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| Chimpanzees eating guavas at Chimfunshi |
They are noisy, cheerful
and entertaining.
These are chimpanzees
who have made this place their home.
Most of them were
rescued from across Africa from poachers and animal traffickers.
Over the years, hundreds
of Chimpanzees have found their way to Chimfunshi Wildlife Sanctuary here in
Chingola, a major mining town in Zambia's Copperbelt region which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This place started
hosting trafficked primates in the early 1980s.
"This
place started as a refuge for the chimps. The road from Solwezi to
Chingola was often used by animal traffickers and the animals easily
found their way to Chimfunshi after being rescued," said Chimfunshi Wildlife Sanctuary
Manager Innocent Mulenga.
Chimfunshi is now the
largest refuge for Chimpanzees in the world.
Ironically, Zambia has
no indigenous Chimpanzees.
These animals are
endangered in most parts of the world.
In the neighbouring
Democratic Republic of Congo, they are hunted for their meat which is a
delicacy.
With the 'never ending' conflict in the DRC, animals such as Chimpanzees are usually under threat because their habitats are always invaded by combatants.
With the 'never ending' conflict in the DRC, animals such as Chimpanzees are usually under threat because their habitats are always invaded by combatants.
This is why Chimfunshi
is now hosting over 120 Chimpanzees, most of them from the DRC, usually confiscated by Zambian authorities at the borders.
Zambia shares over 10 border posts with the DRC.
Chimfunshi is less than 70 kilometres from Kasumbalesa, the nearest border post to the wildlife sanctuary.
The sanctuary is located on the busy Solwezi-Chingola road, a significant export route where a huge percentage of Zambian copper passes on its way to the international market.
It is this major highway which is said to be a conduit for animal traffickers from the DRC to the Far East via South Africa.
"We receive these primates from various countries across the continent. In the past two weeks, we rescued chimpanzees from Angola and South Sudan and settled them here. We collect these animals and keep them for safety," said Mr Mulenga.
Zambia shares over 10 border posts with the DRC.
Chimfunshi is less than 70 kilometres from Kasumbalesa, the nearest border post to the wildlife sanctuary.
The sanctuary is located on the busy Solwezi-Chingola road, a significant export route where a huge percentage of Zambian copper passes on its way to the international market.
It is this major highway which is said to be a conduit for animal traffickers from the DRC to the Far East via South Africa.
"We receive these primates from various countries across the continent. In the past two weeks, we rescued chimpanzees from Angola and South Sudan and settled them here. We collect these animals and keep them for safety," said Mr Mulenga.
Apart from hosting the
Chimpanzees, Chimfunshi is also a tourist attraction.
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| Mr Mulenga checking on his Chimpanzees |
The sanctuary has a
good collection of Zambian curios which are on display at the reception.
Tourists both foreign
and local, visit this place every year to buy these crafts.
The curios are mostly out of local wood, made in the shapes of Chimpanzees and other animals.
The curios are mostly out of local wood, made in the shapes of Chimpanzees and other animals.
This place is also
ideal for pupils and students who have an interest in nature and conservation.
"We
usually receive pupils from Solwezi, Chingola and Kitwe. These are
pupils who are in Nature Clubs and they come here to study and spend one
to three nights in our shelters," said Chimfunshi Wildlife Sanctuary
Assistant Manager Tarisai Makwelele.
Being rich in rare
species, Chimfunshi is also a center for research.
Every year, this sanctuary
receives researchers who come here to study the primates.
"Most
of the researchers who come here are from Germany, the USA and locally.
Because of the conducive environment where our Chimpanzees are roaming
freely, these researchers are able to study the primates without a
problem," said Mr Mulenga who holds a Masters in Primatology.
Among the Chimpanzees
here, the oldest is a female called Mila.
She is believed to have
been born in 1972 in Cameroon but was later transferred to the Tanzanian town
of Arusha.
Mila is believed to
have been rescued from a bar where she used to drink beer and smoke cigarettes
as part of her job to entertain patrons.
Her handlers say to
date, some of her traits show the effects of the abuse.
Chimfunshi Wildlife
Sanctuary is also an employer.
18 people are employed
here in various capacities, with the oldest employee having been here for 15 years.
The sanctuary, which is
run by a trust, has even built a health post and a school where over 100 local children
are enrolled.
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| A worker, feeding the Chimpanzees |
The sanctuary sits on an 11,000 hectare plot which is divided into two.
The first 6,000 hectares is inhabited by the Chimpanzees who are separated in groups of 20 to 30 secured by wires to avoid fights among different troops.
The remaining 5,000 hectares is a livestock farm which currently has 700 cattle which are kept by the wildlife trust to support the conservation of the Chimps.
Occasionally, the authorities here sale cattle to raise funds to meet the day-to-day financial needs of running the world's largest Chimpanzee sanctuary.
Because of its remote location, Chimfunshi uses solar panes to power all its facilities.
However, one of the
biggest challenges this place faces is the 15 kilometers road which runs from the Chingola-Solwezi road to the wildlife
sanctuary.
The road is gravel and
because of the many streams which cross it, it is usually in bad state during
the rainy season.
But access during the
dry season is reasonable.
The journey from Chingola town to Chimfunshi only takes an hour and the distance is 64 kilometers.
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