Field Notes from Uganda: An Update on the Bulindi Chimpanzee & Community Project

By Dr. Nancy Merrick

When Friends of Chimps started supporting the Bulindi Chimp & Community Project (BCCP), Dr. Matt McLennan and his team of community leaders were piloting a new model of community-based conservation around a small forest corridor home to 19 chimps. Today, only three years later, the project has grown to encompass five sites and 3 wild chimpanzee communities while also sending children to school and engaging farmers to replant the forest rather than cut it down. They’ve also introduced clean water projects and coffee growing to further demonstrate their commitment to the community as well as the chimps.

Our very own Dr. Nancy Merrick, the board Treasurer for Friends of Chimps, visited the BCCP project in June. Here is her report from the field:

I’ve just returned from visiting the Project, and what a joy it was to see forest at Bulindi not just stabilizing, but actually revitalizing! Quite a contrast to other areas of forest not yet benefiting from the program and still being actively cut down. Support this pioneering project HERE.  

Chimp baby, Wendy, at 9 months. Part of the Bulindi group.

Even more exciting was getting a glimpse of the largest chimp community in the corridor, the Wagaisa chimpanzees, estimated at 35-40 chimps. (BCCP expanded to include one village in their large territory in 2017 and now continued expansion to a 2nd village is vital. Donate now). 

Chimp eating eucalyptus at Wagaisa site – June 2018.

A group of males frolicked along a hillside of Eucalyptus trees, intrigued by an estrous female. Not far off were the mothers and infants, and a beautiful adolescent tasting the bark of a eucalyptus. All seemed right with these chimps – despite so much that could go wrong for them.  They had lost much of their forest and usual chimp life. Yet here they were – so resilient.

The group moved on to one of the relatively few remaining fig trees in their territory, lush with ripe orange figs. “It’s the protection of forest fragments like this one that will ultimately determine these chimps’ fate,” Dr. McLennan told me, “whether they survive, or are no longer tolerated by locals.” Despite inroads being made as BCCP distributes tree seedlings for locals to plant, improves water resources, creates coffee cooperatives, and sends children to school, these animals and the forest remain at great risk.

I asked what could be done to secure these fragments and prevent them from being harvested.

The answer came back. “Locals often harvest trees when faced with medical bills or school fees during a bad year.”

“Ah, yes,” I thought, recalling how covering school fees for forest-owning families during the pilot project had enabled people to “afford” to keep their trees.  How wonderful that helping children had been central to helping chimpanzees and forests.

Andrew had his school fees covered by the project

BCCP is growing quickly these days, thanks to a dedicated team that is making every dollar count. They are ramping up to protect ever-more of the chimps and with expansion comes additional costs. I can tell you first-hand, the money is being invested in direct activities to empower the local community and save these highly threatened chimps. Watch a short video of the impact to date HERE.

We are launching a new campaign to raise $15,000 to continue and expand their amazing work, and you can make a donation HERE. Our first goal is $5,400 so be a friend to the chimps and help us celebrate World Chimpanzee Day on July 14 with a contribution that makes an immediate and significant impact. Thank you so much!