Limbe Wildlife Center
Southwest Province, Cameroon
Limbe has its own wonderful and ever-current website -please visit us there until Pandrillus can bring you more content here!
Limbe Wildlife Center was founded in 1993 as a collaborative effort between the Government of Cameroon and Pandrillus. At that time, Peter and Liza were doing field work in Cameroon for the drill survey. In too many places, orphan primates were encountered with nowhere to go – chained on the roadside, locked in storage sheds, displayed in noisy hotel garden bars and kept as lonely individuals in private homes – from the most remote village to the upscale Bastos neighborhood in Yaounde. There was no facility for these animals in Cameroon and taking them all to Nigeria was not an option. The problem was particularly acute for chimpanzees; in just 6 months of field work we had compiled a database of nearly 50 chimpanzees needing a new home.
The original goal was to create a sanctuary for chimpanzees. The then-Victoria Zoo in Limbe seemed like an ideal location, with good land, water supply, plenty of visitors to be given the opportunity to learn about wildlife and, most importantly, sympathetic and sincere management. There was one chimpanzee living there, Suzanne, 3 drills, several baboons, red-capped mangabeys, guenons and Man Alone, the adult male mandrill, pictured above. The zoo was at the time under the Ministry of Tourism and their local delegate in charge of the zoo, Maria Mukete, was ready and willing to implement change. Pandrillus recruited its first volunteer for Cameroon, Kay Farmer, and the Limbe Wildlife Center was born.
Today the Limbe Wildlife Center is home to 15 primate species native to Cameroon, including gorillas, chimpanzees, drills, mandrills, baboons, 3 mangabey species, and 7 guenon species. With 16 gorillas, including the only known Cross River gorilla in captivity, LWC has Africa’s best record for gorilla rehabilitation and care. The Center also cares for small carnivores, duikers, birds and reptiles that have been orphaned and brought in for rehabilitation. Most of these animals are later released to the wild in suitable habitats.
Wilson Ateh is the Limbe Wildlife Center’s education coordinator and also a gorilla keeper. He has been with the project for many years and has also spent time helping out at Drill Ranch Afi Mountain. Here he shares the moment with Pitchou, a young female western lowland gorilla.
The Ministry of Forests & Fauna (MINFOF) is now the management authority for the center, on behalf of the Government of Cameroon. They are a true partner in many ways including financial support and civil servant staffs. The MINFOF Conservator of the Limbe Wildlife Center is Vincent Fomba whose working counterpart is Pandrillus Manager Felix Lankester. Felix is also a veterinarian and has implemented a very sophiticated veterinary program at the center, including training of Cameroon’s first wildife veterinarian John Kiyang, a Pandrillus staff member and very valued team player.
Local children learn about gorilla family life and behavior from the Limbe Wildlife Center’s group of 16 rehabilitated orphans.
Saturday morning Nature’s Club at the Limbe Wildlife Center.
The project focuses on education and receives over 35,000 Cameroonian visitors annually. Limbe’s education program is extensive including student visits to the center, Nature Clubs, outreach programs and performances in remote schools, field trips, holiday galas and rallies. In recent years, Pandrillus has become increasingly involved in wildlife advocacy in Cameroon through collaboration with other NGOs and government. This includes preparation of a wildlife identification handbook for Cameroonian law enforcement personnel amongst other programs. For exciting recent stories about the Taiping Four gorillas and confiscated parrots, please see Limbe’s website!