from the trees on their mothers and are ripped off their mothers’ dead bodies. Before they get to us they are most often abused and neglected and have many times been tied or chained in a back yard or laid in a box or crate for days, weeks, months or years. They come to us severely traumatized.
Our job is to 'cuddle' them back to physical and emotional health. This is not fun or cute or silly - it is around the clock intensive care. The orphans are never left alone - in the wild they'd be within touch of their mothers for the first year, nursing for 4-5 years and sleeping with Mom until age 5-6. The little people in our care have been robbed of this. If they don't get it back - they will fail to thrive and can even die. We have an inordinate number of children who are in this age category - LCRP has received more chimpanzee orphans under the age of three than almost any other chimpanzee sanctuary.
Luckily with a lot of collaboration and hard work to address the root causes of the chimpanzee trade, we are making an impact and see a shift in attitudes and actions in Liberia. This is not a short term process. Though we love and cherish everyone who lives with us at Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, our greatest sadness is that they have to come at all. We desperately wish they were still with their mothers and families in the wild. The best we can do is work our hardest to simulate what they would get from their real mothers which includes 24/7 nurturing and love and a fulfilling life with other orphaned chimpanzees.
Ultimately, when they are ready, the chimps ALL choose to move away from their human surrogate caregiver bonds and into complete chimp society at our center. They will all have chimp families and a semi natural forest environment for their lifetimes. The nurturing is essential to ensuring they thrive and gain confidence, social skills, trust, and maturity in order to fit in and enjoy fulfilling lives with other chimpanzees.
Our job is to 'cuddle' them back to physical and emotional health. This is not fun or cute or silly - it is around the clock intensive care. The orphans are never left alone - in the wild they'd be within touch of their mothers for the first year, nursing for 4-5 years and sleeping with Mom until age 5-6. The little people in our care have been robbed of this. If they don't get it back - they will fail to thrive and can even die. We have an inordinate number of children who are in this age category - LCRP has received more chimpanzee orphans under the age of three than almost any other chimpanzee sanctuary.
Luckily with a lot of collaboration and hard work to address the root causes of the chimpanzee trade, we are making an impact and see a shift in attitudes and actions in Liberia. This is not a short term process. Though we love and cherish everyone who lives with us at Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, our greatest sadness is that they have to come at all. We desperately wish they were still with their mothers and families in the wild. The best we can do is work our hardest to simulate what they would get from their real mothers which includes 24/7 nurturing and love and a fulfilling life with other orphaned chimpanzees.
Ultimately, when they are ready, the chimps ALL choose to move away from their human surrogate caregiver bonds and into complete chimp society at our center. They will all have chimp families and a semi natural forest environment for their lifetimes. The nurturing is essential to ensuring they thrive and gain confidence, social skills, trust, and maturity in order to fit in and enjoy fulfilling lives with other chimpanzees.
How many chimps can you care for?
Some sanctuaries have over 150 chimpanzees. The cost of caring for chimpanzees is extremely high – estimated USD $5,000 - $8,000 annually per chimp just for day to day care. We are building for a capacity of 50-60 chimpanzees with add on ability for 50 more. However, we very much hope that the work we are doing to combat the trades will show us results well before we hit those numbers. For the next decade almost all of the chimps at LCRP will be young and small enough to have plenty of space in the facility we are building and in the forest area at our site.
Do you have a release/reintroduction program?
Chimpanzees have been reintroduced to wild habitats in other places. However, reintroduction has had mixed results. While the chimpanzees can easily learn to survive in the wild if reintroduction is conducted properly and carefully, success requires vast space with natural and ample food sources and no chimpanzee communities nearby to create territorial conflicts. A large buffer between chimpanzee release sites and human communities must exist – the chimps have been around humans for years and their default for food and/or other items may very well be in a nearby village or town. In addition to the potential dangers to the chimpanzees being reintroduced, wild populations can be at risk if chimps formerly in captivity have any diseases or illness that is passed on to healthy communities. This could be devastating.
Reintroduction is controversial within the conservation community with many conservationists feeling the risk is too great to wild chimpanzees and that the money spent would be better put to use for wild populations. However, for us reintroduction is something we will always strive to give to the chimps. Liberia has the second largest population of Western chimpanzees and the largest intact habitat, making reintroduction something that should be considered in the future. Regardless, a sanctuary must be established with the understanding that the care for the chimpanzee residents will be provided for their lifetimes. Even if reintroduction were to become a reality, not all chimpanzees would be suitable for release and often reintroductions have chimpanzees who come back into care as they are unable to cope with life in the wild.
Reintroduction is controversial within the conservation community with many conservationists feeling the risk is too great to wild chimpanzees and that the money spent would be better put to use for wild populations. However, for us reintroduction is something we will always strive to give to the chimps. Liberia has the second largest population of Western chimpanzees and the largest intact habitat, making reintroduction something that should be considered in the future. Regardless, a sanctuary must be established with the understanding that the care for the chimpanzee residents will be provided for their lifetimes. Even if reintroduction were to become a reality, not all chimpanzees would be suitable for release and often reintroductions have chimpanzees who come back into care as they are unable to cope with life in the wild.
What are the construction plans for the new sanctuary site? Why is a new site necessary?
We are in nearing the end of Phase One of the construction of LCRP's Sanctuary and Conservation Center. In this phase we are building the Night Dorm Facility (the most complex and costly part of the project), an outside Canopy, a Nursery, a Food Storage and Preparation building, and Office/ Workshop. We are also building a small bungalow where we will be living onsite.
The new Center will provide not only a much larger and spacious place for the chimps but also accommodates the caregivers. The site is adjacent to 100 acres of forest on a river offering a large and beautiful natural habitat for the chimps to enjoy every day. In addition, the Conservation Center will offer a place for training, capacity building, community engagement, and working toward a better future for all wildlife.
The new Center will provide not only a much larger and spacious place for the chimps but also accommodates the caregivers. The site is adjacent to 100 acres of forest on a river offering a large and beautiful natural habitat for the chimps to enjoy every day. In addition, the Conservation Center will offer a place for training, capacity building, community engagement, and working toward a better future for all wildlife.
How has the local community responded to your sanctuary and the work you do?
The response we have received here in Liberia is truly remarkable and greatly moving. People are so kind and supportive. Our team is made up of Liberians from nearby towns and villages, providing a sort of family for us and for the chimps who come into our care. We work hand-in-hand with Liberian organizations and individuals to achieve mutual goals and objectives. We are fortunate to have found a very collaborative spirit locally, regionally and globally in our work and passions.
Can I visit with the chimpanzees?
Currently, due to Covid19, all visits are on hold.
Normally, we only schedule visits when contacted by interested people staying in or living in Liberia. These visits are to our enclosure only and accompanied by a short talk about LCRP’s work and chimpanzee conservation.
We do not have the ability to accommodate international visitors onsite at this time. On occasion we have had visitors come and stay at the nearby hotel and do short day visits. There is no direct interaction or contact with the chimpanzees.
Normally, we only schedule visits when contacted by interested people staying in or living in Liberia. These visits are to our enclosure only and accompanied by a short talk about LCRP’s work and chimpanzee conservation.
We do not have the ability to accommodate international visitors onsite at this time. On occasion we have had visitors come and stay at the nearby hotel and do short day visits. There is no direct interaction or contact with the chimpanzees.
Can I volunteer at LCRP?
LCRP is not set up to take volunteers at this time. Fortunately, we have a truly amazing and dedicated team of caregivers who help us with the little ones. Our caregiver roles are held by local Liberians, who are permanent and long-term, as the chimps need to build unbroken secure bonds with their surrogate moms.
We are planning to develop a skilled help program for volunteers with particular expertise. However, this is at least two to three years away. In the meantime, we are always grateful for help spreading the word about our work and securing support for the care and future of chimpanzees in Liberia! For donations or to help others learn more, simply pass on this link: https://www.liberiachimpanzeerescue.org/donate.html.
We are happy to refer you to volunteer opportunities with other sanctuaries, depending on your interests and experience.
We are planning to develop a skilled help program for volunteers with particular expertise. However, this is at least two to three years away. In the meantime, we are always grateful for help spreading the word about our work and securing support for the care and future of chimpanzees in Liberia! For donations or to help others learn more, simply pass on this link: https://www.liberiachimpanzeerescue.org/donate.html.
We are happy to refer you to volunteer opportunities with other sanctuaries, depending on your interests and experience.
