Limbe Widlife Centre: May 2018

Limbe Wildlife Centre A wildlife rehabilitation and educat ion centre

A collaborative effort between the Pandrillus Foundation &the Republic of Cameroon

Monthly Report

May 18

Report: May 18 Limbe Wildlife Centre

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Guillaume LE FLOHIC Pandrillus Manager: Limbe Wildlife Centre

guillaume@limbewildlife.org limbewildlifecentre

+237 681 991 590 limbewildlife

limbewildlife.org limbewildlife

Monthly Report

May 18

Content FOREWORD MAY 2018 HIGHLIGHTS ACHIEVEMENTS MAY 2018 & OBJECTIVES JUNE 2018 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 14. Revenues generated

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4 6 6 6 7 7 7 10 11 11 13 13 14 15 16 17 18

Monthly Report

May 18

Foreword Dear Friends and Supporters, Once again this month was action packed! We had a big storm that damaged some of our infrastructures, fortunately not too seriously! Amongst all the major achievements of May, we are so proud to announce that after almost one year of hard work, Lolo, Madame and Mayos are fully integrated into the Chimp Island group (p. 14)! Similarly, our new savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure is full of enrichment and very soon our three Patas monkeys and eight Tantalus monkeys will enjoy it for the first time (p. 6-8, 13). Thorough monitoring will be undertaken to ensure all individuals are adjusting well to their new social and physical environment.

Before the summer holidays begin, our education team has been very busy organising several events for our partner schools, a group of children taken care of by the Catholic Diocese of Buea, our Saturday Nature Club children and more (p. 10-11)! Perhaps more importantly, we organised our biannual workshop and debate with our partner community in Batoke involved in the Green project. This time,

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we chose to involve the chief of Batoke, who gently welcomed our suggestion to organise the workshop publicly in Batoke (p. 12)! The positive impact the Limbe Wildlife Centre, through Pandrillus, has had in terms of poverty alleviation and women emancipation in the chief’s community was acknowledged.

We hope this can serve as an example, and in the long term such success can be replicated and scaled up.

This subject was part of the discussion I and our Conservator, Mr Philip NKENG had with Secretary of State to the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and Sub directors when we met in Yaoundé. We insisted on the fact LWC is a rehabilitation and education centre that plays a critical role in environmental education and public awareness raising. Changing attitudes towards wildlife is still a huge task, but we hope we can use the major event coming up in next year, the African Cup of Nations, to promote conservation in Cameroon and globally, and more specifically our mission.

I also travelled to the South Region, to meet with stakeholders of the Campo Ma’an National Park, including with the private sector and local community (p. 5). Our capacity to strengthen our network, to assess the sustainability of the framework as well as the quality of the environment is critical to create opportunities to build semi-free forested enclosures in view of future reintroductions for LWC animals. It is still a long way away, but every step counts!

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May 18

Meanwhile, our communications and marketing department has been working on improving the online visibility of our activities and achievements. Obviously this is a major tool to reach and engage more people. This month, we focused specifically on the endangered African grey parrots, for which the day was celebrated on 31 May. We hope to rescue more parrots in the near future and provide them with the first rehabilitation cage made specifically for the needs of the species!

Read the full story here and read about the new enclosure we want to build asap here.

Thank you for your unfailing support, With very best wishes, Limbe, 31 May 2018

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Guillaume LE FLOHIC LWC Manager, Pandrillus Foundation

Monthly Report

May 18

May 2018 highlights □ Meeting with stakeholders of Campo Ma’an National Park, South Region □ Published the 2017 annual report □ Completed the structural enrichments of the new savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure and satellite cages □ Trained our vet nurse to the preparation of Nyango’s skeleton (Cross river gorilla) □ Event: Saturday Nature Club Final Event □ Organized a Community Workshop at Batoke with the members involved in the Green project □ Chimpanzee: Achieved the social integration of Lolo, Madame & Mayos into the Chimp Island group

Achievements May 2018 & Objectives June 2018 1. LWC-RoC Partnership □ Meeting with Ms. KOULSOUMI Alhadji BOUKAR, Secretary of State to the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), Mr NJIANG Antoine and Mr BEN AMINOU Mohamed, Sub Directors of the Direction of Wildlife □ Meeting with stakeholders of Campo Ma’an National Park, South Region, including local community, private sector, MINFOF representative and technical partner (Images 1-2)

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Image 1. Meeting between all stakeholders at one of the Pygmee villages around the Campo Ma’an National Park: discussion about the importance of the nontimber forest products as alternative economy and of the need to guarantee fair trade.

June 2018 objectives: □ None

Image 2. Family picture with stakeholders involved in and around the protection of Campo Ma’an National Park.

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May 18

2. Basic documents □ Published the 2017 annual report (online report available here)

June 2018 objectives: □ Review internal rules and regulations □ Publish the 2018 work plan (coming soon)

3. Administration, Human Resources & Finance □ None

June 2018 objectives: □ Administrative and Financial audit of 2017

4. Infrastructures and development □ Completed the structural enrichment in the new savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure and

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satellite cages (Images 3-11) □ Maintenance of one sliding cage door in gorilla Arno’s group (Images 12-14) □ Providing new drinking water spots to satellite cages of gorilla Chella’s, Benito’s and Batek’s groups (Images 15-17) □ Reconstruction of the Quarantine bamboo fence (Image 18) □ Reconstruction of the drill bamboo fence (Images 19-20)

Image 3. Welding of the upper level crafted support rings on the beam to carry the bamboo enrichments.

Image 4. View of a complete welded lower level ring enrichment support.

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May 18

Image 5. Welding and mounting of bowls inside the savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure.

Image 6. Final view of food bowl and support designed to insert tree branches or browse for savannah-dwelling guenons.

Image 7. Final view of the bamboo platforms inside the satellite cages of the savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure.

Image 8. View of a complete ladder and bamboo branches enrichment inside the savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure

Image 9. Positioning and arrangement of bamboo screen inside the savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure

Image 10. Laying of palm branches on the top to provide shade on the provided resting platform spots inside the savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure

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Monthly Report

May 18

Image 11. Final view of the savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure and satellite.

Image 12. Discovering of twist door rails of the sliding door in Arno’s group.

Image 13. Replacement of the damaged door rails in

Image 14. Welding of the door rails to the frame.

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Arno’s group.

Image 15. Crafting of the new water spots shield for

Chella’s, Benito’s and Batek’s groups.

Image 16. Welded water spot to the cage frame.

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May 18

Image 17. Final view of the water spots and drinking containers for Chella’s, Benito’s and Batek’s groups.

Image 18. Final view of the Quarantine Bamboo fence repaired after the storm blew it.

Image 19. Aligning and concreting of main support pillars poles feet and welding of the parallel support beams for the drill bamboo fencing.

Image 20. Positioning and fastening of the bamboo fence repaired after the storm blew it.

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June 2018 objectives: □ Complete the construction of overhangs on the Drill enclosure □ Start the maintenance of the quarantine infrastructures

5. Material & Equipment □ None

June 2018 objectives: □ None

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May 18

6. Capacity building Ongoing activities □ Professionalised & trained staff, students and volunteers on behavioural (quarantine & stage 1) and social (stage 2) rehabilitation □ Trained our vet nurse on the preparation of Nyango’s skeleton (Cross river gorilla) in view of mounting and exhibiting it for education purpose: identification and listing of all bones (Images 21-22)

Specific activities □ None

11 Image 21. Inventory and label of each part of the skeleton: hands, feet, spinal column etc. Well organised storage is critical to preserve every bone and limit the risk of losing the smallest ones.

Image 22. TANA OSSOMBA Materle Thierry, our recently appointed vet nurse, was trained on bone identification. He successfully inventoried and recomposed Nyango’s skeleton. Next step will be mounting of the skeleton.

June 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing activities

7. Conservation and Environmental Education □ Nature's Club: Ended the 2017-2018 programme: 187children registered; monthly effort: 152 children days □ School outreach programme: programme will resume in October 2018 □ Event: Saturday Nature Club Final Event: 102 children attended (Images 23-24) □ Event: Special Nature Club for children taken care of by the Catholic Diocese of Buea □ Event: School outreach final event: Last session organized at LWC (Image 25) □ Event: Participated in the celebration to mark the anniversary of Bob Marley’s death: ATEH Wilson, our Head of Education, was invited to speak on the link between culture, arts and environment protection (Image 26)

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Image 23. For our last Nature Club this year, we organised a big competition. Children were divided into 5 groups named after a species present at the LWC, and the winning team got a special prize!

Image 24. All the children present for the final event will now go on holidays and will be back next October!

Happy holidays!

Image 25. Schoolchildren made the tour with our educators and then received their certificates for their good work this year!

Image 26. LWC’s education team is also on duty at night! We are using any relevant platforms to spread our word, especially through all forms of arts and cultures. For few minutes during the concert, ATEH Wilson highlighted the importance of stopping the bush meat trade and consumption to preserve wildlife and nature!

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June 2018 objectives: â–Ą None

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May 18

8. Constituency for conservation □ Community-based Green Economy: 15 ex-hunter members sustainably harvesting wild herbaceous plants: 1,950 Aframomum stems and 401kg of Costus stems; 37women members harvesting crop by-product: 861 kg of cassava leaves, 2,324kg of papaya leaves, 2,834kg of potato leaves,343 kg of invasive Trumpet wood shoots, corresponding to 76.2trees hand cut; 837,325XAF (1,278 EUR) paid directly to the local communityassociation this month; 4,390,590 XAF (6,703EUR) contributed to alleviate poverty in 2018. □ Organised a Community Workshop at Batoke with the members involved in the Green project and in presence of the representative of the Chief of Batoke (Images 27-28)

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Image 27. ATEH Wilson, LWC’s Head of Education explaining to the community members the importance to protect wildlife and stop bush meat trade.

June 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the ongoing programme

9. Conservation ecotourism □ Continued with the ongoing activities

June 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the ongoing activities

Image 28. AKALA Daniel, coordinator of the Green project, highlighting to the community members why the Green project is mutually-beneficial and it is important to sustain it.

Monthly Report

May 18

10. Management of animal population and well-being Ongoing activities □ Maintained frequency and diversity of enrichment in each section

Specific activities □ Drill: Started the reintegration of Jomio (adult male), Ossing (adult female) and their baby back to the group: transfer in satellite cage □ Savannah-dwelling guenons: Transferred the newly composed group into the satellite cages of the new enclosure (Image 29)

□ Vet cares (May 2018): ◌ 32 Primate individuals treated; 12 anaesthesia performed; 14 individuals sampled (9 blood samples for haematology analysis, 10 fecal samples for coprology analysis, 2 exudates sample for microbiology analysis); 1 identification with microchip; 1 minor surgery; 0 laceration repairs; 27 drug therapies: 48% antibiotics, 22% dietary supplements, 22% anti-inflammatories, 4% antiparasitics, 4% insulin injections for diabetic individuals; 7 health checks (General health checks: Chimpanzee (2; Image 30); Olive Baboon (4); 3rd health check: Western lowland gorilla (1, Bobga); 2 contraception; 0 death; 0 euthanasia

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Image 29. The Tantalus monkeys were transferred to the two adjoining rooms in the satellite cage, while the Patas monkeys were transferred to the separated third satellite rooms to reduce risk of conflict during the time they adapt to their new environment. All individuals will be released in their new enriched enclosure beginning of June 2018!

Image 30. In view of annual screening of TB in our chimpanzee population, a team from the Limbe Regional Hospital came with the X-ray machine to calibrate the machine to our conditions for Pekus (adult male).

June 2018 objectives: □ Continue with the ongoing activities □ Vet cares: General health checks: None; Contraception: None; Microchip identification: None

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May 18

11. Rehabilitation and release programme Arrival & quarantine □ None

Behavioural rehabilitation □ Western lowland gorilla: Continued behavioural rehabilitation of Bobga

Social rehabilitation □ Chimpanzee: Achieved the social integration of Lolo, Madame & Mayos into the Chimp Island group (Image 31) □ Chimpanzee: Continued social rehabilitation of Ngambe (adult female) in the Chimp Nursery with Ghaa (adult male), Chinoise (subadult female) and Jackie (adult female)

Release (ecological & environmental rehabilitation) □ None

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Image 31.After taking several difficult months to get accepted by all members of the Island group, Madame (left) and Lolo (right) are now fully integrated into the group, along with Mayos. Congratulations to the chimp caregivers for their dedication and constant efforts!

June 2018 objectives: □ Western lowland gorilla: Continue Bobga's behavioural rehabilitation

Monthly Report

May 18

12. Research, Monitoring& Health Safety rules Ongoing activities □ Drill: Continued daily monitoring of Monday (diabetic adult male) glycaemia, continued training for insulin injection

Activity achievement □ Chimpanzee: Completed the scientifically-sound behavioural monitoring of the Chimpanzee Mainland group □ Health and safety: organized a workshop on Tuberculosis and sampling of all staff for annual checkups, by Bamenda TB Reference Laboratory (Image 32)

Data analysis □ Chimpanzee: Completed the assessment of change in the group cohesion following introduction and loss of individuals in the Chimpanzee Mainland group: synthesis of 2-years monitoring (Image 33) 0.25 0.20 0.15 Social play

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0.10

Solitary play

0.05 0.00 Oct 2016 Dec 2016 Apr 2017 Apr 2018

Image 32. Assistant Manager and volunteer helping the team from Bamenda to prepare all samples for LWC’s staff.

June 2018 objectives: □ Continue with above ongoing activities

Image 33. One year after full integration of Jules and Carlos into the Mainland group, the total amount of play significantly increased in the group, which indicates increase in group cohesion and individual well-being (Kruskal-Wallis: chi-squared = 34.719, df = 3, p-value = 1.397e-07; followed by Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction: W = 33, p-value = 0.002221)

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May 18

13. Communication &Visibility □ Pan African Sanctuary Alliance: our team sent to the Centre de Conservation des Chimpanzés in Guinea continues to coordinate the construction of the next chimpanzee enclosure (Images 34-35) □ Website: Added new content, updated some outdated information, added new buttons to our template… □ Facebook: 259 new page likes (+25% from last month), reached 54,280 (+46%), engaged with 15,744 (+15%) □ Instagram: +10% followers this month □ YouTube: 44.817 views (+569%) □ Installed Google Analytics □ Interviews: Rowena FACEE SCHAEFFER, who volunteered last April spoke about our mission, activities and volunteering work at LWC on ANIMALS TODAY: check the article here (in Dutch) □ Press release: Raising awareness of the plight of the African Grey Parrot on the World Parrot Day; to read more and help us to reach our target to build a new African Grey Parrot rehabilitation facility click here □ Advocated the mission, presented the results and future strategic development of the Limbe Wildlife Centre to several wildlife conservation stakeholders in Yaounde, 29 May-1 June

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Image 34. Discussion between our Construction team and managers of the Centre de Conservation des Chimpanzés about construction plans for their new enclosure.

Image 35. AFORLICA Vallarine, our Head of Construction, controlling the position of the beam for the new enclosure fences in the Centre de Conservation des Chimpanzés in Guinea.

June 2018 objectives: □ Continue advocating the missions of the LWC within the Central African Conservation Landscape in Cameroon

Monthly Report

May 18

14. Revenues generated â–Ą Entrance fees (May 2018): 904,300XAF (1,604visitors; 78% adults,22% children) 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 May-17 Jun-17

Jul-17

Aug-17 Sep-17 Oct-17 Nov-17 Dec-17 Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Apr-18 May-18

Adult Nationals

Children Nationals

Adult Foreigners

Children Foreigners

Figure 1.Visitor statistics May 2017-May 2018

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