Rescuing primates from the illegal wildlife trade does not always go as planned. Sometimes the team at J.A.C.K. Primate Sanctuary opens a confiscated chimpanzee’s travel carrier, expecting to welcome the rescue with a much needed, comforting embrace, only to be met with aversion, immense fear, and aggression.

When Lucy and Tami arrived at the sanctuary a few months ago, Franck, the founder of J.A.C.K. Primate Sanctuary, expected to greet the young chimps with his usual soft, comforting hoots and warm embrace. Lucy and Tami, however, had different plans. The two sped past Franck’s greeting in search of a place they deemed safe–a place far away from humans.

Lucy and Tami were in relatively good physical health but they were suffering from severe mental trauma. Whatever pain their traffickers had inflicted upon the baby chimpanzees had taught them that humans could not be trusted. And for weeks after their rescue, Lucy and Tami remained on the defensive ready to bite any hand offering them help.

This absolute fear and disdain for humans poses a significant problem to the rehabilitation process. When baby chimpanzees arrive at JACK after being rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, they must be cared for by human caregivers until they complete their quarantine period and heal enough to be transitioned into the care of a surrogate chimpanzee mother.

Luckily, the team at JACK has faced this problem several times before and Mama Angeline, who is a kind and gentle seasoned-caregiver, was able to gain the trust of Lucy and Tami. Through her patience, Lucy and Tami began to accept Mama Angeline’s presence and all of the love she had to give. The two chimpanzees began to relax and grow attentive to the vocalizations of the other chimpanzees around the sanctuary.

Lucy and Tami have recently completed their quarantine period and have since been introduced to the other baby chimpanzees living at the sanctuary. Bere, Fwa, Kindu, and Sana accepted the two newcomers with open arms. Lucy, the more social of the two, got along well with each new group member while Tami formed an immediate friendship with Sana. The six babies will continue to grow and learn together until they are ready to be integrated into a group with maternal chimpanzees.

Lucy and Tami are both available for sponsorship:  

Sponsorship options for Lucy

Sponsorship options for Tami