Baby chimp Sana is one of our latest rescues.
Sana, an 8–10-month-old female chimpanzee, was seized from a hunter by the DRC’s armed forces on 23 August in Ituri. The army handed her over to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR) in EPULU, run by a friend of J.A.C.K., Mrs Rosemarie RUF, who took care of her.
Last Saturday, 2 September 2023, Sana and Marie (a blue monkey) boarded a private plane chartered by the RFO to fly to Goma, where they were looked after by COPHEGS through Dr KIZITO. The next day, a scheduled flight took them to Lubumbashi.
As soon as they arrived, a veterinary examination was carried out and the new little blue monkey (Cercopithecus Mitis) had wounds on its torso and left foot, which were immediately treated by Dr Calvin (J.A.C.K.’s vet).
As for the baby chimpanzee, given her state of health, full X-rays of its body were needed. We were shocked to discover that the young animal had sustained injuries to her entire right side (a fractured scapula and a double femoral fracture in the process of calcifying) and that the calcification of these fractures was still ongoing.
According to the vets consulted, the calcification in her leg has deformed her pelvis and, as a result, little Sana will never be able to become a mother, i.e. she will be unable to expel a baby on her own. She will have to be helped by C-section if her baby is to be viable, but what if Sana is released into a group in the forest without human contact or assistance?
This story is a real tragedy, not only because her group has been annihilated in the name of profit, but also because this innocent creature will forever bear the scars of human cruelty on her body.
If you would like to play a key role in Sana’s recovery and rehabilitation, she is eligible for sponsorship, and you can join her on our sponsorship platform below.
J.A.C.K would like to thank the Congolese Armed Forces for having confiscated Sana from the wrong hands and for handing her over to the RFO. Thanks again to Rosemarie RUF, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in EPULU, COPHEGS and Doctor KIZITO in Goma, as well as ICCN for this latest rescue. And, of course, we can’t forget Mrs Susana who, as soon as she heard about the rescue, generously helped with the transfer and the first medical care provided to Sana.
Thank YOU all for Marie and Sana