News from Uganda’s Chimpanzee Trust

Mr. James Musinguizi (L), Executive Director, UWEC and Mr. Edgar Buhanga, Director Planning,UWA

Chimpanzee Trust gets New Board Chairman.

On 26th July 2016, we witnessed the handover of the office of the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Chimpanzee Trust from Mr. James Musinguzi to Mr. Edgar Buhanga, the Deputy Director of Planning in Uganda Wildlife Authority. "I am grateful for the trust put in me and I commit to work with all, to build on what has been done and move the organisation towards achieving self-sustainability" said Mr. Edgar Buhanga.

Chimp Health checks at Ngamba

Chimpanzees under our care undergo health checks annually and this year’s checks started in the month of July and will run until the end of August. For these checks, we have partnered with the Harvard University, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, led by Professor Alexandria Rosati and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Uganda Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) Uganda, Gorilla Doctors Uganda, Budongo Conservation Primate Research Institute – Kyoto University, Project VETS, Pan African Sanctuary Alliance and Makerere University.

Dr. Joshua Rukundo and Dr. Titus Mukungu are the Trust’s veterinary team spearheading the health checks at the Island. These health checks is one of the protocols and tool used to monitor the health of the Ngamba Island Chimpanzees. This exercise often involves all the keepers and staff of Ngamba Island, each with a unique role to play.

The team uses the opportunity of the health checks to collect biological samples for screening for health as well as for research purposes. Results are used to predict health issues and to manage emerging medical issues with the individual chimpanzees. This helps to ensure a healthy community at Ngamba Island.

This year, in partnership with Harvard University, the Chimpanzee Trust is participating in a research on aging in chimpanzees. This research is using biological markers from samples collected from both wild chimpanzees and those in a semi captive environment to assess the health patterns across the life span of chimpanzees to better understanding of chimpanzee health as well as to develop new bio marker tests to ease the health monitoring of chimpanzees.

We are also replacing the implants in all the female chimpanzees of infant bearing age this year. This is done every 2-3 years. Special thanks to the Jane Goodall Institute Global that generously donated the implants on short notice.

4th Children of Conservation Festival

The Chimpanzee Trust in partnership with Selas Limited and other partners among many, the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) and Children of Conservation, USA are organizing the fourth Children of Conservation annual event to take place in Hoima town on September 3, 2016.

The Chimpanzee Trust also undertakes programs that creates appreciation and understanding of chimpanzees and environmental conservation for sustainable development. The event is one of the annual events organised for school children. The theme this year is "children as ambassadors and stewards of wildlife". The school outreaches mobilized children from over 50 schools to attend and learn more about wildlife conservation. The activities for the children at the event will include; viewing different wildlife species, planting trees, music, dance and drama, reciting poems, career guidance talks from different professionals among other entertainments.