Second Meeting 28 - 30 May 2001 Limbe, Cameroon Sponsored by: Born Free Foundation, Baltimore AAZK, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Copenhagen Zoo, Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, IFAW, Oakland Zoo and Swinerton, Inc. Participating Sanctuaries: Bonobo Sanctuary, DRC CERCOPAN, Nigeria Chimfunshi, Zambia Chimpanzee Conservation Centre, Guinea David Greybeard Sanctuary, South Africa Dewar Wildlife Trust/Gorilla Haven, USA HELP International, Congo Limbe Wildlife Centre, Cameroon Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Uganda Pandrillus, Nigeria Projet des Protection de Gorilles, Congo Projet des Protection de Gorilles, Mpassa, Gabon Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Centre, Cameroon Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Kenya Tacugama, Sierra Leone Tchimpounga, Congo Yaounde Zoo/Mefou National Park, Cameroon Hosted by Limbe Wildlife Centre/ Pandrillus In Collaboration with: Primate Specialist Group (SSC/IUCN) Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (SSC/IUCN) TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Executive Summary 9 Section 2: Agenda 25 Opening Comments/Plenary 26 Participants Contact List 33 Section 3: PASA Working Group Report 39 Section 4: Health Working Group Report 53 Section 5: In situ/Conservation/Bushmeat Issues Working Group Report 73 Section 6: Education Working Group Report 91 Section 7: Management Working Group Report 109 Section 8: Appendices: A. Education - Assessment of Sanctuary Education Programmes 123 B. Education - Sanctuary Checklist for Education Programmes 131 C. Management-MiniSanctuary Matrix 149 D. Draft Global Conservation Strategy for Great Apes 169 Section 9: Closing Comments: Minutes of the Meeting - PASA 181 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY History and Executive Summary Field reports from across Africa indicates that chimpanzees are under heavy siege due to rapid expansion of local human populations and the resultant increases in ongoing hunting and the expansion of the commercial animal trade. One of the major outgrowths of this crisis has been the steady growth of chimpanzee sanctuaries throughout Central and West Africa. From a more humanistic perspective the growth in the number and size of these sanctuaries has had many positive impacts on unnecessary chimp mortality. However, this same rapid proliferation of sanctuaries and their equally rapid population growth has led to some considerable confusion about the management goals of chimp sanctuaries at both the local and regional levels, the development of consistent management standards from one facility to the next, the absence of strict veterinary protocols and training across institutions, and about the nature and structure of fundraising efforts necessary for continued survival of each sanctuary. In addition, the sanctuaries have had difficulties in communicating with and co-ordinating their management activities with other great ape conservation projects ongoing within Africa. Sanctuaries from nine African countries (Cameroon, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda ) were represented at the first meeting, facilitated by CBSG, as a group in Entebbe. Important issues taken up by participants in the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Management Workshop included: 1) the orphanage crisis which is creating problems regarding the size and dynamics of the existing social groups; 2) appropriate size of sanctuaries; 3) animal relocation issues and 4) effective fundraising initiatives. Key policy recommendations from this workshop included: o Sanctuaries are encouraged to have an explicit conservation policy; o The development of a comprehensive management plan is essential; o Each sanctuary should have a written policy on the daily care and management of the chimpanzees to ensure their long-term welfare; o A written policy and guidelines on communication and public relations is necessary; o Sanctuaries should consider forming an African Chimpanzee Sanctuary Alliance. It was decided to name the working group of sanctuary representatives and their supporters the Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA). It is intended to be inclusive of all primates. A steering committee was formed to assist and facilitate the activities of the group in the interim before the next meeting. It was agreed to meet again in 2001 in Cameroon in view of the continuing need for general guidelines for the establishment of chimpanzee sanctuaries, incorporating liaison with host governments, local communities and authorities, site location, long-term sustainability, management practices, chimpanzee management, and health issues. CBSG, in collaboration with the Primate Specialist Group, was invited by the steering committee of PASA to conduct the second planning meeting for primate sanctuaries of Africa. The meeting was held 28st-30th May 2001 in Limbe, Cameroon at the invitation of Cameroon delegates. This workshop was sponsored by: AAZK-Baltimore, Born Free, Cleveland Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Copenhagen Zoo, Disney's Wild Animal Kingdom, IFAW, Oakland Zoo and Swinerton. This workshop was attended by about 53 people from 22 countries including 32 representatives from 16 primate sanctuaries in Africa. It was hosted by the Limbe Wildlife Centre. The meeting in Limbe was organized along the lines of a conservation planning process for an organization at the request of the organizers. We were able to build on the results from last year's meeting and the fact that many of the people were now acquainted with each other and with this process. The initial problem identification exercise produced a convergence on five central themes to serve as the basis for formation of working groups. These were: 1 ) Organizational issues for PASA, 2) Health in the primates and people associated with them, 3) In situ conservation and bushmeat issues, 4) Education at the sanctuary, local, national, and international levels, and 5) Management needs of sanctuaries. Participants were evenly distributed among the groups by their own choice. Information was gathered during the workshop on the numbers of great apes held at each sanctuary this year and last year, and estimates of the number of animals held illegally in their country (Table 1 following). There are 539 chimpanzees, 44 gorillas and 20 bonobos held in the 19 1isted sanctuaries. They cumulatively estimate 980 chimpanzees and 125 gorillas held illegally. Information on characteristics and education programs was also gathered on each sanctuary. This data is presented in a series of tables in the appendices. Budgets range from $20,000 to $350,000. The working groups proceeded through a process of problem refinement, prioritization, development of goals for each problem of issue and then formulation of specific actions to assist achievement of each goal. Responsibility for accomplishing each action was taken by a participant in the workshop. This record of these commitments will serve as a basis for work during the year before the next meeting and as a basis for reporting progress. The work of each group was presented in plenary sessions each day for review and comment. Key recommendations were discussed and reworked where necessary to reach agreement. A key set of actions were taken on the last day of the workshop, using the PASA Working Group's recommendations as a basis for discussion, to form a legal organization. The results of these plenary actions are summarized in the next section. WHERE TO ORDER: IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group 12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Road Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA Fax: 1-612-432-2757 E-mail: office@cbsg.org Price: $35.00 (Spiral bound)
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