Dr Jane Goodall to Grace Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sancturary Silver Jubilee -By Magezi Kirinjju
Internationally renowned primatologist, ethologist, conservationist, and activist Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, will arrive in Uganda on August 20, 2023, to take part in celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. While in Uganda, Dr. Jane Goodall will hold talks with the patron of Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, First Lady Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, at State House.
She will be a keynote speaker at a public lecture conference on August 22nd at the Sheraton Hotel and one of the main celebrants at the main dinner marking 25 years of Ngamba Sanctuary at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo on August 23rd, 2023. She will end her tour with the grand launch of the Roots and Shoots office in Uganda on August 24, 2023.
Dr. Goodall began her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior at Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania in 1960. Her observations of chimpanzees revolutionized the world of primatology and have since redefined our relationship with the animal kingdom.
In 1977, Dr. Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute, which continued to advance her efforts to protect chimpanzees and their habitats through community-led conservation, animal welfare, innovative applications of science and technology, and youth empowerment through JGI’s Roots & Shoots program that she created in 1991. The Jane Goodall Institute in Uganda has continued to carry on her vision of chimpanzee research and protection, habitat conservation, community-based initiatives, education, and outreach programs.
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary will celebrate 25 years of stellar primate and conservation work since 1998. Having been established as a collaborative effort between the Uganda government and several organizations, including the Dr. Jane Goodall Institute and other individuals, to provide a safe haven for rescued chimpanzees, it has consistently addressed the growing need to protect and rehabilitate chimpanzees that are orphaned, injured, or confiscated from illegal wildlife traders.
Ominously, chimpanzees are highly endangered species as a result of human activities that include habitat destruction through deforestation, animal trafficking, human-animal conflicts, and diseases. Prior to 1998, Uganda tried to cooperate with international organizations to fight chimpanzee trafficking and to rehabilitate rescued and orphaned chimpanzees. Unfortunately, this arrangement did not work out well after some organizations were found to renege on the agreement by putting rescued chimpanzees on sale to zoos and individuals who wanted to have them as pets.
After several chimpanzees were rescued by Uganda from Burundi, Europe, and the Albertine region, the government, through the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), and Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), combined efforts with several organizations and individuals, including the Jane Goodall Institute, to establish Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary.
In the beginning, most rescued and injured chimpanzees, along with other animals, were brought to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe, but after the numbers increased, the government decided to start the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary to have them live in a more secure and normal natural environment. The main purpose of the sanctuary is to help them recover from their initial trauma and eventually thrive and live up to their life expectancy of 60 years. The sanctuary started with 11 chimpanzees that have since grown to 53 today.
The rescued chimpanzees are provided with appropriate care, medical attention, and an environment that allows them to express their natural behaviors and interact socially. The sanctuary also plays a crucial role in educating the public about the importance of conserving chimpanzees and their habitats. It raises awareness about the threats facing chimpanzees and promotes responsible wildlife conservation.
The sanctuary implements a tourism program that allows visitors to observe chimpanzees in their naturalistic enclosures, generating revenue to support the sanctuary’s operations and ongoing care for the chimpanzees.
Overall, the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established as a response to the urgent need for protecting and rehabilitating chimpanzees in Uganda. It has since become a model for successful wildlife conservation and education, showcasing the positive impact of collaboration between government agencies, conservation organizations, and local communities.
In 2009, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary won the International Virgin Holiday Award for responsible tourism efforts geared towards wildlife promotion and environmental conservation through ecotourism. Ngamba has also become a primate conservation benchmark for Africa. Conservationists and zoologists from across Africa visit Uganda to learn so as to replicate the systems back home. HAPPY SILVER JUBILEE NGAMBA.
Magezi Kiriinjju is a Communications Officer at the Government Citizen Interaction Centre and a Member of Campfire Ideological Study Group
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