Limbe Wildlife Center
Coordinates: 4 ° 0 '50.8 " N , 9 ° 12' 39" E
The Limbe Wildlife Center (LWC) is a rescue center for endangered wild animals in the port city of Limbe in southwest Cameroon . The project was launched in 1993 by the Cameroonian government and the NGO Pandrillus Foundation . In addition to some reptile and bird species, the station is mainly home to various African primates that are endangered in their population , including both subspecies of the western gorilla , as well as chimpanzees, drills, mandrills, baboons and monkeys.
Most of the primates brought in are orphans whose families were killed by poachers (see Bushmeat ). Others were illegally kept as “pets” or offered for sale in local markets and confiscated by the authorities. The young animals in particular are usually in a particularly critical condition - sick, injured and traumatized. Gunshot wounds and broken limbs are not uncommon, and dehydration is often life-threatening. Experienced vets and keepers look after the animals until they are physically and psychologically stabilized, after which the orphans are integrated into existing groups, where they can lead a species-appropriate life in a natural environment. The station currently houses around 200 monkey children.
The Limbe Wildlife Center works closely with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and the Pandrillus Foundation and is financed by donations. The German NGO Pro Wildlife is one of the sponsors . The funds will be used for the further expansion of the station, which is made necessary by the constant influx of animals. Another focus in addition to the appropriate shelter for the animals is the communication of the rich Cameroonian natural heritage to the local population and the knowledge necessary for this, how this heritage can be preserved.
media
In 2009, NDR Naturfilm produced the documentary Bama, the Gorilla Man - Adventure in Cameroon . The film "tells the story of a special friendship between the zookeeper Alfred Bama and the gorilla Nyango and shows the world's first recordings of the Cross River gorillas in the wild." The 45-minute documentary, filmed by Ernst Sasse and Hans-Peter Kuttler and directed by Nicky Lankester, has occasionally been shown on German television's third programs since then.
References and comments
- ↑ http://www.prowildlife.de/AffenwaisenhausKamerun
- ↑ http://www.phoenix.de/content/phoenix/die_sendung/bama_der_gorillamann/310373?date=2010-07-12 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- Homepage of the Limbe Wildlife Center
- Limbe Wildlife Center weblog
- Pro-wildlife
- Bama, the gorilla man at NDR ( Memento from June 21, 2015 in the Internet Archive )