OUr work with
sanctuaries
Great Ape Consultancy is always willing to help conservation projects and rescue centres wherever possible. For over 10 years we have worked with a range of species including the
great apes in countries all over the world, including Africa, Asia,
Australasia and Central America.
Our work with sanctuaries varies from giving advice on introductions, nutrition and training to practical support creating enrichment, hand rearing and rehabilitation.
Ape Action Africa
Located in Mefou near Yaounde in Cameroon, Ape Action Africa is a primate rescue and rehabilitation centre. Many orphaned chimpanzees and gorillas have found their way here, having been rescued from the bush meat or illegal pet trades which are unfortunately still very prevelent in this region.
The centre consists of a nursery unit for very young apes that would still be dependant on their mothers, who receive one on one care from the keepers, the quarantine facility for young juveniles and several large forest enclosures for those apes that have been integrated into their own troops. There are also several encosures for primates taken in by the centre incuding mangabeys, vervets, mandrills, baboons and numerous guenon species.
The centre relies heavily on donations and volunteers to help and great ape consultancy are happy to offer time and expertise to conservation or rescue organisations such as this. Refurbishing enclosures, making diets and developing and distributing enrichment were just a few of the duties undertaken. Other tasks included conducting observations on adult male chimps to assess their suitablilty for introduction and contributing knowledge and skills to improve the welfare of the primates at the sanctuary.
Wildtracks
For several years Great Ape Consultancy has travelled to Belize to volunteer time and skills to aid a conservation organisation called Wildtracks. This wildlife rescue centre, located in Sarteneja specialises in rehabilitating and releasing spider monkeys, howler monkeys and manatees who have fallen victim to such impacts as the illegal pet trade, deforestation, dog attacks and boat strike.
In 2015 and 2017 work at the centre included basic husbandry (feeding, cleaning, collecting browse etc), aiding with new arrivals, monitoring and one on one care of young animals and record keeping. In 2019 five spider monkeys were ready for release and needed to be health checked and transported to their pre release forest enclosure to acclimitise to their new forest home. One by one the monkeys were caught, sedated and health checked, samples were taken for analysis to ensure no illnesses were present that could be transmitted to existing wild populations and that the animals were fit and healthy. The monkeys were also weighed and given a hands on health assessment before being returned to their travelling crates to recover.
The next morning they were loaded onto a truck and driven to the lagoon where they were transferred to a boat to access the fireburn nature reserve. Once across the lagoon, the five monkeys and the camping equipment, including extra kit for the trackers were loaded onto motorised trikes and driven deep into the forest to the release site. A temporary enclosure had been built alongside a camp. The five spider monkeys were offloaded and released into the enclosure. The animals were fed daily and observed regularly to ensure they were adapting well to their new environment. Several weeks later the door was opened and the spider monkeys were released back into the forest. Supplementary food was provided for the first few days whilst the primates got their bearings but soon started travelling further away in search of their own.
In the coming months the trackers observed the spider monkeys who appeared to be doing well, however the oldest female was found several times to be away from the group and closer to the ground, concerned she wasnt exhibiting the correct behaviours to survive and thrive in the forest. The decision was made to bring her back to the sanctuary where her condition was assessed and she could be re integrated into another group to potentially try again at a later stage. The remaining four spider monkeys continue to do well in the forest.
International Animal Rescue
International Animal Rescue has many rescue centres throughout the world, specialising in different species. The orangutan and loris rescue centre in Kalimantan rescues, rehabilitates and releases Bornean orangutans who have fallen victim to the illegal pet trade and deforestation.
In 2018 Great Ape Consultancy travelled to the centre in Indonesia to help. Carrying out a range of duties from creating enrichment for unreleasable orangutans, designing removeable furnishings for overnight dens and building feeding platforms on pre release orangutan islands.
Phang Nga Elephant Park
In 2017 Great Ape Consultancy spent several months in Phang Nga province, Thailand volunteering at an elephant park as a guide and welfare coordinator. This involved aiding the Phnag Nga team with educational activities, positive reinforcement training and creating and updating welfare protocols and guidelines, including health and safety protocols and safe working practices.
Green Turtle Conservation
Pulau Telang Telang Besar is an island off the coast of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo where green turtles come ashore to nest. The department of conservation have constructed a hatchery on this tiny island to safeguard green sea turtles from predation by monitor lizards in order to boost population numbers. Great Ape Consultancy aided this project by helping to remove and re bury eggs to within the predator proof area, monitor, record and tag nesting females and release hatchlings.
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