The Saving Gorillas Tour 2019 has been a resounding success! Ape Action Africa's first-ever fundraising tour raised more than $23,000 for the gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys in our care. We thank every single person who came to see us, brought a friend, helped out, bid in the auctions, decorated a gorilla (more below!) and made generous donations.

Hundreds of friends, new and old, turned out to hear Rachel Hogan OBE, Director of Ape Action Africa, tell her story of 18 years working to save these magnificent animals in their native rainforest. From California to South Carolina to New York, we laughed and cried and committed ourselves to seeing that Rachel has the resources needed to continue this most important work.

​Enjoy these photos of the fun!

Our very special thanks to the Organizing Committees:
California
Margo Chisholm
Susan Lutter, chair
Nikki Sloate

New York
Matt Deeble-Rogers
Robin Huffman, chair
Dana Pruskowski
​Lori Weitzer
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​In nature, there comes a time in a male gorilla's life when he either becomes the head of the family or moves off to live alone or with other adult males in what are called "bachelor" groups. At Ape Action Africa, they need a little help moving.

With their night house complete, featuring a separate room for each of them, Nkan, Shai and Djanga were moved from our largest gorilla group to their new habitat in late April.

And you don't just walk a silverback gorilla to his new home!

One by One
Due to their size and the need to limit their sedation to as short a time as possible, the gorillas were each moved individually.

One Gorilla, Eight Men
Silverbacks are big boys. You can see here the strain on their faces as 8 of our strongest staff carry Nkan Daniel on the stretcher to the waiting "ambulance."

Transport 
​Here we're on the way to their new forest area, a very large forested enclosure far enough away from the family group to avoid the boys competing for the girls. As you can see, just one silverback fills up the bed of our Land Cruiser pickup.

Health Checks
The staff works to lift Nkan's stretcher and attach it to the hook of the scale (in the center top of the photo) in order to get his weight. 174 kilos, by the way, or 384 pounds, and all muscle.

As you can see, this is taking place in the night house, in one of the rooms which was specially fitted out as a veterinary room to meet future health needs with minimal transport required. The exam/procedure table that you see here was built of rebar and concrete to hold the size and weight of an adult gorilla. 

Success
Everything went according to plan and all three silverbacks were moved in one day. For now, they are in the night house getting used to the sights, sounds and smells of their new area, and to their being alone together. Soon they'll be introduced to their forest area and be free to explore, play, rest, whatever they wish.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that our director, Rachel Hogan, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list!  Rachel has devoted her life to the conservation of Cameroon’s primates, making so many sacrifices along the way, and this honour is so richly deserved. 

Her passion for gorillas began as a young child, but her dream to work with them became a reality in 2001 when she travelled to Cameroon to volunteer for AAA for three months. Just as she was getting ready to return home to Birmingham, a tiny, two-week-old gorilla arrived at the sanctuary. No one had ever successfully hand-reared such a small gorilla, and Rachel abandoned her plans to return home.

During the nearly 20 years since that time, it has been a pleasure to see Rachel grow from a shy volunteer who was focused on Nkan Daniel, into our confident director of today, responsible for more than 350 animals and 50 staff. She now works closely with government ministers, has hosted the Prime Minister of Cameroon at Mefou, and has met the President’s wife and the Secretary General of the Presidency, both of whom are very supportive of her work.

As a volunteer in early days, Rachel was filmed with Nkan Daniel for a BBC programme called Ape Hunters, but she refused to speak! She is now so confident in front of the public that her talk at the Explorers Club in New York was the first time in 150 years that the event was sold out, and she shared Shufai’s surgery in Operation Wild on the BBC. Her profile within Cameroon and internationally is becoming increasingly important in her lifelong quest to protect Cameroon’s primates.
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Many congratulations Rachel, from all our staff in Cameroon, the board of trustees, all our volunteers around the world and of course those who you work so tirelessly for … all the gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys in your care and their cousins in the wild.

Two young mandrills were just rescued in a joint operation by law enforcement group LAGA and the Cameroon government. They arrived at Ape Action Africa on Tuesday, and are now safe in the forest sanctuary. 

Ngo and Mukete are both are male, estimated to be 3-4 years old, and underweight due to criminals rarely being concerned about providing proper food. Fortunately, they have no physical injuries, only the psychological trauma of being ripped from their families.

The two seem to get along well, and will spend their quarantine period together as they wait to meet their new mandrill family.

You can welcome them to the Ape Action Family with a donation today. 

"For those who have made it to Mefou,
     you are safe now."
       Rachel's Promise

​You've heard that gorillas are the gentle giants of the forest?
Well, here's all the proof you need, and it's right here at Ape Action Africa!

At 24, Bobo is one of our most senior silverbacks, majestic and fully in charge of his family group. But look at what happens when the tiniest creature comes out of the bush and climbs into his hand, unafraid.

This bushbaby, a baby himself, seems to know that this huge, powerful animal will treat him with nothing but tenderness and understanding. After climbing all over Bobo, walking off then coming back to him, for more than 2 hours, often gazing deeply into each other's eyes, Bobo gently carries his new friend back to the trees where he most likely lives.

​Bobo
Bobo was one of the first gorillas ever to find sanctuary at Ape Action Africa.

Rescued, in trauma after witnessing his entire family brutally murdered, he was brought to safety and comfort in the Mefou forest when he was just a toddler.

There wasn't much here in those days! Bobo lived in a little wood house for safety during the night, and during the daytime, a new young volunteer took him into the forest to explore and learn. That volunteer is none other than our Director Rachel Hogan. It was her first job at the sanctuary!

Jou can join Bobo's family, too, by making a donation now to provide the safe rainforest that both Bobo and his bushbaby so desperately need. Thank you!

all photos courtesy of Ape Action Africa / Alex Benitez

Hear in his own words how Nixon feels about Chris, a baby gorilla who found safety in Mefou.

​Chimpanzees in the wild use tools - in this case, sticks - to fish in termite mounds for these protein-rich treats. 

So in our constant quest to provide as natural a life as possible to our rescued orphans, our hardworking volunteers recently built a "termite" mound for these youngsters.

These two had no hesitation! Twinkle gets to work with a fishing stick, while Cazza supervises from above. 


Here's how to make a termite mound:

The first step is to build a wooden box as a base, add a metal door and a few fishing holes. The door allows our caregivers to easily load it up with new treats and keep it clean. 

Cover it with concrete to make it chimp-sturdy.

Trim the fishing hole tubes, and finish it off with a layer of soil! 

Photos:
top, courtesy of Caroline Griffis 2017
2,3,4, courtesy of Caroline Ladewig 2017