So ~ I have been out of things for a little while, you know, getting to a certain time in life & struggling a bit, BUT ~ now Gaia has just been delivered, so it’s time to get back in the saddle & get on with life !!
I started following Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection in April 2018 after Ian Redmonds Ape Alliance Annual Panel Meeting skyped with them.
Jenny & Jimmy moved to Liberia to take care of a group of lab chimps abandoned & left to starve on an island by The New York Blood Center. When news of the Desmonds started to spread, the authorities started to confiscate ‘orphan’ chimps, these little bundles have witnessed their WHOLE families slaughtered for bush meat & their destinies were to be illegally sold as pets. Whilst the possession of chimps is illegal in Liberia, it was not enforced as there had been no where to rescue them to ~ so they started arriving at the Desmonds home & Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection was born. In less than four years FORTY FIVE baby/young chimps have arrived on the doorstep, broken & alone, the Desmonds, along with their amazing team turn each little life into a success story. Recently LCRP achieved their first prosecution ~ hopefully the first of many in the the fight for justice for these little orphans.
Soon after following LCRP tiny Gaia arrived, so small she didn’t even have teeth & it was touch & go if she would survive, how could you not fall in love with this fragile, toothless little girl. LCRP worked their magic & we have seen Gaia take her first steps, her first venture into the tree’s & that unmistakable cheeky, toothy grin !!
Gaia will now be the face of my fundraising efforts for LCRP, I am organising an online raffle & a parachute jump (details to follow)
AGAIN as with Ebony the #TEAMEARTH logo, Gaia has been created by Maria @ Quints Prints & digitized by her partner Ty, I think Maria has captured Gaia’s cheekiness perfectly!!
The Desmonds have the land, they are now raising money to build a purpose built sanctuary to rescue & rehabilitate these orphans & wherever possible allow them to live the freest life possible!!
If you would like to donate to LCRP directly or adopt a chimp please visit
https://www.liberiachimpanzeerescue.org/donate.html
https://www.liberiachimpanzeerescue.org/adopt-a-chimp.html
May 5th 2018
We are very sad to report that another little one was victim to poachers who killed her mother and family members for bushmeat and sold her off to the highest bidder.
Meet Gaia – she arrived at our house in the middle of the night after a very long drive from the village where she was rescued. She is the second youngest chimpanzee to arrive at LCRP, with no teeth yet and very, very small.
Unfortunately, while we are happy she was saved, money was exchanged, an expat ended up with her, and no report was made to authorities so her seller (and possibly mother’s killer) not only got away but may try to sell more chimps in this area to future workers coming from out of the country.
Gaia is a perfect example of why we ask people to please respect the laws and never buy illegal wildlife or take animals without making a full report to authorities. If we had been contacted at the time of potential sale, we could have very well caught her seller and investigated the crime to find the poachers who are killing wild chimps in the area.
Of course we welcome Gaia with open arms, and she will receive the best care we can offer. However, at her age, she is extremely vulnerable and we are very concerned about her survival.
Gaia’s first steps
The Wildlife Volunteer 