Conservation experts have said that ten baby chimpanzees have been confiscated from smugglers during the last two years. Lilian Ajarova, the executive director of the Chimpanzee sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation trust based on Ngamba Island and said that chimpanzee traffickers had resumed their dangerous trade. She added that they had two silent years of no chimp confiscation and now they have 10 chimps recovered from suspected smugglers in the last two years. Speaking at the workshop organized at Ngamba Island to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Island, which is a sanctuary for orphaned Chimps. At the same ceremony, Jane Goodall, an international renowned Chimpanzee conservationist. Launched a five year strategic plan for the sanctuary . Dr. Seguya , the head of the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, said the expansive farming is the largest threat to chimps.

He Also noted that chimps live in protective groups and for a baby to be taken away from the group, poachers must have killed all the group members. He pointed out a case in which four chimps disappeared from Kibaale national park.

Chimpanzees are one of the endangered primates species according to the red delta list of the world conservation union meaning that they would disappear soon if nothing is done to protect them from poachers and distruction of habitats.The majority can be found in Kibale national park with some in Queen Elizabeth national park’ s Kyambura gorge or even Murchison falls Np’s kaniyo Pabidi Forest. Ngamba Island together with the CSWT(Chimpanzee sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation trust) have done a great role in conserving Chimpanzee a measure that will help secure some.

By Tanah Hadijah
UGANDA SAFARI NEWS