Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let you know that, while we were working and organising the PASA Vet Workshop, a new baby chimp arrived at the Refuge. His name is ‘KIMO’.
KIMO is a very young male (1 year and a few months) and is extremely small. He seems alright although since the early beginning of his stay, we noticed he had a slight problem in keeping his balance…
Thanks to the PASA vets who came at JACK a few days ago, it was diagnosed that KIMO had a neurological problem and that Vit B complex and a Calcium treatment might help. We really cross our fingers the deficiency will go away. It’s very surprising to see the little chimp walking, playing and to suddenly collapse!
When he arrived at JACK, baby KIMO had been set in the quarantine area of the Refuge. But, rains and chilly weather made me changed this decision . Also, I couldn’t stand seeing that very little one alone and lost behind the bars of its enclosure. Therefore, I changed my mind and since then, he’s been spending his mornings at « school » at the complex and he comes back home with us at night and in the afternoons – just the way Faustin did with Tongo…
Of course, you can imagine the extra work a little baby one like this can give and that’s why I absolutely need to introduce JOSEFINE.
Josefine is Swedish. She works in the Furuvik Zoo of Ing-Marie Persson, a wonderful lady who created the Swedish Chimpanzee Trust and who actually donated JACK some funds in order to built bigger night enclosures….
As we knew we would be too busy during the PASA stay in Lubumbashi, Josefine asked us to come for helping J.A.C.K. And this was a good decision : overloaded with tons of work (new enclosures, fund raising in Europe,the PASA Workshop preparation) it was an excellent thing to have Josefine with us. She has become KIMO’s mummy and she takes very good care of him …
Little KIMO won’t be alone that long any more. Mapima, the young female Samantha already spoke about on Gorilla.cd, is due to arrive from Goma on November 26th with Faustin. I think this will be an excellent experience to KIMO !
I’ll keep you posted as always,
Roxane
Ping :Kimo | J.A.C.K.
Thanks for the updates on Kimo and Mapima, Roxane. You guys do have your hands full caring for the chimps and manuvering all the logistics of transporting, etc. You guys are doing excellent work. Thank you. And always looking forward to reading more about JACK. Lisa
Thanks for the great job you do with chimps in general and of course with Kimo. I hope the vitamins problem will resolve and Kimo will get stronger and happier.
Thank you so much for the information Roxane. I’m glad Mapima and Faustin made it to Lubumbashi okay. She is so precious but yes she is very tiny. Gorilla cd posted some videos on youtube of her and Faustin. We look forward to the introduction of Kimo and Mapima. I wish you all luck with the little one from Epulu and hope you find a solution soon. I have made a donation to help with the expense of her travel.
Thank you all again for the wonderful home you give these little ones!
I didn’t mention it (I wanted to tell you more about this later on!) but Kimo came from Kinshasa. It is the President of the DRC who has sent it to us. We don’t know a lot about Kimo’s past and we don’t know how he arrived at the President’s place. The only thing we know is that President Kabila wanted the baby to be at the Refuge…
Theresa, Kimo isn’t the baby of Epulu. The little one at the okapi reserve is a little female. Although we know she is in good hands, we feel very bad as we don’t have the money to fly her to Lubumbashi. This baby is in the North of the DRC – not many planes do go there and through Kinshasa would be a real nightmare for the chimp as the journey might last for hours (days??)… so, Franck and I – and Rose Marie of Epulu! – we are still trying to find the best way to get her to our place…with the problems of war, solutions are getting tough and expensive!!!
Mapima arrived in Lubumbashi but I can’t send you pics about her now as I’m not in the DRC for the moment. I’ll post as soon as I’m back home (sorry, next week)
Mapima is with Faustin and will be introduced to Kimo in 4 to 5 days. She needs to settle down and to adjust herself to her new environment. She is less than one year old and, according to Franck, is smaller than Kimo !I’ll keep you posted!!!
Thanks for reading us and for following JACK
Roxane
Roxane, I forgot to ask. Is Kimo the baby from the Okapi Reserve? Or are you expecting that chimp too in addition to Mapima?
Oh Roxane, he is so precious!! How did he come to need a refuge at JACK? I’m so glad Josefine is there to cuddle him and make him feel more secure. What a horrible ordeal for such a little one. Mapima will be happy to have someone her age welcome her to JACK. I will pray that the vitamins help Kimo’s problem and he is more stable on his feet soon.
Thank you for all you do and Thanks to Josefine for her help and being a mom to sweet little Kimo. You all are so wonderful and your selfless dedication to the chimps is the best thing that could happen to these poor little orphaned chimps.
Thanks for all the love and care you give to lovely Kimo
MSP
Roxane, how did Kimo become orphaned? do you know? He’s quite beautiful and I hope the vitamins and minerals help his equilibrium problems. Hello! to Josefine and thanks for helping with Kimo.
Of course, we’re all looking forward to learning about Mapima’s arrival and seeing photos of Faustin’s reconciliation with Tongo.
s.