Akiba, Pinkie & Pieh and Loko

More Survivors of and Losers in Human Conflict and the Bushmeat Trade

Update 19 August 2001 (modified 04jul2002) by Jane Dewar

PINKIE & PIEH:  Chimpanzees - survivors of a human war

In Cameroon at the PASA meeting in June 2001, Steuart and I met several wonderful people running sanctuaries helping orphaned primates in Africa.   Most of the sanctuaries specialized in chimpanzees and/or monkeys, since these are the two types of animals who seem to be rescued and somehow survive the traumas of their captures.  Gorillas tend to give up and die of depression and heartbreak.  But one photo in particular got my attention – a photo of Pinkie, a chimpanzee caught in the crossfire of the war in Sierra Leone …. So with the permission of Tacugama’s Sanctuary director, Bala Amarasekaran, here’s Pinkie’s story, to accompany his photos of Pinkie and her pal, Pieh,, sent by email 09 July 2001.  "Pinkie's story is just about another Bushmeat Baby!  Her mother was shot in the rebel held territory(Gola Forest in Sierra Leone) bordering Liberia. The hunter was on his way to the nearest town (Kenema, a government controlled area) and was intercepted by the local Police commissioner at a check point. He was amazed by the unique appearance of the infant and decided to buy the infant for his wife as a pet. Pinkie was purchased for $200 . The police commissioner was not aware of our wild life laws and decided to bring the infant to the capital city, Freetown. Fortunately, Tacugama runs an effective sensitization campaign and majority of the people in Freetown have knowledge on laws relating to endangered species and the existence of Tacugama. Some one who had visited the sanctuary in the past happened to see this white chimp wrapped up in a blanket, held in the arms of the wife of the commissioner. I was contacted the same night and I was able to track down the Police Commissioner, educate him with our current wild life laws and he  agreed to hand over the infant.

Dateline: 20may2002: Pinkie, featured in the story left, was found dead in the afternoon of May 20th. As usual, she was in her group of 34 chimps on a rainy spring day. When she didn't show up for the afternoon feed, Tacugama staff began searching the perimeter of the several-acre enclosure. The dominant male, Bruno, joined the staff in the search. Suddenly, from the interior, chimps started to make a noise. Bruno ran towards that direction and reappeared with the lifeless body of Pinkie. Bruno started to shake and prod the body as if he was checking for any sign of life. Bruno would not allow any chimp to come near the corpse. Then all of a sudden to the staff's surprise, Bruno tossed the body over the fence to the staff, who examined the body. It was cold, as if she had died a few hours earlier. She had a wound and an old blood strain above her right eye, but no other evidence to indicate she was attached by other chimps or bitten by a snake, or something else. She was found in an area with tall trees and the terrain is rocky. Perhaps during the rain she slipped from a branch and fell to her death. It is a shame, that such a rare, beautiful life has been cut short at this tender age. Pinkie was a very special soul, and we shall miss her forever. May she rest in peace... Excerpts from Tacugama Email Director Bala Amarasekaran, dated 27May2002. Photos of Pinkie and Bruno taken in January of 2002 courtesy of Tacugama.

The infant was about six weeks old, fragile, hardly any hair and Pink in complexion. The wife of the commissioner had already named her Pinkie and begged not to change her name.

Pinkie spent the first Eight months at my residence as she needed proper care. She has now moved to Tacugama and is part of the infant gang of Six. All the resident chimps know that she is just another chimp but with a different complexion! She is a favourite of all the chimps and they all have a soft corner for her and gets special treatment from everyone. Pinkie is 1 year and 10 months old....very docile but very playful. Still scared of heights and spends most of her time on the ground."

Limbe Wildlife Center - bad and good news:  Loko the chimp and Akiba the gorilla

Please refer to Loko’s Story in my original report from my visit to Cameroon in 1999.  Having survived capture and the horror of life welded inside a bird cage, Loko looked great when I saw her again two years later.  She was now a full and important member of the juvenile chimp group, and I was thrilled to see her “mothering” a newer chimp arrival named Jackson.  Loko was maturing into a real beauty, as seen in this photo of her and Jackson cuddling as they often did. Photo right by Jane Dewar, May 2001. Photo left courtesy of Livia Wittiger, former LWC volunteer from Germany, taken in 1999.

  I can’t describe my sadness as I read an email from the project manager on 09 August 2001, which said:

"Another down day it seems. I can hardly believe it, but we lost Loko this morning. For the past few days we have been battling to keep another chimp alive (brought in by a french guy who has had it as his pet for the past three years), finally with some success as he began responding to treatment yesterday afternoon. Then I get the dreaded knock on the window early this morning telling me Loko is down, after being completely, apparently, fine the day before. By the time I ran there she was gone. We just finished this the autopsy, to find what is certainly acute pancreatitis, and resultant septic shock. It was probably from some form of trauma yesterday, but possibly also from a bacterial infection. We will do the tests to make sure the rest of the group is safe. So everyone here is understandably low.

Yet another preuss (note: a very rare and endangered species of monkey) arrived yesterday also, making it three in the past week. Such a roller coaster ride.”  

Previously, I’d heard 2 new baby gorillas were confiscated – one went to the Yaounde Zoo and the other arrived at Limbe Wildlife Centre on July 3, 2001.  Another bushmeat survivor, Akiba (photos left and right by Dave Lucas, July 2001) is approximately a one and a half year old female and from the photos apparently a real beauty!  After a shaky start, she’s apparently thriving as she goes through quarantine before being introduced to the other gorillas. She’s being cared for by Dave and the LWC staff and volunteers. 

After she finishes quarantine, Akiba will join the rest of the Limbe gorillas where I am confident that she will be welcomed and part of the group very quickly.