Chimpanzee Guardians

Kauka

Kauka was confiscated at a market in northern Congo where he was being sold as a pet. He was no more than 10 months old, and transferred to Tchimpounga in a very poor state: severely dehydrated and riddled with parasites. After close monitoring and antibiotics he began to respond to the treatments and is now a thriving and popular baby at Tchimpounga.

Timi

The 75th chimp to reach Tchimpounga, Timi is a tough little survivor. Easy going, affectionate and gentle, he gets on well with the other chimps, but still bears the scars of early trauma. No one knows where he came from. Certainly, he is another orphan of the bushmeat trade, kidnapped after his mother was killed and eaten. All we know is that someone, possibly the hunter, sold him to some villagers from where he was rescued by JGI staff. He needed a lot of reassurance when he first arrived and still rushes to be cuddled when frightened. He even has a security blanket which he loves to hold whilst he sleeps.

Yoko

Yoko was handed to our Congo sanctuary by the authorities after they confiscated him from the Congo/Gabon border. He was almost naked due to severe skin infections. He is a very spoilt chimp and likes to be clean. Yoko's human carers are alerted to his need for a nappy change by a very loud voice! He took a while to break away from the nursery but is now part of a small group of 8 young chimps known as Ramsey's Group, playing with them in the day and sleeping in the dormitory at night.

Petit Prince

Petit Prince arrived at Tchimpounga in a dehydrated state and barely alive. He had been found in a lorry tied up in a bag, and his right leg was almost severed by what was probably a snare. When he first arrived he could not move his leg at all and did not seem to have any feeling in it. But Graziella took him to a doctor who managed to treat him and showed her how to massage and exercise the leg in the hope that it could be rehabilitated. Thanks to Graziella's quick action his leg is now much stronger.

Today, Petit Prince is a happy little chimp, but prefers his own company to those of the other chimpanzees. He is often seen sitting apart from the rest of Group 4, with his friend and mentor, a little female chimp called “Coquelle”. They are very content with each other’s company, but Petit Prince never misses a chance for a cuddle from his minders or from visitors! Often, when the chimps leave their enclosure to walk to their night quarters, Petit Prince will break away and jump into the arms of the nearest person, for a last goodnight cuddle. Petit Prince really lives up to his name – he is handsome and has a certain dignity about him.

Gregoire

Gregoire is amazing! In 1944 he was locked into a barren, concrete cage in Brazzaville Zoo, where he remained for the next 53 years. Then, in 1997, when civil war broke out in the Congo, JGI rescued him with the help of the John Aspinall Organisation, and airlifted him to Tchimpounga. It was a very special moment when he first stepped onto grass in the sunshine, in his own little garden enclosure built for him at the Sanctuary. Nowadays, he is a happy old man. A playmate to the smaller chimps, a lover of music and connoisseur of fine French bread, Gregoire is a truly remarkable chimp.