Today is World Chimpanzee Day and Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust (https://ngambaisland.org/) joins the International Community to celebrate the fifth edition in honour of man’s closest living relative.
Chimpanzees share 95 to 98 percent of the same DNA with human beings. The sanctuary, a Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) that manages Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Lake Victoria, is home to now 52 chimpanzees. It maintains a healthy and vibrant community of chimpanzees over the last 22 years. The Trust prides itself in providing the best captive health care for primates in Africa.
Part of this involves annual health examinations for all the chimpanzees in our care. This year is unique. With the onset of the global covid-19 pandemic, all people involved in primate care have been concerned about the disease affecting primates due to the similarity to humans.
The Trust has, therefore, put in place strict SOPs to protect the chimpanzees in its care and for this year’s health checks, we shall also be screening the chimpanzees for coronaviruses and particularly for covid-19.
After consultations with various stakeholders and partners, it was agreed to screen for the SARs CoV 2 virus using the human Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for rapid assessment followed by PCR screening from plasma and serum for coronaviruses in partnership with the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), to conduct this as well as participate in a study to develop a local vaccine by the provision of genetic material from captive and wild chimpanzees.
Previous viral outbreaks have severely affected the wild primate populations and the new coronavirus is no exception. Captive apes in zoos and other primate centres have been reported to have contracted the deadly disease.
Part of the activities include weeklong dental check-ups and a clinical examination following the collection of specific samples to screen for the state of health of the apes.
Samples drawn are processed at the veterinary clinic at the sanctuary while other specialized tests are conducted at re-known laboratories. That helps management develop a complete picture of the health of each individual and manage any issues that may arise.
Wild chimpanzees only live in Africa. They are one of four types of “great ape, namely chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. The Chimpanzee Trust also undertakes activities of environmental conservation education, chimpanzee habitat restoration and improving livelihoods of local communities living alongside chimpanzee populations.
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HAPPY CHIMPANZEE DAY