Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary Cefn-yr-Erw Primate Sanctuary

Whilst on holiday near Hay-on-Wye I decided to visit the Sanctuary. Got there rather early but had a chat with the lady who owns the place. She seems really lovely and really passionate about what she does. She knows each resident individually and told me loads about the chimps.
The enclosures weren't fab compared with Monkey World or my local zoo Colchester (no fake rock though which is always a bonus) but considering they only have around 20,000 visitors a year and are on a very limited budget they do a lovely job caring for their residents. The chimps looked great - Joey and Tubman were playing outside.
Jackie and Jason looked really happy and healthy which was lovely to see. Jackie went into a display at the other group of chimps next door and threw a load of bark and mud (at least, I hope it was just bark and mud) at my boyfriend and I. The other group of chimps then kicked off and were hooting and displaying at Jackie and Jason. The large male in the group did a fantastic display and threw the contents of a bottle of water at me as I was watching. It was lovely to see the chimps acting naturally and using all of their enclosures (although they were pretty small compared to other places I have visited)

 

id like to know why all my posts have been deleted on here

 

i know, it didgo out of hand

 

1:1 chimps arrived in early November from a private zoo in Germany to join the lone male, Tubman.

From the parks website:

A few months ago we heard about two chimps in Germany, a couple in their thirties who may be facing a very uncertain future. They had lived in Tierpark Lubeck for twenty years in the care of Gunter Lehmensiek and his wife an elderly couple who ran a private Zoo on land leased from the Town Community.

Bimbo and Konda had both suffered life in a circus before going to Gunter, and Bimbo did not walk anywhere but slid around on his backside. During their time with Gunter both chimps received good care albeit as captive animals, and Bimbo although very small in stature is now far from immobile! To those who might think the chimps could have been ‘returned to the wild’ Bimbo would not have lasted five minutes with his limited movement, stature and circus background.


However trouble loomed for the family when Lubeck Community decided that they wanted their land back. All of the animals would be rendered homeless including Bimbo and Konda. Where could they go? Of course, Zoos were not interested in a couple of older chimps who might have problems readjusting.

They had a year to remove the chimps or the future would be grim for Bimbo and Konda, as the usual solution when no home can be found is to euthanize chimps.

The Ministry Veterinary Office in Lubeck contacted us and arranged for Graham to fly to Germany to meet the chimps.
It was obvious from the moment he met them that Bimbo and Konda were lovely chimps and would be happy here at the Sanctuary. An added bonus was Bimbo’s lively nature and enjoyment of playing football! Someone else already here, also enjoys football and playing to the crowd – Tubman! Tubman had been on his own since Joey his companion died earlier this year of chronic heart disease. Whilst Tubman is very at home with people and he and Joey were not that close, could Bimbo and Konda give him the kind of companionship he would like? It was worth a chance for all three chimps’ future. Graham flew home and plans began to move Bimbo and Konda as soon as possible before winter set in.
The Sanctuary Ambulance was prepared and increased power and fuel performance in the form of a Digital Diesel Tuning System generously donated by Diesel Tuning UK Ltd would make for a quicker journey. After all, the trip to Lubeck and back is 805 miles each way and with the two precious older passengers on board time would be of the essence. Eurotunnel facilitated the journey by allowing Graham to transport the chimps via their channel tunnel crossing.The trip was planned for early November. Bimbo and Konda would need to be kept warm on the journey. Graham contacted Seymour Manufacturing International who had helped us in the past. Immediately they offered to make two customised Tempro thermal covers for the two transport crates and rush them to us. The Ambulance was now well equipped for comfort and safety, with air conditioning donated by the Dometic Group and CCTV cameras donated by Ring Automotive to observe the chimps on the journey.
It is always a risk to move chimpanzees as they have to be tranquilised in order to be put into the transport crates and to be given a health check. Bimbo and Konda both in their late thirties would need extra care. At Graham’s request Lubeck Community paid for Nick Masters of International Zoo Vets to oversee the procedure and travel back to the UK with the chimps. Our local All Wales Ambulance Services kindly loaned us an oxygen cylinder as an extra precaution.
Finally Graham set off with Mike Williams, photographer who had volunteered to assist and document the whole rescue mission.

Understandably Gunter and his wife were upset at losing the two members of their family but when Konda recognised Graham straight away and called out to him, they were reassured that Bimbo and Konda would be happy with us.

All went well and the Sanctuary Ambulance arrived back here in the early hours of Saturday November 6th with its two passengers very much awake and interested in their new surroundings.

BIG QUESTION – what would Tubman think of them? And they of him? None of them had experience of being introduced to new chimps. Bimbo and Konda were installed next door to Tubman so we could spend time observing all their reactions to one another and they could all acclimatise to the new situation.

Chimpanzees can kill one another if the integration process is careless and does not take into account their backgrounds and the fact that they are captive animals.

For the first week Tubman was not overly interested in his new neighbours but he soon saw that in Bimbo particularly he has someone with whom he can relate and the two of them have spent many hours together playing with the footballs and other ‘toys’ and throwing bark at the visitors. Once Konda realised that Tubman posed no threat to her partner she is happy to climb up and watch the two of them performing. Everyone here is delighted that the chimps have so quickly formed a friendship which gives hope for a happier future for all of them.

 

That's a great story. Nice to hear that Tubman has companions again, and two chimps in need have found a good home

 

Having visited both places I would say the only thing they have gained is a play mate,while Lubeck is by far the worst collection that I have visited in Germany the Chimp enclosure was actually one of the better bits of the zoo.

 

I won't comment on the living area as most of you know I'm not a fan of the "zoo", but it's nice to hear that Tubs has companions and won't be on his own

 

Well, in that it had had a lick of paint in the last decade, had something other than concrete on the floor and actually had an animal visible...

 

There were plenty of Animals at Lubeck just most of them were domestic Cats!!

 

A male crab-eating macaque which was found as a 'stowaway' on a ship at Felixstowe has been transferred to Cefn-yr-Erw and is in quarantine . He might be introduced as a companion for their female Japanese macaque .

Reported in the local 'Evening Post' paper tonight .

 

Another male Chimp has arrived from Bulgaria. They now have 3:0
Rescuers recount Bili the chimp's escape to Wales - Wales News - News - WalesOnline

 

A programme on BBC Wales tonight 'Rhys to the Rescue' featured Bili the Chimp being brought from pretty poor , solitary , conditions in Bulgaria . He was successfully integrated with Tubman and Bimbo after a period living next to them .

 

They actually have quite a lot more than this, that's just one 'group' I think.

The programme tonight was very interesting.

 

I really enjoyed this programme, i caught it just by chance.

 

New arrivals

New arrivals for WAMS in the form of three Baboons (sub-species not given) who have been flown into Heathrow from Kuwait today

 

Given their source country, I would think Hamadryas are the most likely. They must have quite a lot of these by now.

 

Note:
Could be any other baboon spp. ..

 

I sometimes wonder if these baboons wouldn't prefer to stay living in poorer conditions in their natural hot climate than being moved to the often cold/wet UK.