A disabled chimpanzee orphaned by the illegal bushmeat trade in Africa has found a new sanctuary. Chocolat, who has been cared for in Kenya for the past two decades, has been welcomed by the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Wareham, Dorset.
Chocolat was just an infant when her family was hunted and killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She arrived at her new home on August 16 and is now slowly acclimating to a group of six other chimpanzees, who are gradually becoming her adopted family.
When Chocolat was first rescued, she was found with injuries from shotgun pellets, which have left her with paralysis in her right hand and foot.
Monkey World, which provides sanctuary for chimpanzees rescued from 16 different countries, is now home to Chocolat. Her new companions were rescued from Mexico, Argentina, Cyprus, and Thailand, each with disabilities stemming from their own traumatic pasts.
Dr. Alison Cronin MBE, director at Monkey World, expressed their joy at welcoming Chocolat. “The companionship of their own kind is crucial for chimpanzees’ wellbeing, as they are highly social and intelligent creatures,” she said. “Providing them with a family group and as natural an environment as possible is the most effective form of rehabilitation we can offer to chimpanzees like Chocolat.”
Chocolat has already made a positive connection with Bryan, the dominant male of her new group. For the first time in over 20 years, she reached out and touched another chimpanzee, marking a significant milestone in her journey.
Established in 1987, Monkey World originally focused on rescuing chimpanzees exploited in the Spanish beach photography trade. Since its inception, the sanctuary has expanded its mission to rescue monkeys, apes, and prosimians who have been mistreated or exploited by humans.