Developing the Next Generation of Conservationists

Every year, we celebrate World Chimpanzee Day with our 16 partner primary schools near Kibale National Park—home to Uganda’s largest wild chimpanzee population. This year, we offered a week’s worth of activities that were fun and promoted student creativity and conservation learning.

We kicked things off with a screening of a great ape conservation film trilogy we co-produced with local partners more than a decade ago. Featuring community actors and messages about coexisting with great apes, the films remain a student favorite to this day!

Students then explored how chimpanzees use tools in the wild. After learning about this behavior, they took on the challenge themselves—working in groups with “chimpanzee tools” to extract honey from bottles. 

Our Wildlife Clubs showcased their talents with original songs, dances, and skits celebrating chimpanzees and the importance of protecting Kibale National Park.

Special guests brought conservation to life: representatives from the Uganda Wildlife Authority shared stories from their frontline work protecting chimps, while experts from the Kibale Chimpanzee Project spoke about monitoring chimpanzee ecology, behavior, and health—including their critical efforts to remove dangerous snares from the forest. Dr. Peter Apell from the Jane Goodall Institute in Uganda also shared his career journey as a chimpanzee veterinarian and conservationist, and the students had the opportunity to try out stethoscopes and other veterinary equipment.

The week wrapped up with inspiration, learning, and joy—all in celebration of our closest primate relatives. Happy World Chimpanzee Day!

Links:

• Kasiisi Project Website