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About Limbe Wildlife Centre |
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 Limbe Wildlife Center was founded in 1993 as a collaborative
effort between the Government of Cameroon and Pandrillus. At that time, Peter
and Liza were doing field work in Cameroon for the drill survey. In too many
places, orphan primates were encountered with nowhere to go - chained on the
roadside, locked in storage sheds, displayed in noisy hotel garden bars and kept
as lonely individuals in private homes - from the most remote village to the
upscale Bastos neighborhood in Yaounde. There was no facility for these animals
in Cameroon and taking them all to Nigeria was not an option. The problem was
particularly acute for chimpanzees; in just 6 months of field work we had
compiled a database of nearly 50 chimpanzees needing a new home.
The original goal was to create a sanctuary for chimpanzees.
The then-Victoria Zoo in Limbe seemed like an ideal location, with good land,
water supply, plenty of visitors to be given the opportunity to learn about
wildlife and, most importantly, sympathetic and sincere management. There was
one chimpanzee living there, Suzanne, 3 drills, several baboons, red-capped
mangabeys, guenons and Man Alone, the adult male mandrill, pictured above. The
zoo was at the time under the Ministry of Tourism and their local delegate in
charge of the zoo, Maria Mukete, was ready and willing to implement change.
Pandrillus recruited its first volunteer for Cameroon, Kay Farmer, and the Limbe
Wildlife Center was born.
Today the Limbe Wildlife Center is home to 15 primate species
native to Cameroon, including gorillas, chimpanzees (including the Gulf of
Guinea chimpanzee - Pan troglodytes vellerosus), drills, mandrills,
baboons, 3 mangabey species, and 7 guenon species (including the locally endemic
Preuss’s guenon - Cercopithecus preussi). With 16 gorillas, including
the only known Cross River gorilla in captivity, LWC has Africa’s best record
for gorilla rehabilitation and care. The Center also cares for small carnivores,
duikers, birds and reptiles that have been orphaned and brought in for
rehabilitation. Most of these animals are later released to the wild in suitable
habitats.
The Ministry of Forests & Fauna (MINFOF) is now the
management authority for the center, on behalf of the Government of Cameroon.
They are a true partner in many ways including financial support and civil
servant staffs. The MINFOF Conservator of the Limbe Wildlife Center is Vincent
Fomba whose working counterpart is Pandrillus Manager Felix Lankester. Felix is
also a veterinarian and has implemented a very sophiticated veterinary program
at the center, including training of Cameroon’s first wildife veterinarian John
Kiyang, a Pandrillus staff member and very valued team player. Cameroon has one of the most diverse ranges of plant and animal species of any
country in the world. However many people are not aware of how special
the flora and fauna of this country is nor are many people aware of how rapidly
much of it is being lost for ever.
The Limbe Wildlife Centre plays an active role in local
conservation efforts by being actively involved in the implementation of the
national wildlife protection laws and by providing a solution of where to
place animals seized by law enforcement agencies. Additionally, by
protecting and caring for the wild animals of Cameroon, the project provides one
of the few opportunities for local people to see and learn about their own
precious natural heritage and how they can take steps to ensure its
conservation.
Source: official site of
Pandrillus Foundation and
Limbe Wildlife Centre
(2009)
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