Protecting Chimpanzees

Conservation Update

The last year has proven challenging for our ground-based conservation partners in Guinea. The effects of the Ukraine war and the global energy crisis have sadly brought new challenges to Guinea. Prices have risen significantly and with the worsening of exchange rates, our partners have had to adapt and reduce the costs of certain activities. However, thanks to the continued support and reliability of DSWF funding our partners have been able to keep growing their programmes to protect chimpanzees and their habitat.

One of our partners main priorities is reforestation and habitat restoration, ensuring chimpanzees and other native wildlife have enough habitat for population growth and an abundance of food. Since 2019 our partners have planted over 6000 trees and raised awareness within communities about the dangers of deforestation and climate change.

In July 2022, experts in reforestation cooperated with park rangers and the local community to plant 2000 trees in two additional areas - one the site of a degraded forest, the other around a prime water source for wildlife. DSWF funding provided the plants, materials and fuel required for this project, with the local villagers and rangers providing labour.

Collaboration has continued with a group of youngsters from a local community to raise awareness about river sanitation in the region. With the support of DSWF funding in 2021, our partners helped the group to organise and implement a river clean up that took place over the course of a couple of days. In 2022, in collaboration with local groups, our partners trained 20 local leaders from four different neighbourhoods to raise awareness about the dangers of polluting the river. The project was successful and resulted in most people in the community subscribing to a garbage collection service twice a week. This project will have a huge positive impact on the river, including by removing litter from the riverbeds which poses a risk to wildlife.

Sustainable Livelihoods

It is vital for communities in Guinea to find sustainable ways to use natural resources without the need to take them from the national parks, damaging habitats and wildlife populations. Our partners have implemented a new apiculture (bee keeping) project which will not only bring sustainable income to the village, but it also will promote pollination and will allow local people to enjoy environmentally friendly honey.

Education

A new education team has been set up near to the chimpanzee release site, which will reach five new villages, adding over 300 children to the conservation education program. A couple of schools have already participated in “Club Nature”, which consists of shorter sessions focusing on environmental awareness. Teachers in the region are very excited about taking part in the full conservation education program. The new education team will help communities to better understand their impact on natural resources and motivate them to participate in livelihood development activities, ultimately fostering a peaceful co-existence between the communities and wildlife including chimpanzees.

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