Dear LCRP Chimpanzee Champions and Lovely Supporters,
Once again, we find ourselves with too many months between newsletters! Our aim is to send them quarterly but with all that goes on here, the time passes before we know it.
We dedicate this letter to both the Blessings and the Challenges we experience every day.
We are blessed as we see the advances being made to protect chimpanzees across Liberia and have the opportunity to save the lives of so many orphaned little ones. At the same time, this brings with it great challenges as a result of our growing family and increasing needs. We wish we could turn the tide on chimpanzee trafficking TODAY, and we're as impatient as ever while we experience small steps toward progress in keeping wild chimps wild.
The results we are seeing are promising, but not fast enough for us.
In the last few months, with our incredibly engaged government partners, we have been able to rescue five chimpanzees (two arriving on the same night!!) from the hands of their captors. Two of these confiscations resulted in arrests and convictions, two are under investigation and one was a surrender, thanks to awareness efforts spreading the word that keeping chimpanzees is illegal in Liberia.
Each individual comes in with different needs. All of these babies have tragically lost their mothers, and have been kidnapped to be sold as pets. They all suffer trauma but some come worse than others. Baby Grace has very little use of her left arm and leg. When she arrived, she was very weak and thin, and couldn't even sit up. With lots of TLC, she has gained strength, and some of her joy has returned. Unfortunately the use of her left side remains a large challenge. While we are confident she will continue to improve, she will require many months, and perhaps years, of rehabilitation.
Some individuals arrive with unseen trauma that comes to light months later. You'll remember little Kwa, who suddenly began suffering seizures, progressing to every 20 minutes at one point. We were all terrified. Her surrogate mother was beside herself, crying every day. The seizures then brought on paralysis, leaving us even more desperate and worried she wouldn't survive or move freely again. With treatment, the seizures finally ceased. And with the dedication of Kwa's "mom" Annie, and her countless hours doing rehabilitation, she has recovered almost fully. Kwa is again spending her days with the other babies, playing and climbing.
Recently, we designated focal points from Liberia's Forestry Development Authority, Liberia National Police, and Ministry of Justice to work together in combating wildlife crime, with a particular emphasis on crimes against chimpanzees, in known trafficking hotspots across the country.
It is a blessing to know the establishment of these important collaborations, mean in the long run more chimpanzees will remain in the wild. However, the short term result is immediate increases in confiscations and the challenge of more chimpanzees needing lifetime care.
We continue building awareness about the importance of chimpanzees, and their protected status in Liberia. Our ongoing, active campaigns spread the word in wildlife crime hotspots, focusing on schools, local government, traditional leaders, and other influential people across the country.
The impact of this advocacy is clear - leading to greater collaboration in the fight against wildlife trafficking.
Awareness brings with it reports of new baby chimpanzees being sold or kept as pets, prompting more confiscations by the government and our team. While it is a blessing to be able to save more lives, the immediate challenge is how to provide the care and infrastructure they need.
We know it takes time for systemic change. While we work hard to hold onto the belief we can ultimately stop the killing of chimpanzees, the reality is, for the foreseeable future, victims will keep coming.
We are excited to announce a partnership with MASS Design Group, an architectural firm with a like-minded mission, to complete Phase Two of our sanctuary to include additional facilities to allow greater freedom to the chimpanzees, and fully securing the 500 acres we have leased.
We've seen marked improvements in the lives of the chimpanzees in our care. Knowing they now have family and friends with whom to share their lives is a true gift. Like our chimpanzee family, our needs continue to grow.
We are in urgent need of support to meet the day-to-day costs of caring for the chimpanzees.The challenge is great. Our requests for support are growing. As always, we're humbled by your ongoing generosity and support.
Below we share our larger scale, long term funding needs.
We ask that you please spread the word far and wide.
As we continue to make progress here in Liberia we never forget our global family making it all possible. Thank you from the bottom (and top) of our hearts for being a part of the journey and for making the world a better place.
...with great love and gratitude, Jenny, Jimmy, and the Chimps!
