Monthly Report
January 19
Limbe Wildlife Centre: January 2019 by Guillaume LE FLOHIC Manager (Limbe Wildlife Centre) & Country Director (Pandrillus Cameroon)
Published in February 2019 Limbe Wildlife Centre, P.O. Box 878, Limbe, Republic of Cameroon
Limbe Wildlife Centre is a collaborative effort between the Pandrillus Foundation and the Republic of Cameroon, Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF Pandrillus Foundation is a non-profit making NGO specialized in the protection, rehabilitation and reintroduction of primates, as well as management and sustainable financing of conservation projects in Africa Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife is in charge of implementing the national forest policy for ensuring sustainable management and conservation of wildlife and biodiversity over the national territory as enacted by forestry law No. 01/94 of 20 February which regulates all forestry, wildlife and fisheries activities
guillaume@limbewildlife.org limbewildlifecentre
+237 681 991 590 limbewildlife
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limbewildlife.org limbewildlife
Monthly Report
January 19
Content
FOREWORD JANUARY 2018 HIGHLIGHTS ACHIEVEMENTS JANUARY 2019 & OBJECTIVES FEBRUARY 2019 1. LWC-RoC Partnership 2. Basic documents 3. Administration, Human Resources & Finance 4. Infrastructures and development 5. Material & Equipment 6. Capacity building 7. Conservation and Environmental Education 8. Constituency for conservation 9. Conservation ecotourism 10. Management of animal population and well-being 11. Rehabilitation and release programme 12. Research, Monitoring & Health Safety rules 13. Communication & Visibility
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4 6 7 7 7 7 7 10 10 11 12 13 13 15 16 17
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Foreword
Dear Friends and Supporters, In this new year 2019, I wish to send, on behalf of all the staff and all the animals we care for at the Limbe Wildlife Centre, my best wishes to you and your family. Last month, our awareness program was particularly intense. After a short break during the holiday period, our school outreach programme and Saturday Nature Club resumed as usual, and so far this academic year we have taught conservation education more than 1,000 local children. The team also organised the third session of the Family Batoke Nature Club that took place at the end of January. This time, the subject was plastic pollution and recycling (p. 11-12). Year-round maintenance has continued, with a focus this month on work in the night cages of the Chimp Island group (p. 7-9). We are thankful to both Candace
Sclimenti and Lee Ann Rottman, and their respective employers (Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Zoo Tampa) for their dedication and motivation to help us improve our structural enrichment inside the cages (p. 8-9). Candace and Lee Ann also worked closely with our animal wellbeing and population manager to develop and standardise our enrichment procedures and to set a special programme for Ngambe (an adult female chimpanzee) to help her restore basic social skills (p. 1011). With the efforts made over the past few years, we are very pleased that almost all the animals under our care are now fully integrated into a group, and are enjoying an enriched social life. Now we can devote more time to address the issues of a few individuals, like Ngambe, who has a deeprooted form of stress as a result of her exploitation as a victim of the illegal wildlife trade. Despite all differences in
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personalites, individuals of the same species do belong together. Hence, we aim to increase both her well-being and her ability to display the most natural behaviours possible. Moreover, we were thrilled to welcome several foreign volunteers this month and appreciate the passion and energy they bring to the team: they will be a huge help in monitoring and enriching the lives of all animals. In addition, researchers will soon conduct a study of gorilla space use and social relationships in view of planning the restructure of our gorilla groups and enclosures. And this month we rescued 4 birds including 3 owls! The other individual was an African grey parrot (p. 15), arriving in
very poor condition. We hope that we will soon be able to build the first rehabilitation aviary in Cameroon (and perhaps Africa!) specifically designed to speed up their flying capacities and restore strength faster. If you wish to play an active role in the conservation of this amazing bird, please donate towards this much-needed aviary via our website www.limbewildlife.org, or at: https://chuffed.org/project/save-theendangered-african-grey-parrot Really your donation will make a huge difference! Thank you for your unfailing support,
With very best wishes,
Limbe, 31 January 2019
Guillaume LE FLOHIC LWC Manager, Pandrillus Foundation
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January 2018 Highlights
□ Organised a training workshop on Building a positive reinforcement training plan to improve behavioural and social skills of unskilled humanised chimpanzees □ Organised the third session of the Batoke’s Family Nature Club on Plastic pollution & recycling
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Achievements January 2019 & Objectives February 2019 1. LWC-RoC Partnership □ None
February 2018 objectives: □ None
2. Basic documents □ Upgraded the standard operation procedures in case of a great ape escape
February 2018 objectives: □ Validate internal rules and regulations
3. Administration, Human Resources & Finance □ None
February 2018 objectives: □ Organise Individual performance review □ Organise an annual staff meeting
4. Infrastructures and development □ Continued the enrichment of the Drill enclosure: prepared the remaining visual obstacles (Image 1) □ Continued the maintenance of the Chimp Island satellite cages (Images 2-6) □ Re-enriched the first fully renovated room of the Chimp Island satellite cages (Images 7-8) □ Maintained some poles of the Chimp Island enclosure (Images 9-10)
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Image 1. Crafting and welding of visual Image 2. A view of a completely screen metal frame and door merge for damage platform support beam in the the Drill enclosure. night cage of the Chimp Island group.
Image 3. Replacement of damaged Image 4. Painting of first layer antirust metal structure in the night cage of the paint in the night cage of the Chimp Chimp Island group. Island group.
Image 5. Cutting and dismounting of the Image 6. Painting and final view of the damaged door frame, sliding door, door mounted sliding door in the night cage of rails and support beam. the Chimp Island group.
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Image 7. Installing new structural Image 8. Preparing the newly enriched enrichment inside the night cage: ropes, room before opening to the chimp for tires and hose. the night. Browse have been hidden in any possible corner of the room to reduce conflicts.
Image 9. Identification of cracked and loose concrete base on a support pole which as a result reduces fence strength in the Chimp Island enclosure.
Image 10. Tensioning of support pole to be aligned, welding of more metal angle braces and re-concreting of the pole base in the Chimp Island enclosure.
February 2018 objectives: □ Complete the re-enrichment Red-capped mangabey enclosures (pending) □ Complete the renovation and enrichment of the Drill enclosure: visual obstacles □ Complete the maintenance of the Chimp Island satellite cages
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5. Material & Equipment □ Purchase new angle grinder and a new welding machine (Images 11-12) □ Received donations for the vet clinic, including a new hammock for our primates
Image 11. The new angle grinder will help Image 12. The new portable welding our construction team to perform some machine will help our construction team critical maintenance work faster. to intervene faster in case of an emergency. February 2018 objectives: □ None
6. Capacity building Ongoing activities □ Professionalised & trained staff, students and volunteers on behavioural (quarantine & stage 1) and social (stage 2) rehabilitation □ Empowered our vet nurse at capturing veterinary records in our database
Specific activities □ Workshop: Building a positive reinforcement training plan to improve behavioural and social skills of unskilled humanised chimpanzees, by Candace Sclimenti (Los Angeles Zoo) and Lee Ann Rottman (Zoo Tampa) (Image 13)
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□ Workshop: Nutrition and enrichment to improve Primate well-being, by Candace Sclimenti (Los Angeles Zoo) and Lee Ann Rottman (Zoo Tampa) (Image 14)
Image 13. Candace Sclimenti (from Los Angeles Zoo), Killi Matute Stephen, our Head of Quarantine, and Lee Ann Rottman (from Zoo Tampa)posing after the first session of positive reinforcement training to help Ngamba recover her natural social skills
Image 14. Lee Ann Rottman (re)explaining to our staff why it is important to follow the feeding procedures: ensure sufficient energy intake for each individual, prevent fights and maximise foraging time.
February 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing activities
7. Conservation and Environmental Education □ Nature's Club: Continued the 2018-2019 programme: 111 kids registered; monthly effort: 88 children.days NB: due to the third session of the Batoke's Family Nature Club that took place on 26th of January, 1 Saturday's Nature Club were cancelled
□ School outreach programme: Continued the 2018-2019 programme: 122.8 men.hrs, covering 10 schools, 21 classes and 1,023 students □ Batoke’s Family Nature Club: Organised the third session on the 26th January on Plastic pollution & recycling: 38 families, 61 participants (62% females, 24 children between 4 and 17 years old (39%), 70% of community members not involved in the Green Project) (Images 15-16)
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Image 15. The Batoke community members collected plastic bottles and other pollutant items in Batoke. The objective was for them to realize the amount of plastic that remains on a relatively small surface.
Image 16. Our educators explained to the attendees where items made of plastic end when they are not recycled or disposed of appropriately, and how it affects land and marine ecosystems, as well as human life.
February 2018 objectives: □ Continue with above ongoing programs □ Organise session 2 of the Family Nature Club
8. Constituency for conservation □ Community-based Green Economy: 15 ex-hunter members sustainably harvesting wild herbaceous plants: 861 kg of Aframomum stems and 983 kg of Costus stems; 42 women members harvesting crop by-product: 844 kg of cassava leaves, 1,460 kg of papaya leaves, 3,404 kg of potato leaves, 1,003 kg of invasive Trumpet wood shoots, corresponding to 223 trees hand cut; 888,845 XAF (€1,357) paid directly to the local community association this month; 888,845 XAF (€1,357) contributed to alleviate poverty in 2019.
February 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing programme
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9. Conservation ecotourism □ Continued with the ongoing activities
February 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing activities
10. Management of animal population and well-being Ongoing activities □ Maintained frequency and diversity of enrichment in each section □ Drill: Continued the reintegration of Jomio (adult male), Ossing (adult female) and their baby back to the group: transfer in satellite cage □ Tantalus monkey: Continued re-socialization process of Malende (adult male) in a satellite cage of the savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure in view of future possible re-integration into the group
Specific activities □ Chimpanzee: Started the new positive reinforcement training plan to improve behavioural and social skills of Ngambe (adult female): stimulated social play behaviours with Mayos (adult handicapped female) (Image XX)
□ Vet cares (January 2018): ◌ 20 Primate individuals treated; 7 anaesthesia performed; 4 individuals sampled (4 blood samples for haematology analysis, 0 blood samples for biochemistry analysis, 4 faecal samples for coprology analysis, 2 samples for microbiology analysis); 0 identification with microchip; 2 contraceptions; 0 minor surgery; 0 laceration repairs; 13 drug therapies: 43% arthritis supplements, 28% anti-inflammatories, 14% dietary supplements, 14% antiparasitics, 0% antibiotics, 0% painkillers, 0% antispasmodic; 4 health checks (General health checks: Drill (2;
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Image 17), Mandrill (2)); 1 death: Mona monkey (1: Akwa (subadult male, shock resulting from acute stress disorder)); 0 euthanasia 2 newly arrived young juvenile birds (African wood owl & Northern white-faced owl) did not survive
Image 17. General health check of Mangeh (adult female Drill), before transferring her back to the Drill enclosure. Several weeks ago, she was diagnosed with an acute skin infection that required rapid intervention, antibiotic treatment and close monitoring.
February 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing activities □ Chimpanzee: Continue the new positive reinforcement training plan for Ngambe (adult female) □ Tantalus monkey: Continue Malende's (adult male) re-integration process □ Vet cares: General health checks: None; Contraception: None; Microchip identification: None
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11. Rehabilitation and release programme Arrival & quarantine □ Rescued 1 adult endangered African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) (Image 18) □ Rescued 1 juvenile African wood owl (Strix woodfordii) (Image 19) □ Rescued 1 adult Barn owl (Tyto alba) (Image 20) □ Rescued 1 juvenile Northern white-faced owl (Ptilopsis leucotis) (Image 21)
Behavioural rehabilitation □ Western lowland gorilla: Continued behavioural rehabilitation of Bobga in the forest
Social rehabilitation □ None
Release (ecological & environmental rehabilitation) □ Released 1 adult Barn owl (Tyto alba)
Image 18. This adult endangered African grey parrot was in poor condition at his arrival: one eye seemed lost and had several wounds on the head. His condition is improving quickly.
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Image 19. This juvenile African wood owl was found in a compound and brought to us hoping that we could restore its health and grow it. Unfortunately, despite our daily care and the fact it was eating, drinking and defecating well, it died after a few days.
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Image 20. This Barn owl was in rather good conditions when she arrived, and one day of observation, drinking and feeding, she was released back into the wild.
Image 21. This juvenile Northern whitefaced owl was also brought to the LWC. However, he was overly stressed, dehydrated and weak and survived only two days.
February 2018 objectives: □ Western lowland gorilla: Continue Bobga's behavioural rehabilitation by introducing him into a forested area to stimulate foraging and locomotive behaviours
12. Research, Monitoring & Health Safety rules Ongoing activities □ None
Activity achievement □ None
Data analysis □ None
February 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing activities
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□ Start the study on the distance between individuals, social relationships and space use by the 4 groups of Western lowland gorillas, in view of assessing the feasibility to recompose group and restructure the enclosures
13. Communication & Visibility □ Digital communication (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter): Overall reach up this month to 197,246, of which more than 80K on Twitter alone; +15% in Instagram followers
February 2018 objectives: □ Continue advocating the missions of the LWC within the Central African Conservation Landscape in Cameroon
14. Revenues generated □ Entrance fees (January 2018): 857,200XAF (3,286 visitors; 53% adults, 47% children) 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Apr-18 May-18 Jun-18 Jul-18 Aug-18 Sep-18 Oct-18 Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Adult Nationals
Children Nationals
Adult Foreigners
Children Foreigners
Figure 1.Visitor statistics January 2017-January 2018
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