Internationally renowned primatologist, ethologist, conservationist and activist founder of the Jane Goodall Institute will arrive in Uganda on 20th August 2023 to take part in celebrations marking 25 years of Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. While in Uganda, Dr Jane Goodall will hold talks with the patron of Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, First Lady Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni at State House.
She will be a keynote speaker at a public lecture conference on the 22nd at the Sheraton Hotel and one of the main celebrants at the main dinner marking 25 years of Ngamba Sanctuary at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo on the 23rd August 2023. She will end her tour with the grand launch of the Roots and Shoots office in Uganda on 24th August 2023.
Dr Goodall began her landmark study of chimpanzee behaviour at Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania in 1960. Her observations of the chimpanzees revolutionized the world of primatology and have since redefined our relationship with the animal kingdom.
In 1977, Dr Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute that continued to advance her efforts to protect chimpanzees and their habitats through community-led conservation, animal welfare, innovative applications of science and technology, and youth empowerment through JGI’s Roots & Shoots program that she created in 1991. The Jane Goodall Institute in Uganda has continued to carry on her vision of chimpanzee research and protection, habitat conservation, community-based initiatives, education and outreach programs.
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary will celebrate twenty-five years of a stellar primate and conservation journey since 1998. Having been established as a collaborative effort between the Uganda government and several organisations including Dr Jane Goodall Institute and other individuals to provide a safe haven for rescued chimpanzees, it has consistently addressed the growing need to protect and rehabilitate chimpanzees that are orphaned, injured and or confiscated from illegal wildlife traders.
Ominously, chimpanzees are highly endangered species as a result of human activities that include habitat destruction through deforestation, animal trafficking, human-animal conflicts and diseases. Prior to 1998, Uganda tried to corroborate with international organisations to fight chimpanzee trafficking and to rehabilitate rescued and orphaned ones. Unfortunately, this arrangement did not work out well after some organisations were found to renegade on the agreement by putting rescued chimpanzees on sale to zoos and individuals who wanted to have them as pets.
After several chimpanzees were rescued by Uganda from Burundi, Europe and the Albertine region, the government through Uganda Wildlife Authority, Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) combined efforts with several organisations and individuals that included Jane Goodall Institute to establish Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary.
In the beginning, most rescued and injured chimpanzees along with other animals were brought to Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe, but after the numbers increased, the government decided to start Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary to have them live a more secure and normal natural environment. The main purpose of the sanctuary is to help them recover from their initial trauma and eventually thrive and live up to their life expectancy age of 60 years. The sanctuary started with 11 chimpanzees that have since grown to 53 today.
The rescued chimpanzees are provided with appropriate care, medical attention, and an environment that allows them to express natural behaviours and interact socially. The sanctuary also plays a crucial role in educating the public about the importance of conserving chimpanzees and their habitats. It raises awareness about the threats facing chimpanzees and promotes responsible wildlife conservation.
The sanctuary implements a tourism program that allows visitors to observe chimpanzees in their naturalistic enclosures, generating revenue to support the sanctuary’s operations and ongoing care for the chimpanzees.
Overall, the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established as a response to the urgent need for protecting and rehabilitating chimpanzees in Uganda. It has since become a model for successful wildlife conservation and education, showcasing the positive impact of collaboration between government agencies, conservation organizations, and local communities.
In 2009, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary won the International Virgin Holiday Award for responsible tourism efforts geared towards wildlife promotion and environmental conservation through ecotourism. Ngamba has also become a primate conservation benchmark for Africa. Conservationists and zoologists from across Africa visit Uganda to learn so as to replicate the systems back home. HAPPY SILVER JUBILEE NGAMBA.
Magezi Kiriinjju
Communications Officer
Government Citizen Interaction Centre
A Member of Campfire Ideological Sturdy Group.
