Whilst conducting a survey of Cameroonian drill habitat in 1991-92, the directors of Pandrillus (an NGO based in Calabar, Nigeria, working for the conservation and study of drills and chimpanzees) became acutely aware of the problem of captive wild-born chimpanzees. These animals were a by-product of the mainly illegal bush meat trade, often being kept in appalling conditions, without adequate physical or emotional stimulation from their environment, as pets or on display in hotels.
After discussion with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MINEF) within the Government of Cameroon, a proposal was put forward to develop the then Limbe Zoo as an interim sanctuary for these captive, wild-born chimpanzees with the ultimate intention of releasing them back to the wild. As a result, in late 1993, responsibility for Limbe Zoo was transferred from the Ministry of Tourism to the Division of Wildlife and Protected Areas within MINEF. Soon after this change, the Government of Cameroon entered into an agreement process with Pandrillus to take over daily operations of the centre and direct its progress for the future.
Through this collaboration and a subsequent renaming to "The Limbe Wildlife Centre", the old Zoo created 40 years ago, shifted its focus from a place for peoples' entertainment to a centre for wildlife conservation and education.
Whilst acting as a sanctuary for chimpanzees, renovation of the Zoo for the existing animals became an immediate priority. By providing them with proper care and nutrition, maintaining their physical and mental health, they provide a valuable educational resource for the visitors to the centre: using the animals on display as ambassadors for their own species, the ultimate way in which the Centre can have an impact on conservation in Cameroon is through education. The mission statement of the project was developed accordingly and reads as follows:
"To help secure the long-term survival of threatened and endangered species, the Limbe Wildlife Centre is focusing on conservation education by promoting awareness and appreciation for Cameroon's unique wildlife."
Ever since it came into existence the LWC has continued to evolve. Of utmost priority remains the health and welfare of the animals present, but these have come to be all manner of rescued animals, primarily primates. At the end of the last decade, the centre contained more than seventy animals, including 2l chimpanzees, 7 gorillas, 13 drills (the third largest population of captive drills in the world), 3 Mandrills, 4 baboons, a selection of mangabeys and guenons, and a small number of reptiles and ungulates.
The Centre works to release animals whenever possible, the goal is to eventually have all the animals in the wild, not in the Centre. Therefore, many species like civets, birds, and certain reptiles, are cared for at the centre until it is feasible to release them to a suitable location. As yet, no primate species have been released by the LWC but as discussed below, the prospect of rehabilitating primates may soon become a reality as a result of the educational work carried out by the Centre and research on potential release sites.
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