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Conserving the Chimps
5 January 2006
While most of us are lazing at the beach, Wellington Zoo's chimp keeper Jo Turton is spending her summer holidays volunteering at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), a sanctuary for rescued animals.
Over the past month Zoo visitors have donated money for Jo to take to Uganda. 'The UWEC is almost completely donor funded,' said Jo 'so the money that Wellingtonians have given us to give to them will be a great help.' It costs US$10,000 a year for the UWEC to feed their chimps.
Jo's aim is to share her knowledge of chimps and their conservation with centre staff and visitors. 'Conservation is about helping the animals in the wild, and as Jane Goodall said, it only takes one person to make a difference.'
When Jo first visited the centre 10 years ago, it had just been established and she was taken aback to see the chimps having to soak their tough bread rolls in water so they could eat. 'I can't wait to see how they have improved over the last ten years,' said Jo 'it was pretty basic.'
Around 5,000 chimps are killed each year for their meat and as a result, orphaned infant chimps are being traded as pets. One chimp can fetch over US$30,000. The UWEC chimps have been rescued from traders.
Visit http://www.uweczoo.org/ for more information.
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