By Dorothy Basemera | Marketing and Communications Officer
Maintained health and well-being of the resident chimpanzees on Ngamba Island.
1.1 Daily behavioral research data collection.
Our veterinary and caregiving teams maintain a rigorous health monitoring schedule, inspecting the chimpanzees four times daily during scheduled feedings (08:00, 11:00, 14:30, and 18:00). This routine ensures that any signs of injury or illness are detected immediately and referred to the resident veterinarian for treatment.
In addition to physical health, we place a high priority on psychological well-being through structured behavioral monitoring. This includes 'focal observations' of individual chimpanzees conducted for ten-minute intervals before and during feedings, as well as during the evening intake. Furthermore, caregivers complete fourteen specific behavioral scans daily. These logs track positive social interactionssuch as grooming, tool use, and play, while simultaneously screening for stress indicators like coprophagy, rocking, or hair plucking.
1.2 Chimpanzee Feeding and Welfare at Ngamba Island
We continue to maintain a rigorous nutrition program for the chimpanzees, providing a balanced diet across four daily feedings (8:00 am, 11:00 am, 2:30 pm, and 6:00 pm). While essential dry rations and fresh fruits are transported from the mainland by boat every ten days, we are increasingly supplementing this intake with produce from our on-site gardens. Notably, we have harvested over 139 kilograms of cassava, alongside tomatoes and eggplants, which has significantly reduced our food procurement costs.
In terms of behavioral enrichment, nesting materials (hay) are provided every evening. This encourages natural nesting instincts within the sleeping hammocks and incentivizes the chimpanzees to return from the forest at night. This practice is vital for sustainability, as the sanctuary forest is too limited to support the destruction of vegetation required for daily nest-building in the wild.
We could only do this through the continued support from all our donors. Thank you
By Innocent Ampeire | Assistant Sanctuary Manager
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