Limbe Wildlife Centre: June 2019

Monthly Report

June 19

Limbe Wildlife Centre: June 2019

by Guillaume LE FLOHIC Manager (Limbe Wildlife Centre) & Country Director (Pandrillus Cameroon)

Published in July 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 July 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

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Content

FOREWORD JUNE 2019 HIGHLIGHTS ACHIEVEMENTS JUNE 2019 & OBJECTIVES JULY 2019 1. Pandrillus-GoC Partnership| Public Relations| Project Management 2. Infrastructures and development| Material & Equipment 3. Capacity building 4. Conservation and Environmental Education 5. Constituency for conservation 6. Conservation ecotourism 7. Management of animal population and well-being 8. Rehabilitation and release programme 9. Research, Monitoring & Health Safety rules 10. Communication &Visibility 11. Revenues generated

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Foreword

Dear Friends and Supporters,

CafĂŠ in Douala was covered by local media (p. 21-23).

June was a great month for Pandrillus both in and out of the Limbe Wildlife Centre.

The team and I met with several current and potential partners in both Europe and in Cameroon to advocate for the work done

by Pandrillus at the Limbe Wildlife Centre and to assist the Government of Cameroon to protect land and aquatic wildlife (p. 78). During these challenging times, there is a need to develop new concepts, join efforts, collaborate and think outside of the box if we are to make real change for wildlife.

We received some excellent exposure on our Protect Wildlife Campaign which was reported by BBC radio, and Deutsche Welle reported on our work with endangered African grey parrots. Also, the Protect Wildlife Charity Night at the Lynk Garden

Furthermore, we organised several events to promote Nature conservation: we celebrated the World Environment Day, the end-of-year education party and organised a special Saturday Nature Club on the critically endangered Preuss's red colobus monkey (Procolobus preussi). A special exhibition was organised with Partners for Red Colobus, which aims to educate the public on this relatively unknown species, which is only present in SE Nigeria and SW Cameroon. (p. 12-13, 15). In addition, we organised our 7th Batoke Family Nature Club, which took place in the Limbe Botanical Garden. In total, 297 adults and children of the local community participated in our educational activities (p. 12-14).

The most significant news on the animal side is that we rescued 19 endangered

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African grey parrots that were destined for the illegal wildlife trade (p. 7-8, 18). They arrived in very poor condition and unfortunately, 5 of them died from various complications. Our construction team is busy building the new aviary for the parrots which will significantly increase their individual welfare and flying capacity (p. 9-10). Furthermore, the team finally completed the enrichment in the Redcapped mangabey enclosure which now provides a more complex and stimulating environment for these colourful primates (p. 9, 16-17).

authorities and other partners in Campo to conduct our first field mission in the park (p. 7, 19-10). Our goal is to study the feasibility of building semi-free enclosures in the park for some of our rehabilitated wildlife originating from this area: ie. mandrills, gorillas and guenons. This project also has the potential to help improve the protection of the park, by providing alternative livelihoods replicated from our Community-based green project model, education to the local community, research and ecotourism opportunities.

Finally our Research and Monitoring Unit met with the Campo Ma'an National Park

Thank you for your unfailing support,

With very best wishes,

Limbe, 30 June 2019

Guillaume LE FLOHIC LWC Manager, Pandrillus Foundation

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June 2019 Highlights

□ The Pandrillus Country Director hold a series of meetings in Europe □ MINFOF-LAGA-Pandrillus joined in a field operation to confiscate and rescue 19 endangered African grey parrots □ The Research and Monitoring Unit met with Campo Ma'an National Park authorities and partners and conducted the first field mission in the park □ Completed the re-enrichment Red-capped mangabey enclosure □ Built male Tantalus monkey Malende’s new enclosure □ Batoke’s Family Nature Club: Organised the 7th session on the forest ecosystem □ Launched an exhibition on the critically endangered Preuss's Red Colobus, in partnership with Partners for Red Colobus and PSMNR SWR □ Completed the data collection for the behavioural study of space use and social relationships in our gorilla’s groups, in partnership with AKONGO □ Conducted the first field prospection work in the Campo Ma'an National Park, South Region □ Event: Organised a Charity Night at the Lynk Garden Café, Douala □ Media coverage: 4 local and international reports made

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Achievements June 2019 & Objectives July 2019 1. Pandrillus-GoC Partnership| Public Relations| Project Management □ The Pandrillus Country Director hold a series of meetings in Munich, Germany and in several zoological parks in France to advocate for Pandrillus long-term vision for the Limbe Wildlife Centre and Wildlife Protection in Cameroon (Images 1-2) □ MINFOF-LAGA-Pandrillus joined in a field operation to confiscate and rescue 19 endangered African grey parrots at Kribi seaport, en route to Nigeria (Image 3) □ The Education Unit visited the Tube Awù Association of Ebodjé, South Region and discussed possible future collaborative efforts (Image 4) □ The Research and Monitoring Unit met with Campo Ma'an National Park authorities and partners to discuss the educational and eco-touristic potential of developing semi-free enclosure for wildlife rehabilitated at the Limbe Wildlife Centre

Image 1. Pandrillus Country Director, Guillaume Le Flohic (second from the left) met with Pro Wildlife team in Munich. For the past 20 years, Pro Wildlife has been one of the most dedicated and committed organisation to sustaining the LWC and making it the institution it is today. On this other hand, the Limbe Wildlife Centre is Pro Wildlife's first partner project!

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Image 2. Over the past years, Save the Drill worked very hard to sustain Pandrillus efforts to support the Government of Cameroon in the financing and management of the Limbe Wildlife Centre.

Pandrillus Country Director (middle) met with Carsten Zehrer, the Deputy Head of Zoology at the Hellabrunn Zoo Munich (left), and Kathrin Paulsen, Chairwoman of Save the Drill (right), both deeply involved in promoting Drill conservation in Germany.

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Image 3. In an effort to support the MINFOF to protect the endangered African Grey parrots, a rescue team led by our acting Conservator, Kenneth Eneigho (left), with our Head vet, Dr John Kiyang (centre), and Head of Quarantine, Killi Matute (right), was deployed in Douala, Littoral Region.

According to the information shared by our long-lasting partner LAGA, the 19 individuals kept in a wooden box were meant to be smuggled from the Kribi seaport to Nigeria.

Since its conservation status in the Red list of the IUCN was upgraded to endangered, the African grey parrots are placed on Appendix I of CITES (the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), hence no more legal exports are allowed.

Pandrillus is committed to enhancing the rehabilitation programme conducted at the Limbe Wildlife Centre and at helping the Government of Cameroon in its mission to stop trafficking.

Image 4. Cyril Delfosse (left), Pandrillus Community Awareness & Education Programme Coordinator met the President of the Tube Awù Association, Denis Gnamaloba (right), to discuss the challenges to protect terrestrial and aquatic animals. In a recent effort to strengthen the network of local organisations, Pandrillus studies how civil society organisations could better work together to address an otherwise failing conservation strategy in Cameroon.

After the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization (AMMCO), Tube Awù Association is the second Cameroonian organisation focusing on marine biodiversity conservation that Pandrillus is building relationships with.

To know more about this organisation, read this article.

July 2019 objectives: □ Validate internal rules and regulations (pending)

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2. Infrastructures and development| Material & Equipment □ Completed the re-enrichment Red-capped mangabey enclosures (Images 5-7) □ Continued to build the bridge over the second arm of the Limbe River (Image 8) □ Continued the foundations of the new African grey parrot aviary (Images 9-11) □ Built male Tantalus monkey Malende’s new enclosure within the large savannahdwelling guenon enclosure (Images 12-13) □ Maintained 1 sliding door at the gorilla Arno’s group (Images 14)

Image 5. Hanging up different types of Image 6. Attachment of metal plate to enrichment in the Red-capped prevent Red-capped mangabeys from mangabey enclosure. grabbing the caretakers when opening the sliding door.

Image 7. We always provide rich and diversified enrichment that are tailored to the locomotive behaviours of each of our species.

Image 8. The third phase of concreting of the new bridge: digging, crafting and setting pillar/beam into position on the Island.

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Image 9. Concreting the footpath to Image 10. Under the rain, the team dug the new African grey parrot aviary on and planted the pillar for the new African the Island. grey parrot aviary.

Image 11.

Completion of the Image 12. Partition of the enclosure to foundations of the new African grey provide a safe and enriched space to parrot aviary.

Tantalus monkey Malende.

Image 13. Painting of the door to Image 14. Replacement of a new rail in access to the new space with the Gorilla Arno's night cage. savannah-dwelling guenon enclosure.

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July 2019 objectives: □ Continue the construction of the bridge over the second arm of the Limbe River □ Continue the construction of the new African grey parrot aviary □ Start the renovation of the Olive baboon satellite cage □ Start placing new escape-proof overhangs in the Drill enclosure

3. 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 □ Monthly Workshop: Batoke Family Nature Club: Goals, activities and expected outcomes to engage the local community in biodiversity conservation, by Laura Craddock (Family Nature Club project coordinator) & Wilson Ateh (Head of Education)

July 2019 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing activities □ Organise 2 monthly staff workshops: 1/ Enhancing caretaker monthly reporting on animal husbandry, welfare and group cohesion, by Jonathan Kang (Head Keeper); 2/ Using behavioural observations to assess gorilla space use in the enclosure and to improve enclosure design, by Aurore Balaran (Behavioural expert)

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4. Conservation and Environmental Education □ Nature's Club: Continued the 2018-2019 programme: 160 kids registered; monthly effort: 200 children.days.

Sessions: World Environment Day on air pollution; World Ocean Day on plastic pollution; World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (Image 15); Flying, Walking and Swimming Animals; Preuss's Red Colobus Monkey □ School outreach programme: 2019-2020 programme will start in September 2019 □ Event: Celebrated World Environment Day on 5th of June: 30 children were invited to attend a lesson about air pollution and its impact on human health and biodiversity (Image 16) □ Event: Organised the end-of-year education party and special Red Colobus Saturday Nature Club, in partnership with Partners for Red Colobus (Images 17-19) □ Batoke’s Family Nature Club: Organised the 7th session on the 8 June 2019 on the forest ecosystem: 40 families, 97 participants (46% females, 40 children between 4 and 17 years old (41%), 100% of adults are members of the Green Project (Images 20-22)

Image 15. For the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, we organised recreational activities for kids: they nursed young trees in pots in view of replanting them during another session.

Image 16. For World Environment Day, our educator Armel Mbakop used the field of the LWC to explain to the kids how air pollution, biodiversity and human health are all linked together.

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Image 17. To promote the protection of the critically endangered Preuss's Red Colobus, several pedagogical and recreational activities were created to explain the ecology of the species to children and adults. On the right, children are making Red colobus masks!

Image 18. Partners for Red Colobus (a collaborative effort between the University of North Carolina Wilmington, University of Georgia, James Madison University and Korup Rainforest Conservation Society) created the exhibition on the critically endangered Preuss's Red Colobus in Nyango's Exhibition Hall.

Image 19. 124 children came to the summer party promoting the urgent need to protect the Red Colobus in the South West Region.

Image 20. At arrival, Batoke's Families were welcomed in the Jungle Village by the guides of the Limbe Botanical Garden, who gave them a tour. For the past months, Pandrillus contributed to strengthening the relationships between the Limbe Wildlife Centre and the Limbe Botanical Garden in view of achieving common conservation and education goals.

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Image 21. For most of the community members, it was the first time to use binoculars to observe wildlife. As the bird life in the botanical garden is rich (our Research and Monitoring team identified more than 60 species in September 2017), it was an ideal model to teach each participant how to identify species using books.

Image 22. A scavenger hunt was organised on how primates help to generate the forest. Here, our educator Muma Alvin questions community families on the reasons why primates need to be protected. Alvin then underlined how Primates spread the seeds of fruit trees in the forest and thus contributing, among other animals to maintain the forest ecosystem.

July 2019 objectives: □ Continue with ongoing programs □ Organise the 8th session of the Batoke Family Nature Club

5. Constituency for conservation □ Community-based Green Economy: 15 ex-hunter members sustainably harvesting wild herbaceous plants: 799.5 kg of Aframomum stems and 725kg of Costus stems; 49 women members harvesting crop by-product: 1,061kg of cassava leaves, 2,865kg of papaya leaves, 3,192 kg of potato leaves, 567kg of invasive Trumpet wood shoots, corresponding to 126 trees hand cut; 944,365 XAF (€1,442) paid directly to the local community association this month; 5,433,995 XAF (€8,296) contributed to alleviate poverty in 2019.

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July 2019 objectives: □ Continue with the ongoing programme

6. Conservation ecotourism □ Launched an exhibition on the critically endangered Preuss's Red Colobus in Nyango’s Exhibition Hall, in partnership with Partners for Red Colobus (including the Korup Rainforest Conservation Society (www.korup-conservation.org) and the University of North Carolina Wilmington) and the Programme for Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, SWR (Images 23-25) □ Continued with the ongoing activities

Image 23. The ecology of the Preuss's red colobus monkey explained to the visitors.

Image 24. The exhibition is a collaborative Image 25. For the opening of the exhibition effort between several organisations to the public, a presentation was made by engaged to protect wildlife.

Partners for Red Colobus to invitees.

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July 2019 objectives: □ Continue with the ongoing activities

7. Management of animal population and well-being Ongoing activities □ Maintained frequency and diversity of enrichment in each section □ Chimpanzee: Continued 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) Specific activities □ Completed the enrichment of the Red-capped mangabey enclosure (Images 2627)

□ Vet cares (June 2019): ◌ 23 Primate individuals treated; 8 anaesthesia performed; 9 individuals sampled (8 blood samples for haematology analysis, 9 faecal samples for coprology analysis); 8 contraception; 2 identifications with microchip; 1 laceration repair; 17 drug therapies: 35% arthritis supplements, 24% antiinflammatories, 24% antibiotics, 18% dietary supplements; 5 health checks; 2 deaths: Drill (1: Petite Tête (subadult female, unknown cause)); 1 euthanasia: Mandrill (1: Zambi (subadult male, fast-deteriorating condition due to cancer) (Images 28-29) ◌ 14 African grey parrots treated; 14 anaesthesia performed; 14 health checks; 56 drug therapies: antibiotics and antiparasitics; 5 deaths

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Image 26. A dense network of structural Image 27. Masoma (subadult male Redenrichment was provided to the Red- capped mangabey), searching for capped mangabeys to enable them to insects in a dead trunk. use all the strata of their enclosure, to play, rest or flee aggressions.

Image 28. LWC head vet, Dr John Kiyang (left), and assistant vet, Akih Emmanuel (right) performing a tuberculosis intradermal test on mandrill Zambi.

Image 29. Ultrasound is a critical tool required for diagnosis. Although LWC does not have its own, we were able to borrow one local to check Zambi’s chest and abdominal areas to determine the cause of illness. A post-mortem confirmed cancerous mass in the lungs.

July 2019 objectives: □ Continue with the ongoing activities □ Chimpanzee: Continue the new positive reinforcement training plan for Ngambe (adult female) □ Vet cares: General health checks: None; Contraception: None

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8. Rehabilitation and release programme Arrival & quarantine □ Rescued 19 endangered African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) (Images 30-31) □ Rescued 1 vulnerable Home’s hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys homeana)

Behavioural rehabilitation □ Large-spotted Genet: Completed the behavioural rehabilitation of Mbappe

Social rehabilitation □ Patas monkey: Started the social integration of Leonie and Coco (2 subadult females) to the savannah-dwelling guenon group

Release (ecological & environmental rehabilitation) □ Released 1 Large-spotted Genet (Genetta maculata) (Image 32) □ Released 2 Black-hinged terrapins (Pelusios niger) □ Released 1 Home’s hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys homeana) (Image 33)

Image 30. The 19 rescued African grey parrots were very dehydrated, thin, and under a lot of stress from being crammed into a box altogether and the amount of time they had spent in it.

Image 31. Upon arrival at the LWC, the African grey parrots were eager to drink fresh water, eat appropriate and diverse food, and to climb around in their new temporary enclosure.

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Image 32. After several months of training Image 33. One of the two Home’s hingeand observation, Mbappe, a young adult back tortoises swimming away. male Large-spotted Genet was released back into the forest.

July 2019 objectives: □ African Grey Parrots: Start the rehabilitation process of the new arrivals □ Patas monkey: Continue the social integration of Leonie and Coco to the savannah-dwelling guenon group

9. Research, Monitoring & Health Safety rules Ongoing activities □ None

Activity achievement □ Completed the data collection for the behavioural study of space use and social relationships in our gorilla’s groups, in partnership with AKONGO | Wildlife connection (www.akongo.fr) □ Prepared chimpanzee Bergkamp's skeleton (Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee) in view of mounting and exhibiting it for education purpose (Image 34) □ Conducted the first field prospection work in the Campo Ma'an National Park (South Region) to study the feasibility to transfer wildlife from the Limbe Wildlife Centre to

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semi-wild enclosures: habitats assessment & team training on the research protocol, in partnership with AKONGO | Wildlife connection (www.akongo.fr) (Images 35-37)

Data analysis ▥ Started the analysis of the data collected on our gorilla’s groups, in partnership with AKONGO | Wildlife connection (www.akongo.fr)

Image 34. Tana Ossomba, vet nurse, working on the reconstitution of chimpanzee Bergkamp's skeleton to be mounted and serve as an educational tool in Nyango's Exhibition Hall. Bergkamp sadly died of heart failure in February 2018.

Image 35. The team of our Research and Monitoring Unit was deployed inside the Campo Ma'an National Park and worked hard to collect biological, topographic, hydrographical data, but also all signs of human presence.

Image 36. GPS is one of the main tools in the field. All data collected (eg signs of wildlife, signs of poaching, river etc) are geo-referenced. Our team was trained to use this tool efficiently.

Image 37. All direct observation of animal must be confirmed: species, distance and direction to the observing point, the estimated number of individuals, time etc.

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July 2019 objectives: □ Continue with the above ongoing activities □ Continue the analysis of data collected on the gorilla groups

10. Communication &Visibility □ Digital communication (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter): Overall reach was 140,608 across all platforms, including +70,000 from Twitter. □ Event: Organised the Protect Wildlife Charity Night at the Lynk Garden Café, Douala, in partnership with the Central African World Heritage Forest Initiative (CAWHFI) of the UNESCO and Da Nzimbistic Cultural Centre, 7th of June 2019 (Images 38-43) □ Media coverage: 4 local and international reports made Reports covering the Protect Wildlife Campaign in Limbe o Radio: Protecting Wildlife in Cameroon: A major Hotspot for biodiversity, BBC World Service Newsday, 9th of June 2019, by Randy Joe Sa'ah - BBC Correspondent (available here, starting 34:27)

Report on the conservation of the endangered African grey parrot o TV report: A Hospital for the African grey parrot, Eco Africa, Deutsche Welle,21st of June 2019, by Blaise Eyong & Michael Hartlep (available here)

Article and report on the Promotional event made in Douala in partnership with o TV report: Limbe Wildlife Centre protège notre biodiversité, Publi Infos, Canal 2 Internation,7th of June 2019, by Junior Haussin& Marius Kuossu(available here) o Online report: LWC Organises Fund Raising at Lynk Cave Bonapriso for Wildlife Protection &Sensitisation, Fabafriq Magazine, 12th of June 2019, by Karen Ayungwa (available here)

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Image 38. Eustache Watsop, the communication expert for CAWHFI UNESCO, one of the sponsors of the #ProtectWildlife Campaign, came from Yaounde to promote the event and highlight the importance of the work done in partnership with Pandrillus.

Image 39. Peggy Motsch, co-manager of the Limbe Wildlife Centre, gave several interviews to local radios and TV channel to explain the goals of the campaign.

Image 40. Our partner for the campaign, Da Nzimbistic Cultural Centre, was also part of the event in Douala. They conclude this event with a show promoting the cultural and natural heritage of the South West region of Cameroon.

Image 41. Lynk Garden CafĂŠ was decorated with a series of posters highlighting the rich Cameroonian wildlife rehabilitated at the Limbe Wildlife Centre.

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Image 42. In order to raise fund, awareness and better connect our guests to our work, several unique hand and foot paintings made by our rescued chimpanzees and gorillas were exhibited.

Image 43. The team that organised the event at the Lynk Garden Café in Douala.

From the left to the right: Cyril Delfosse (Pandrillus Education Coordinator), Nikita Kripalani (Lynk Afrique, who generously hosted the event), Peggy Motsch (LWC co-manager), Fiona La Mendola (Pandrillus Operations Manager Assistant), and Ngwese Nzimbi Koge (President of Da Nzimbistic Cultural Centre).

July 2019 objectives: □ Continue advocating the missions of the LWC within the Central African Conservation Landscape in Cameroon

11. Revenues generated □ Entrance fees (June 2019): 715,100 XAF (1,376 visitors; 72% adults,28% children) 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Jun-18 Jul-18 Aug-18 Sep-18 Oct-18 Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19 Mar-19 Apr-19 May-19 Jun-19 Adult Nationals

Children Nationals

Adult Foreigners

Children Foreigners

Figure 1.Visitor statistics June 2018-June 2019

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