Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue
Mission Statement
- Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue's mission is to provide sanctuary for chimpanzee orphans in Cameroon while spearheading and supporting habitat protection, law enforcement and conservation education programs.
Focus Areas:
- Education, Environment, Animals
Countries Served:
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Cameroon
Background:
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Date Founded: 1999Number of Staff: 35Description of Services:
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Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue provides sanctuary and the highest quality of lifelong care for 76 orphaned chimpanzees, ranging in ages from babies to adults, whose mothers were killed for the illegal bush meat trade.
Our organization also plays a vital role in conservation through promotion and support of law enforcement, habitat protection and education/sensitization.
Our sanctuary employs local residents at the site and school, supports a village market economy with purchases of fruits and vegetables; sponsors a sustainable agriculture project to keep farms productive and improve the diet of local children; and promotes childhood literacy by contributing to the salaries of eight teachers in surrounding community schools.
History:- Sanage-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center (formerly IDA-Africa) was founded in 1999 to provide sanctuary to orphaned chimpanzees in Cameroon's Mbargue Forest. Today Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue (SYCR) cares for 76 rescued chimpanzees and carries out important conservation initiatives, including forest protection and education. In 2013, Harper Collins published Kindred Beings, a memoir by Director Sheri Speede about how she founded IDA-Africa and SYCR.
Accomplishments & Progress:-
- Organized and provided technical and logistical support for Cameroon authorities in the first armed confiscation of protected wildlife.
- Installed a grain mill in the village to help villagers achieve greater food self-sufficiency and grow products for sale.
- Published a children's book, I Protect the Chimpanzees, and developed a program to educate local children about wildlife protection.
- Initiated a sustainable agriculture program to provide supplemental nutrition for local villagers and animals, and to keep existing farm plots fertile and spare forest habitat.
- In collaboration with the Cameroon government and local villages, secured protected area status for the Wall-Mbargue forest to protect endangered wildlife.
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Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue provides sanctuary and the highest quality of lifelong care for 76 orphaned chimpanzees, ranging in ages from babies to adults, whose mothers were killed for the illegal bush meat trade.
Additional Background Information:
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Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue's conservation efforts include:
1. By providing a permanent home for illegally trafficked and held chimpanzees, as well as information and necessary technical assistance to authorities, we enable law enforcement.
2. To end poaching of endangered wildlife, we worked with with government partners and community leaders to successfully created the Wall-Mbargue Wildlife Refuge.
3. Our visitor and outreach programs focus on increasing awareness about chimpanzees' intelligence and emotional capacity, their similarity to humans, their endangered status and the laws against exploiting them.
4. We published a children's book, Je Protégé les Chimpanzés (I Protect the Chimpanzees), and are using it in schools as part of a five-day classroom program that aims to instill an appreciation of chimpanzees and other endangered wildlife, and encourages the humane treatment of all animals.
Local Partners:
- Cameroon Ministry of Forests and Wildlife and Ape Action Africa
Additional Affiliations:
- LACSY (Friends of Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzees), Pan African Sanctuary Alliance and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
Quality Check:
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Financial Information Verified Year 2014 2013 2012 Total Revenue: $3,036,178 $2,624,591 $3,109,905 Expenses: Program Services Expenses: $2,126,376 (81% of total)$2,736,283 (87% of total)$2,656,051 (84% of total)Management & General Expenses: $263,732 (10% of total)$151,027 (5% of total)$152,822 (5% of total)Fundraising Expenses: $248,057 (9% of total)$263,957 (8% of total)$357,289 (11% of total)Total Expenses: $2,638,165 $3,151,267 $3,166,162
Officers and Board:
Contact:
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Address: PO Box 2743
Portland , OR 97208
United States
Phone: 971-544-7772 Fax: Web: http://sychimprescue.org
Photos:
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Jacky - one of SYCR's first rescues View Full Size Staff & volunteers View Full Size Drone photo of SYCR View Full Size Carla, Anita, Manni & Cecile View Full Size Kanoa & Anita View Full Size Alice & Niete playing in the trees View Full Size Alice loves her fruit View Full Size Alfred & his Education Program students View Full Size
