Support orphaned and wild Chimpanzees in Uganda

1.0  Chimpanzee feeding

The generous financial support received through the GlobalGiving platform enabled us to feed the 53 chimpanzee at the sanctuary. About 90% of the food given to the chimpanzees is procured from the market and this is composed of fresh food such as tomatoes, cassava, cabbages, papaya, okra red beans, and bananas and dry rations including cornmeal, millet, and soy flour.

The feeding routine of 4 times a day was maintained at 8:00 am, 11:00 am, 2:30 pm, and 6:00 pm. 

2.0 Enrichment

Enrichment materials like hay grass, and hammocks were procured and provided to chimpanzees for a comfortable bedding at night. Honey and peanuts were provided to chimpanzees to minimize abnormal behaviors like fighting, and coprophagy. 

3.0 Veterinary care

The chimpanzees were monitored daily by the resident veterinarian and caregivers for any signs of illness and injuries.  There were 13 minor injuries and 01 major injury were registered in the past three months. The minor injuries were managed by spraying with iodine and saline solution while the major injury was stitched.  The injuries were due to tensions in the community in competition for mates, hierarchy, and food that resulted into fights.

Chimpanzees above 30 years were given multivitamins on a monthly basis to boost their body immunity.

All chimpanzees were dewormed with albendazole and praziquatel

5.0 Holding facility repairs 

The worn out iron sheets on the roof of the holding facility where chimpanzees spend the night were replaced with new iron sheets to prevent leakages.

6.0 Conservation awareness 

To promote chimpanzee conservation through education and awareness, Chimpanzee Trust made the following achievements;

• Conducted interactive sessions in local schools around Budongo Central Forest Reserve, educating 3880 pupils about the importance of chimpanzee conservation and the need to protect their habitats.
• Developed a curriculum with three themes; forest ecology, indigenous knowledge and conservation & culture and from this curriculum, 70 learning sessions were carried out in the 9 schools to create awareness of biodiversity through thematic sessions.
• Established 4  nature based enterprises in 4 pilot schools around Budongo CFR that benefited 261 pupils (wildlife club members).
• Engaged 160 teachers from 9 schools in conservation education and awareness, and 20 local community leaders through workshops and capacity building activities, empowering them to contribute to conservation efforts.
• Established 4 wildlife clubs in 4 schools around Budongo CFR this involved more than 261 pupils.
• Distributed educational materials to 261 pupils in wildlife clubs in 4 schools around Budongo Central Forest Reserve; this created an avenue for behavioural change towards sustainable living practices.