Institute News Archives 2008
A tribute to Gregoire, 1942-2008
18-12-2008
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One of the animal world's most incredible stories of resilience and happy endings came to a quiet close yesterday: Gregoire, Africa's oldest known chimpanzee and a national hero in the Republic of Congo, died in his sleep. Caretakers found Gregoire dead in his bed of eucalyptus leaves yesterday morning at JGI's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center, a sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees, in the Republic of Congo. In notifying JGI staff members and volunteers around the world, Dr. Goodall's assistant Mary Lewis wrote: "We have some sad news from the Congo today. Early this morning our old friend Gregoire was found dead in his room. It appears that he died naturally in his sleep and he will be buried at the sanctuary which gave him a safe haven in his latter years." |
Gregoire lived at the sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees for the past 11 years. He was a resilient, gentle chimpanzee who had survived more than 40 years of solitary display in a barren cage at a zoo and then an airlift during a civil war. His twilight years were peaceful and content thanks largely to the care of doting sanctuary staff members and the initial intervention of Jane Goodall. When Jane met him in 1990, he was emaciated, hairless and suffering intensely from loneliness and boredom. Jane saw to it that his care improved at the zoo and then, when war broke out, arranged for the transport to Tchimpounga.
At the sanctuary, where JGI cares for more than 140 chimpanzees orphaned by the illegal commercial bushmeat trade, Gregoire was a favorite of caretakers and visitors alike. His striking appearance – balding, with only one good eye and what author Dale Peterson described as a “shipwreck of ancient teeth” – made him unforgettable. But not as much as his mellow and childlike personality, which captivated all until the very end.
Click on the image beside to watch a video of Gregoire
The illegal commercial bushmeat trade is one of the leading threats to wild chimpanzees. For every orphan chimpanzee that authorities confiscate from the underground market and turn over to a sanctuary like Tchimpounga, we estimate there are at least 10 adults and adolescents killed. Despite this tragic backdrop, life at the sanctuaries – where orphans are given loving care, room to roam, and time to heal – is anything but bleak |
As news of Gregoire's death circulated over the past few days, messages of condolence and sympathy made their way to Jane and JGI from around the world.
Make a gift to JGI in honor of Gregoire
Click here to read the press release
Read the story of Gregoire’s life
JGI raises chimpanzee awareness in West Africa
18-12-2008 JGI USA
JGI Donors Meet 'Mac' on Memorable Trip to Africa
Rubene and Mark live in Calgary and support the work of JGI Canada through their generous monthly donation to the Jane’s Peak Society (JPS) program. JPS contributions help us to plan ahead and advance our efforts to protect chimpanzees, invest in community-centred conservation throughout Africa, and support leading-edge environmental and humanitarian education programs in Canada. As a JPS member, you will have exciting opportunities to become more involved with JGI. Find out how you can become a member of the Jane’s Peak Society. Read about Rubene and Mark’s extraordinary encounter with the chimps of Ngamba Island.
Click here to read this inspiring story.
Human See, Human Do, watch our latest advertising campaign
June 2008
Click here to watch the ad Human See, Human Do - Bushmeat
Click here to watch the ad Human See, human Do - Sanctuary
With thanks to Clean Sheet for the pro-bono development of this 30-second ad, and to Animal Planet for the airtime.
Video Chimpanzee- Human Analogies
May 2008
This wonderful video has been created by Fernando Tumo from JGI Congo, to use as an educational tool in Congolese schools.
The comparison between chimpanzee and human behaviours help JGI staff show children how similar they are to their closest wild relative.
Click here to watch the video!
Jane Goodall Institute presents to all-party International Conservation Caucus
May 13, 2008
“The African rainforests—the lungs of our planet—are being destroyed,” said Dr. Keith Martin, M.P. and Chair of the All Party International Conservation Caucus. Despite the fact that the rich Congo River Basin supports the livelihoods of more than 62 million people its forests continue to be logged at unsustainable rates.
The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada (JGI Canada) estimates that the Congo Basin includes some of the largest intact forests in the world, including 26% of the world’s remaining rainforest. This region, which includes parts of five African countries, harbors a tremendous diversity of life.
Grassroots JGI project brings light to DRC village
April 2008
Thanks to the efforts of JGI and its partners, a new micro-hydro power plant is now delivering critical electricity to Kasugho, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The plant brings power to this rural village that is located far from the national power grid and is having a tremendous impact on the lives of 16,000 people. JGI started working on community-centred conservation in the eastern DRC in 2004 through a partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI). The two organizations share the philosophy that effective conservation must begin with the needs and priorities of local communities, and have joined forces to protect great apes and support local communities in an area of Eastern DRC that has significant chimpanzee and eastern lowland gorilla populations. The new power plant is providing electricity to the Tayna Center for Conservation Biology, as well as many other facilities in Kasugho. It means that classes can be offered after dark and that students have access to computers and other information technology resources.
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Here we see installed poles, electrical wires and the transformer at Kasugho. (Photo: Desire Safari) |
Not only does the power plant provide light for a previously unlit village, it also contributes directly to one of JGI's main objectives in Africa: encouraging sustainable, income generating activities that are not dependent on unsustainable natural resource exploitation, and helping to protect habitat for great apes at the same time.
Uganda: Chimp Viewing to Start in Budongo
April 2008
BUDONGO forest reserve will soon become a top eco-tourism centre following the taming of chimpanzees and the provision of tourists' accommodation.
Kaniyo-Pabidi, which is located on the northern part of the forest in Buliisa district, was opened on Friday by the state minister for environment, Jessica Eriyo. It will offer chimp tracking and bird watching as the main tourism activities. "The Government has full commitment towards conserving natural forests and their bio-diversity to improve the prospects for tourism," said Eriyo.
Chimps are endangered species and could contribute significantly to the country's revenue.
Microcredit changes lives in Tanzania
April 2008
For the average Canadian, a loan of $50 or $75 wouldn't be much in the
grand scheme of things. But for a family living in the villages that surround Gombe National Park in Tanzania, a loan of this size can change lives. As part of the Greater Gombe Ecosystem project in Tanzania, JGI is helping villagers to improve their lives by addressing health, education and income generation as well as environmental issues. One aspect of the program is a microcredit scheme that has now been extended to 24 villages. The program, funded by a Canadian donor, provides tiny loans on a revolving basis to villagers like Bahati Mzaliwa, pictured here.
Each village elects a board to manage the funds. The board reviews loan applications from villagers and selects those most likely to succeed and to repay the loan on time (within six months). Once this has been achieved, the funds will be available for other successful applicants.
Bahati Mzaliwa is a great example of how well the program is working. Jane Lawton met Bahati and many other villagers in the area when she visited Gombe in January. Bahati lives in Zashe village on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, a community reached only by boat. She took out a $75 loan in 2005, and invested the money in keeping chickens and producing eggs for sale. She smiled with pride when she recounted how the loan was paid back on time, and how she generated a profit of $30. This additional income has helped her to send her children to secondary school, to buy school uniforms, and to be able to get medical help for the children when they are ill. She is so thrilled with the results that she is continuing with the small business today - but perhaps the best news is that she no longer needs to take out loans from the village committee, and the funds that helped her on her way are now being used to help one of her neighbours.
JGI assists police with chimp rescue in Uganda
11/02/2008 - JGI US
When the JGI staff in Uganda received word that a chimpanzee was being held for sale on the black market, they worked with police on a successful sting operation. In late January, the staff of the Jane Goodall Institute in Uganda were tipped off that a young chimpanzee had been captured and was up for sale for $1,000 (USD). Despite the fact that it is illegal to kill, capture or keep chimpanzees in Uganda, seven chimpanzees have been killed in the last year alone. In most cases poachers kill chimpanzee mothers and capture their young to sell as pets. Or, they trap adult chimps to sell their body parts for traditional practices. Chimps are particularly targeted by farmers who don't want them raiding their sugar cane or other crops. As more and more of Uganda's chimpanzee habitat is destroyed, this human-chimp conflict worsens. |
Mac, shortly after his rescue. Photo: JGI Uganda |
Help this orphaned chimp and his fellowships: Become a Chimp Guardian now!
Jane Lawton visited JGI projects in Africa
12/01/2008 - JGI Canada
