Sweetwaters Kenya – a Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Kenya Sweetwaters Chimps ranch welcomes all Africa reviews, especially those that help in making a positive difference in the lives of primates and wildlife in Africa
Community projects in Ol Pejeta Conservancy Conservation Area
The Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Chimpanzees are so far the only primates to have developed the tool of inserting sticks into mounds to ‘fish’ termites or the use of rocks and stones to crack nuts. Their levels of intelligence and social behaviours, confirms the chimpanzees’ closeness to the human race, besides the fact that the chimps share 98% of the human genes.
The Ol Pejeta Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established to be a refuge to abused and orphaned chimps discovered from the Bush-meat traders (Bushmeat trade is the illegal poaching for meat of especially primates like chimps and gorillas) and forests in Central and West Africa. Following an agreement among the three parties involved – the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), and Lonrho Africa, this Kenya Chimpanzee Sanctuary was, in 1993, opened to a group of 3 young chimpanzee orphans brought in from a JGI facility in Bujumbura, Burundi where the Institute was evacuating as a result of then civil war outbreak in the country. Two years later, more nine adult chimps arrived at the Sanctuary while another ten younger chimps just after a year, in 1996. The current number of chimpanzees at the Sanctuary counts at about 41 chimpanzees most of which have been rescued from traumatic events such as war-torn areas, human captivity, deforestations of rainforests, etc and such chimpanzees are brought to a place that is homey, providing a safe natural environment and nursing facilities – the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary.
The Chimpanzee Sanctuary is cut through by River Ewaso Nyiro thereby splitting the sanctuary into two parts; the western side with the young chimpanzees staying on approximately 151 acres and the eastern side having the older chimps on about 96 acres.
The Ol Petera Chimpanzee Sanctuary is a chartered member of PASA (Pan African Sanctuary Alliance), a Portland-based alliance that helps conserve primates (drills, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and other primates in Africa) and their habitats, currently takes care of about 800 chimpanzees through its 18 chimpanzee sanctuaries (of the current 21 total member sanctuaries) spanning 12 African countries.
To take good care (feeding, treatment and housing) of these endangered primates, it costs about $6,000 per chimpanzee, per year. Such a cost makes taking care of chimpanzees an expensive venture for which to make attainable, any forms of contributions (financially, morally, or politically) can help Give a Chimp a Chance.
Do you want to help the chimpanzees? Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers different adoption packages to travellers to Ol Pejeta. All received donations and funds raised from these adoption packages go to the caring, through housing and feeding, of the chimpanzees.
Other PASA Chimpanzee Sanctuary in East Africa:
Uganda Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary