A young chimpanzee looks towards the camera with a second chimpanzee sat behind her

Ngamba Island

NGAMBA ISLAND

UGANDA

Ngamba is a sanctuary for chimpanzees in need. The chimpanzees live in social groups and spend the majority of their time in a 100-acre rainforest sanctuary. Before the sanctuary was established the forest was degraded, but since the chimps’ arrival, the island has blossomed, and is now home to more than 120 species of bird, 50,000 fruit bats, monitor lizards, hippos and other wildlife.

All of these chimpanzees would probably have witnessed their mothers and other family members killed, and they often arrive on the island traumatised and malnourished. Here, they are nursed back to health and rehabilitated. Unfortunately, they are the lucky ones as many chimpanzees die before they are rescued.

Born Free has worked with Ngamba Island from the very beginning, helping to create the sanctuary in 1998.

Visit the Ngamba Island website