Chimp & See Talk

Please forgive the absence... I'll be attending the GRASP West Africa Regional Meeting in Monrovia!

  • northernlimitptv by northernlimitptv scientist, moderator

    Hey Chimp&Seers!

    I just wanted to give you guys a heads up that I am on my way this weekend to Monrovia, Liberia to participate in the GRASP-UNEP (Great Ape Survival Partnership) West African Regional Meeting ( http://www.un-grasp.org/regionalmeeting/ )! I’m really looking forward to meeting with the many great ape experts that will be there to talk about improving chimpanzee conservation in the region.

    I believe eventually the proceedings of the meeting will be recorded and uploaded to the site I shared above, if you’d like to have the latest updates about conserving West Africa’s chimps! Unfortunately I’m likely to be very busy during my stay in Liberia, and I don’t expect to have much time left to keep up with moderating Cold Fire. I’ll do my best this weekend to make sure any loose ends are tied before I leave, and intend to pick it right back up again once I return to work.

    Thanks all for your patience! Perhaps I can post a few updates over the week if any of you would be interested.

    northernlimitptv 😃

    Posted

  • Snorticus by Snorticus in response to northernlimitptv's comment.

    That sounds like a terrific weekend . Updates would be interesting but only if you can find time. Thanks to you and all the people who are working to preserve these magnificent animals and their habitat!

    Posted

  • northernlimitptv by northernlimitptv scientist, moderator in response to Snorticus's comment.

    Thanks @Snorticus ! I'll see if I can fit them in. If nothing else I can update you guys when I get back on the 18th! 😄

    Posted

  • northernlimitptv by northernlimitptv scientist, moderator

    Hey all,

    I'm finally back! The meeting ( http://www.un-grasp.org/regionalmeeting/ ) was very productive and it was interesting to hear updates from many West African partners on their activities across the region. We had lots of good discussions about the current threats to chimpanzee conservation (extractive industries, poaching and wildlife trafficking, habitat loss and degradation), but also many great discussions as to how to move forward together. I'm really looking forward to following the stories of various projects that came up over the 3 days of meetings. Here's a few pictures GRASP has posted from the meetings:
    https://www.facebook.com/graspunep/posts/10154162634728993

    To give a bit of an example, we heard a very interesting update from the folks at Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue (LCR) who, with help from the US Humane Society, have been supporting the former ViLab chimpanzees. You may have already heard of these chimps, as these are the same chimps whom the New York Blood Center had cut funding for their support and essentially were left to die. Fortunately the folks at LCR are working hard to make sure these chimps get the food and care that they will need over their lifetime. I was fortunate enough to visit the facilities, and GRASP has already posted a few pictures from our visit here:
    https://www.facebook.com/graspunep/posts/10154165515008993

    In summary it was a great trip! Many people contributed to the meetings, and all in all it was a fruitful couple of days. It was such a pleasure to see so many enthusiastic people committed to chimpanzee conservation in the region!

    Now that I'm back, I'm looking forward to catching up on all the Chimp&See activity!

    Posted

  • Snorticus by Snorticus in response to northernlimitptv's comment.

    Sad about their past & happy to see the much improved present situation for the ViLab chimps. I'm glad that so many people are working on several fronts to support chimp habitats and chimp survival. Welcome back!

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