While chimpanzee numbers are declining dramatically almost everywhere in West Africa, they are doing well in Boé, an area twice the size of the Dutch province of Utrecht in southeast Guinea Bissau. No fewer than 1,500 chimpanzees inhabit the forest and savannah, protected by the local population who are supported by the Chimbo Foundation. 30 village committees patrol with 150 community rangers to protect the area around their village against poachers; 40 fire committees ensure that savannah fires do not damage the forest where chimpanzees have sleeping trees and find food. Very special is that Boé’s chimpanzees communicate with each other by “drumming” with stones on special trees.
The sacred forests that are mainly found around the many springs in the area are of great importance for the well-being of the chimpanzees (and also for the people themselves). In Guinea Bissau too, we must be aware of less scrupulous people who would like to steal valuable wood. Protection of these sacred forests therefore has priority, but it must be known exactly where they are located. The Chimbo Foundation measures this using GPS. Thanks to Chimbo, 178 Boé sacred groves are now registered in an international United Nations database of protected areas, with more to follow! DierenPark Amersfoort Wildlife Fund has donated well-functioning GPSes with which a student from Wageningen University and local staff will measure a number of sacred forests again in September 2023. The local staff said that some forests seemed to be expanding due to the protective work of the fire committees.
It does not have to be just a tragedy in (international) nature management. If we join forces, as the Chimbo Foundation does with the local population in Boé and with the efforts of students, we will improve the world.
Would you also like to help? Check out the Chimbo Foundation website, or support DierenPark Amersfoort Wildlife Fund.
