Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue

Change the Lives of Rescued Baby Chimps

Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue takes care of more than 70 chimps, most of whom were saved from the illegal wildlife trade and illegal hunting. Most chimps come to us as babies after their families were killed for meat. 

Being too small to slaughter and eat, they would have been sold into a life of suffering as illegal pets or smuggled overseas if they hadn’t been saved and brought to our forest sanctuary. 

In the wild, infant chimpanzees are completely reliant on their mothers for the first five years of life – clinging to their bellies or riding on their backs through the forest, sleeping together at night, nursing, and most importantly, receiving maternal love and support.

The chimps at Sanaga-Yong had this essential maternal nurturing cruelly taken from them. 

When baby chimpanzees first arrive at Sanaga-Yong in Cameroon’s rainforest, most are deeply traumatized. Some recently saw their mothers shot to death. Can you imagine how they must feel? 

Their most urgent need is for one of our caregivers to act as a “surrogate mother” to provide the love and support their own mother would have given them. 

Surrogate Caregiver Dady with Asha (back) and Niete (front)

Can you donate now to provide round-the-clock compassionate care to baby chimpanzees? 

Yes I Can

Dady is one of our devoted surrogate mothers who is instrumental in raising baby chimpanzees. Over recent years, Dady has poured her love into rescued babies Kolbi, Tamara, Bakossi, Niete, Asha and Beri. Sweet and sensitive Niete especially loves one-on-one time with Dady, as seen here receiving a special embrace while the other youngsters play in the trees.

Dady has four children of her own and says chimpanzees are easier to raise than human children. When asked why she loves working with the chimps, she said, “It gives me joy to watch how playful they are. Even when I’m in a bad mood, they make me feel happy.”

Every donation supports Dady so she can keep caring for our most vulnerable rescues. 

Give Today 

Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue depends on donations for everything we do. 

People like you make it possible for us to give these babies the care they desperately need. 

Thank You!