Converting the dilapidated 40 year old Limbe Zoo into the LWC has been a long-term but rewarding undertaking. A concerted effort by staff, volunteers, donors, and the government of Cameroon however, are making this conversion possible. Since conception of the project in 1993, the project has been able to accomplish the following:

• Establishment of a veterinary protocol.
• Improvement of physical infrastructure including water supplies, lighting, and buildings for the various needs of the LWC.
• Enclosure improvements, modifications and new facilities for the animals.
• Enhanced staff training and motivation.
• Improvement of animal care and enrichment.
• Establishment of an education programme complete with the necessary materials.

These accomplishments have improved the effectiveness of the Centre, not only through better animal husbandry, but also through increased attendance and the provision of an increasing range of information to visitors to help fulfil the LWC's mission.

Certain specific developments that have been undertaken in the last few years have included:

• Construction of an electric-fenced outdoor enclosure and large indoor enclosure with three separate rooms for Juvenile Chimpanzees; July 1999.
• Construction of an electric-fenced outdoor enclosure for the Drills; November 1998.
• Construction of an electric-fenced outdoor enclosure for the gorillas; May 1997.
• Creation of a secure quarantine area to isolate new arrivals from the existing animals; April 1997.
• Landscaping and construction projects throughout the centre making it more informative and accommodating to visitors; ongoing.

Objectives for the next five years

Overall, the next five years are being regarded as a period in which the LWC will come to realise its initial aims. Thus, certain animals currently resident at the Centre will be reintroduced into the wild, or at least into a bush-site that will constitute the penultimate stage in their release programme. Meanwhile, the LWC will continue to press ever further with the educational element of its work. Over and above this work, it is appreciated that the running of the LWC should not rely on overseas NGOs, such as Pandrillus, forever. An important element of the work during the next five years will be to get the LWC into a position from which overseas assistance could withdraw, leaving Cameroonians in complete control.

Ever since its inception, a major component of the long-term strategy for the LWC has been the ultimate release of its chimpanzees. As ever more chimpanzees arrive at the Centre and the residents grow and mature, this project is becoming ever more imperative. The government of Cameroon has reserved two islands within the Sanaga Faunal Reserve near a village called Nkongkwalla for the express purpose of releasing the LWC chimpanzees. However, the Limbe chimpanzees have exceptionally limited experience of living in the wild and thus their introduction and rehabilitation will be completed progressively, with initial integration of the entire chimp population-taking place within social groups in large electric-fenced enclosures at the Limbe facility. Only from that point can the animals be transferred to the islands where they will be able to live out the remainder of their lives in a natural environment.

Since the juvenile chimp enclosure was enlarged and enhanced in 1999 it has become an adequate stepping-stone for the chimps on their way to a release-site since they can now be provided with a wealth of enrichment. However, further expansion of the chimp enclosure may be necessary in order to speed-up the process of rehabilitation. Research is being conducted into the possibility of using a small island to the east of the Centre as an extension of the current enclosure. With more room, the chimpanzees may be provided with ever more enrichment. This will include a tree-house and a termite-mound, both of which will further encourage their natural behaviour.

In addition to the chimpanzees, primate species that will be released from the LWC within the next five years include members of the guenon and mangabey communities currently resident, in particular, the Mona monkeys (Cercopithecus mona) and the putty-nosed guenons (Cercopahecus nictitans). Their release should be more straightforward than that of the chimpanzees since they could probably be released within the vicinity of Limbe, assuming a suitable site can be found in terms of food and water supply. Research is currently being conducted in order to locate such a site.

Whilst acting as a rescue centre and an educational resource base, the LWC will also be involved with active conservation on site, particularly for those animals, which do not face imminent release. For highly endangered species such as the drill (and possibly the red-eared and Preuss' guenons too), captive breeding programmes provide a possibility to increase wild populations to bolster species survival. Key elements and strengths of a captive breeding programme for drills at the LWC include:

• Third largest captive drill group in the world.
• Large electric-fenced enclosure constructed to house all drills as a single group, in a rich quasi-natural environment.
• Population includes two adult males and four cycling females, one of which has successfully raised two offspring.
• The ability to share knowledge with Drill Ranch, Nigeria, the most successful captive-breeding programme for drills in the world, and the headquarters of Pandrillus.
• A location that is on the fringe of the drills' natural habitat that will facilitate the formation and subsequent monitoring of a release site.

A successful captive breeding programme will not necessarily ensure the survival of the species, but helps create an awareness of the plight of endangered species, instilling a sense of pride in the special wildlife of this area.

As previously outlined, the education department of the LWC has a five-year work-plan with a multi-level and cumulative approach that is supported by internships from the University of Buea.

With a national counterpart to the project manager installed within the LWC after five-years the Centre will be in a position from which it can be run by Cameroonians alone, if overseas NGOs such as Pandrillus determine that it is in the best interests of the Centre to withdraw its ex-patriot supervisors once this period has elapsed. At the same time, it must be stressed that advice and information will continue to flow to and from the LWC; all institutions such as the LWC benefit from a steady flow of communication within a cooperative network. Likewise, the LWC will only continue to function if financial assistance from abroad is regularly supplied.

Also in this sub-section [Limbe Wildlife Centre] »
History of the LWC · Education at the LWC · Animals at the LWC · Animal Husbandry · Contribute to the LWC · Our supporters