We welcome, care for and release back into the wild, both orphaned or captured chimpanzees

Even if more than seventy chimpanzees have been cared for by H.E.L.P. Congo between 1989 and today, the vast majority of the primates arrived at the HELP between the years 1989 and 1994. After 1994, efforts focused more on the reintroduction programme because the sanctuary reached its capacity limit.

© Stéphanie MENG-ZIRILLI - HELP CONGO

The chimpanzees that are cared for at HELP are mainly young individuals, sometimes less than a year old and who have been seized by Congolese authorities or abandoned by pet owners. Some of the primates from zoos in Pointe Noire, and above all in Brazzville, have been a bit older. The oldest individuals were housed on one of the Sanctuary’s islands.  The youngest very often had to be weaned and cared for, before even thinking about relocating them onto one of the islands within the Sanctuary.

Currently, chimpanzees still live on two of the three original islands. There, they can find food to eat, but not in sufficient quantities to allow them to be totally autonomous. Therefore, each day, fruits and a cereal and milk nutritional complement are provided. Most of these individuals can never be released back into the wild because many have a handicap or are just too old.

© Stéphanie MENG-ZIRILLI - HELP CONGO

We have successfully reintroduced chimpanzees back into their natural habitat

A reintroduction programme which started in 1996 at the Triangle site, a forest zone at the edge of Conkouati laguna within the Conkouati-Douli Park, has allowed us to successfully reintroduce 40 individuals back into their natural environment over the past decade.
The professionalism of the HELP Congo programme has been recognized by a host of primatologists.

(A compléter)


We are leading the battle against poaching

Anti-poaching programmes are essential in limiting the trafficking of wild animals. Adult individuals are killed for bush meat essentially in Pointe-Noire. The baby chimpanzees are sold off as pets.

H.E.L.P. Congo’s objectives are two-fold :
• Provide support to Congolese authorities by taking in chimpanzees which they seize from poachers and provide logistical support, when needed, to the Eco-Guards working in the Conkouati-Douli National Park ;
• Discourage poachers, by simply maintaining a permanent presence of our teams in the forest. Indeed, since 1996, the date H.E.L.P. set up its Triangle site, poaching has declined significantly within the site and within the surrounding forest zones and wild animals have even returned in large numbers, specifically elephants, ceropithecines, buffalos and wild cats.


We are educating the local population about conservation of both the forest and chimpanzees

© Stéphanie MENG-ZIRILLI - HELP CONGO

Educating people is an integral part of our activity. When HELP Congo was first created the Congolese government informed villagers about the Conkouati Sanctuary’s objectives. Afterwards, presentations in surrounding village schools were made to explain to children the importance of forest and chimpanzee preservation. In 2007, HELP set up an education centre in Pointe Noire which welcomes, informs, and educates the public The objective of this centre is to encourage thinking through a respectful dialogue in favor of biodiversity protection.

We are fighting against deforestation

Back in 1991, when the Sanctuary was first created, some fruit trees, palm trees, acacias and eucalyptus where orginally planted near the buildings, thus creating the first green zone. Then a true four hectare plantation was set up containing firebreak zones in order to protect the trees from brush fires.

At present, the plantation is made up of four distinct sections : • the first, planted in 2002 : all the rows of fruit trees have been cleared of underbrush and each tree has its own base of dry grass to protect it from drought. • the second, planted in 2004 and equal in size to the first, is principally composed of palm trees, acacias, mango trees, padamier and citrus trees... This second plantation hosts around 1,000 plants. • the third part is an approximately 50 meter strip running alongside the forest and the mangrove. It contains some 700 forest species and protects the forest from savanna fires. • the fourth is located next to the laguna and contains some 250 different plants including mangos, bicolor parkias and padamier trees.

© S MENG-ZIRILLI - HELP CONGO

We participate in scientific research on primates

At the current rate of deforestation in Africa, 90% of the great apes’ habitat will have been destroyed by the year 2030. We therefore must urgently act now to save the tropical forest.

The majority of central African countries lack the resources and skills in both research and conservation. Project HELP is also active on this level.
We use our assets (sites rich in natural habitats, important network of scientific partners…) to create a developmental assistance programme based on knowledge of primate ‘eco-sytems & habitats. .

This programme includes several activities :
• Carrying out different studies : focused on test eco-systems, fauna/flora inventory, follow-up and cartography.
• Proposing to various Congolese partners pertinent conservation and environmental management measures based on data gathered.
• Helping the Congolese, who must remain the master builders of the management of their own natural resources.

Since 2002, several scientific missions have been conducted on forest coverage in the Conkouati zone, aquatic environments and on birds. These various missions have permitted the definition of more in-depth studies for the future.