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The West African chimpanzee: a hope of survival?

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To ensure their rehabilitation, the chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea go out into the bush accompanied by caregivers every day. Here, Pépé, a one-and-a-half-year-old baby chimpanzee rescued from poaching, is in the arms of Michel, his caregiver, by the Niger River. Caregivers play an essential role in the upbringing of baby chimpanzees, acting as both group leaders and surrogate 'mothers'.
The three current baby residents of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, from left to right: Bingo, Tola, and Pépé. Since its establishment in 1997, nearly a hundred orphaned chimpanzees have been welcomed at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center. Today, around sixty are still residents.
Portrait of Pépé, the youngest resident of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. At the CCC, he is regaining a zest for life after his tragic capture from the wild. According to the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), for every young chimpanzee saved, approximately 10 members of its family will likely have been killed during the process.
A moment of complicity between Pépé, the youngest resident of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, and his carer Michel.
Eddy, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, carries Pépé on his back for their daily outing in the forest.
Tola, a two-year-old baby chimpanzee, 'whispering' in the ear of Eddy, his caregiver for the day. After being seized by Guinean authorities in a mining concession, Tola arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center a year ago, extremely thin and sick. Since then, although he remains one of the most fearful residents, he has made significant progress and is becoming more and more social with the caregivers and his fellow chimpanzees. Upon arrival at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center, primates often suffer physical and psychological damage, but thanks to the care and attention of the caregivers, they embark on a long process of relearning how to survive in the wild.
A moment of play and intimacy between Pépé, the youngest resident of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, and his carer Michel.
Portrait of Pépé, the youngest resident of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. During forest outings, he learns the necessary skills for a potential return to the wild. It takes at least twelve year of rehabilitation for a chimpanzee to be considered potentially capable of living in the wild again.
Michel, a keeper at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, is grooming Bingo. Grooming is an extremely important social behaviour for chimpanzees, as it strengthens bonds among individuals in the same group.
Portrait of Bingo, a three-year-old baby chimpanzee. He arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea about a year ago after being seized by Guinean authorities from a trafficker who was attempting to sell him as a pet.
Pépé is in the arms of his caregiver Michel. The bonds that connect the baby chimpanzees to their caregivers are very strong and essential for developing the necessary trust for a potential return to the wild. Chimpanzees require prolonged maternal care, and their infant dependency is one of the longest in the animal kingdom.
Michel is playing with Bingo, Tola, and Pépé, the three current baby residents of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. The caregivers at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center play a crucial role in the education of baby chimpanzees and are vital for the development of social bonds among them.
Portrait of Bingo, a three-year-old baby chimpanzee. He arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea about a year ago after being seized by Guinean authorities from a trafficker who was trying to sell him as a pet.
Alexis, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, is playing with Pépé. The bonds that connect the baby chimpanzees to their caregivers are very strong and essential for developing the necessary trust for a potential return to the wild. Chimpanzees require prolonged maternal care, and their infant dependency is one of the longest in the animal kingdom.
Alexis, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, is playing with Pépé. The bonds that connect the baby chimpanzees to their caregivers are very strong and essential for developing the necessary trust for a potential return to the wild. Chimpanzees require prolonged maternal care, and their infant dependency is one of the longest in the animal kingdom.
The rehabilitation process at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea focuses on 'rewilding'. During outings in the bush, young chimpanzees learn to manage their social relationships. Here, Bingo, Tola, and Pépé, the three current baby residents of the sanctuary, are fighting over a burlap sack they found in the forest. Alexis, the caregiver who represents the group leader and dominant male figure for them, has to intervene to calm them down.
Portrait of Pépé, the youngest resident of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. At the CCC, he is regaining a zest for life after his tragic capture from the wild. According to the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), for every young chimpanzee saved, approximately 10 members of its family will likely have been killed during the process.
Pépé is fascinated by his reflection on the screen of the mobile phone of Eddy, one of the keepers at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. Chimpanzees possess remarkable intelligence. In fact, along with bonobos, they are the animal species genetically closest to humans. They share 98.7% of their DNA with humans and are thus at the core of understanding the origin and evolution of humankind.
Portrait of Tola, a two-year-old baby chimpanzee who arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center one year ago after being seized by Guinean authorities in a mining concession.
Pépé tenderly embracing his carer Michel. At the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, Tte bonds that connect the baby chimpanzees to their caregivers are very strong and essential for developing the necessary trust for a potential return to the wild. Chimpanzees require prolonged maternal care, and the duration of their infant dependency is one of the longest in the animal kingdom.
Tola is 'fishing' in the Niger River with a stick. West African chimpanzees are known to have developed specific skills, including the regular use of tools. For example, they have been observed making wooden spears to hunt other primates, searching for termites, fishing for algae or using stones to crack nuts. These practices are not observed in any other chimpanzee population.
Portrait of Pépé, the youngest resident of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. At the CCC, he is regaining a zest for life after his tragic capture from the wild.
Michel returns to the sanctuary after a morning spent in the bush with Bingo, Tola, and Pépé, the three current baby residents of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, clinging around him.
Under Tola's interested gaze, Michel, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, prepares bottles for the three current baby residents of the sanctuary. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the younger ones are still supplemented with milk.
Michel, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, bottle-feeds Pépé. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the younger ones are still supplemented with milk.
Michel, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, bottle-feeds Pépé. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the younger ones are still supplemented with milk.
Eddy, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, bottle-feeds Pépé and Tola. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the younger ones are still supplemented with milk.
Michel, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, prepares bottles for the three current baby residents of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the younger ones are still supplemented with milk.
Alexis, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, washes pieces of papaya for the three baby chimpanzees before their outing in the bush. Every day, over 4 kilograms of fruits and vegetables are distributed in four meals to each resident of the center. The CCC supports the local economy by purchasing fruits for the chimpanzees from nearby villages around the sanctuary.
Sadou, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, prepares and grinds contraceptives for the pubescent females. All pubescent females at the sanctuary are placed on contraceptives to prevent captive births.
Ibrahima, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, walks in front of one of the four enclosures of the sanctuary. Around the age of 8, chimpanzees are gradually separated from humans and placed in spacious enclosures. This is the time when they form a group and establish a hierarchy based on their interactions and the alliances they create.
Bingo, one of the three babies at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, clings to the bars of a window.
Portrait of a chimpanzee in a cage. To avoid conflicts and ensure that all chimpanzees receive their food ration, some meals for the adults are given in cages. Around the age of 8, chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea are gradually separated from humans and placed in spacious enclosures. It is at this time that they form a group and establish a hierarchy based on their interactions and alliances they create.
Stuart Beaman, primatologist and director of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, throws bananas into one of the four enclosures of the sanctuary. The chimpanzees are fed at fixed times four times a day: morning, noon, afternoon, and late in the day.
Marco eating néré, a local wild plant highly appreciated by chimpanzees. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea are also fed with wild fruits to get them accustomed to consuming foods they will later find in their natural habitat.
Portrait of Dali, a 6-year-old chimpanzee. He arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea about 4 years ago after being confiscated from a poacher by Guinean authorities.
Distribution of bottles to the 'adolescents.' Before each outing in the bush, the young chimpanzees receive a bottle of milk, here enriched with honey. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the younger ones are still supplemented with milk.
The young chimpanzees, Dali, César, Marco, and Sewa, drinking from their bottles. Before each outing in the bush, the young chimpanzees receive a bottle of milk. In addition to their daily ration of fruits and vegetables, the younger ones are still supplemented with milk.
Departure to the bush for Dali, César, Marco, and Sewa, the four 'adolescents' of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, accompanied by Saliou, a caregiver. The program: to learn about freedom and group life before finding their place in a clan.
Portrait of Dali in the trees. The young chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea must learn to move in the forest, climb trees, and search for food in order to have a chance of being released into the wild as adults.
Portrait of Sewa in the forest. This 4-year-old female chimpanzee arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea 3 years ago after being seized from poachers who were trying to sell her to Chinese expatriates.
Portrait of Dali in the forest. Dali arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea about 4 years ago at the age of 6, after being confiscated from a poacher by Guinean authorities.
Portrait of Sewa in the forest. The young chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea must learn to move in the forest, climb trees, and search for food in order to have a chance of being released into the wild as adults.
Portrait of Marco in the forest. This 4-year-old young chimpanzee arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea 3 years ago after being rescued from poaching. While his mother was shot and killed for meat, a bullet hit his mouth and caused severe injuries that he still bears the scars of.
Portrait of Cesar. This 6-year-old male chimpanzee arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea 5 years ago after being confiscated from traffickers by Guinean customs at the Sierra Leone border.
Portrait of Cesar. This 6-year-old male chimpanzee arrived at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea 5 years ago after being confiscated from traffickers by Guinean customs at the Sierra Leone border.
Saliou, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, and Cesar observe the rest of the chimpanzee group playing in the trees.
A knowing and tender look between Marco and Michel, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. Caregivers are essential to the upbringing of chimpanzees. They play a crucial role in the development of their social bonds. Chimpanzees that are not socialized will not only be difficult to rehabilitate but also challenging to integrate into family groups.
Cesar in the arms of Ibrahima, a caregiver at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. Caregivers are essential to the upbringing of chimpanzees. They play a crucial role in the development of their social bonds. Chimpanzees that are not socialized will not only be difficult to rehabilitate but also challenging to integrate into family groups.
Stuart Beaman, primatologist and director of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, accompanied by Ibrahima, one of the caretakers, on a bush walk with Dali, Cesar, Marco and Sewa, the Center's 4 'adolescents'. During the dry season, although the CCC does its best to control the bush fires around the sanctuary, it is almost inevitable to find yourself in the middle of burnt vegetation on a walk in the forest. Every year at the start of the dry season, local people use bushfires to prepare their fields, control pests or simply clear vegetation.
Amidst the vegetation burned by bushfires, Dali tastes the sap flowing from the tree.
Ibrahima, one of the caregivers at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea, gives water to Dali using a bottle.
Cesar's arm on a ground burnt by bushfires.
Bushfire within the Haut-Niger National Park Park in Guinea.
Cut trees and scorched earth for slash-and-burn agriculture near the Haut-Niger National Park in Guinea.
Sergeant Akoye during an awareness workshop on bushfires in the village of Longory.
Sergeant Akoye during an awareness workshop on bushfires in the village of Longory.
Sergeant Akoye during an awareness workshop on bushfires in the village of Longory.
Sergeant Akoye during an awareness workshop on bushfires in the village of Longory.
Sergeant Akoye watering melina plants in a nursery.
Sergeant Akoye watering melina plants in a nursery.
Portrait of Pépé, the youngest resident of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea.
Pépé clinging to Tola.
Bingo swinging from a branch.
Bingo hanging from a branch, sticking out his tongue.
Bingo hanging from a tree.
Portrait of students from Alpha Yaya School in Faranah wearing primate masks during a role-playing game organized by the Chimpanzee Conservation Center to raise awareness about the protection of chimpanzees and their habitat.
Students from Alpha Yaya School in Faranah during a role-playing game organized by the Chimpanzee Conservation Center to raise awareness about the protection of chimpanzees and their habitat.
Students from Alpha Yaya School in Faranah during a role-playing game organized by the Chimpanzee Conservation Center to raise awareness about the protection of chimpanzees and their habitat.
Awareness workshop and question-and-answer games organized by the Chimpanzee Conservation Center with students from Alpha Yaya School in Faranah.
Awareness workshop and question-and-answer games organized by the Chimpanzee Conservation Center with students from Alpha Yaya School in Faranah.
Map of high conservation value zones in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, indicating areas with the highest chimpanzee density.
Savanna landscapes form a significant part of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea.
Female eco-guards heading to the starting point of their daily wildlife inventory patrol in the Dara region of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea.
The main mission of the all-female eco-guards is to monitor and survey the population density of wild animals in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea.
In order for the linear transect method to be effective, all animal presence indicators located on or near the walking line must be detected. Therefore, this method requires the eco-guard team to be constantly vigilant.
The long distances required to obtain reliable and accurate data make the task very exhausting.
When traces of animal presence are spotted, such as chewed bamboo seen here, clear evidence of a chimpanzee's leftover meal, all data related to the observation is recorded in the database and automatically transferred to a computer server.
Direct animal sightings are very rare in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea; therefore, animal density estimation is only possible through indirect means (feces, nests, etc.).
In bamboo groves, the preferred habitat of chimpanzees, it is also necessary to look to the sky, where trees house numerous nests. Accurate measurements are essential for reliable faunal inventories. No indicator or trace on or near the transect line should be missed.
When traces of animal presence are spotted, such as chewed bamboo seen here, clear evidence of a chimpanzee's leftover meal, all data related to the observation is recorded in the database and automatically transferred to a computer server. For the data to be complete, it must include a photograph of the track and the environment where it was spotted, precise GPS location, habitat information, track type, and animal species.
The linear transect method, or 'distance sampling,' involves following a given GPS route linearly within a plot. During each patrol, the eco-guards conduct between 5 and 10 transects, each approximately 2 kilometers long.
Aïcha and Zenab are from the area of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea. They take pride in working on such an innovative project and are highly dedicated to their work in tackling the challenges posed by the PNMB, firmly believing in the benefits that safeguarding chimpanzees, their habitat, and the environment brings to the local communities in the park and to Guinea as a whole.
Aïcha comes from the area of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea. She takes pride in working on such an innovative project and is deeply committed to her work in tackling the challenges posed by the PNMB. She firmly believes in the benefits that safeguarding chimpanzees, their habitat, and the environment brings to the local communities in the park, particularly for Guinea as a whole.
Biomonitoring with camera traps is an essential tool for carrying out a faunal inventory of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, and for developing conservation strategies to maintain animal populations. The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), the current park manager, has directly involved the park's inhabitants. Through this sustainable and inclusive management approach, where local people play an active role in the conservation of their heritage, the PNMB aims to make biodiversity the driving force of its development, benefiting its fauna, flora and inhabitants.
The 6,500 km² of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea cannot be monitored simultaneously. Therefore, photographic traps are placed in strategic areas with high chimpanzee densities. Video sampling is repeated as often as possible to gain a better understanding of population trends.
To reach the camera locations, the path often needs to be cleared with a machete to pass through the various thickets. Additionally, for a camera trap to be effective, the surrounding areas must be cleared to prevent it from triggering unnecessarily, such as from grass movement.
After staying in the same location for an average of one month, the camera traps are retrieved before being redeployed to other areas. The images are downloaded and stored in the database.
In addition to shrubby and treed savannahs, the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea is also composed of wooded meadows and open forests where villages are typically located, such as Idia. Like mushrooms, the round thatched-roof huts made of wood and woven grass constitute the majority of dwellings in the park. Approximately 40,000 people spread across 255 villages live within the current zoning of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea.
In the villages of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, the fields sown with fonio are of a vibrant green color.
The construction of numerous boreholes in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, such as this one in the village of Ley Kimbeli, has given local people easier access to water for both personal consumption and agricultural activities. These boreholes have contributed significantly to the acceptance of the national park project by local communities and have also encouraged their commitment to protecting the environment in which they live.
The construction of numerous boreholes in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, such as this one in the village of Ley Kimbeli, has given local people easier access to water for both personal consumption and agricultural activities. These boreholes have contributed significantly to the acceptance of the national park project by local communities and have also encouraged their commitment to protecting the environment in which they live.
Women fetching water from the only water source in the village of Longory in Guinea. One of the greatest threats to West African chimpanzees lies in the loss of their access to vital natural resources such as water, leading to increasing conflicts between human populations and chimpanzees. Today, nearly half of Western chimpanzees live within 5 km of a human settlement or road. In the village of Longory, a four-year-old girl was attacked while her mother was fetching water. Since then, no woman goes to fetch water alone, and children are not allowed to play near the water source unsupervised.
Women fetching water from the only water source in the village of Longory in Guinea. One of the greatest threats to West African chimpanzees lies in the loss of their access to vital natural resources such as water, leading to increasing conflicts between human populations and chimpanzees. Today, nearly half of Western chimpanzees live within 5 km of a human settlement or road. In the village of Longory, a four-year-old girl was attacked while her mother was fetching water. Since then, no woman goes to fetch water alone, and children are not allowed to play near the water source unsupervised.
The numerous rivers that traverse the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, including the Bafing River, a tributary of the Senegal River, make human settlements challenging and are preferred locations for the West African chimpanzee. In fact, the park is home to the highest population of West African chimpanzees, with a density of 6.3 individuals/km².
The Bafing River and other rivers that meander through the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea create natural obstacles that make travel difficult for the park's inhabitants.
As with wildlife identification, GPS points are being used to identify high-potential tourist sites in Guinea's Moyen-Bafing National Park. Cellou Bah, director of the responsible travel agency Fouta Trekking Aventure, has been commissioned to list them. The numerous waterfalls, such as this one at Kokoun Timbobhè in the Laffa Boubé zone, and the beauty of the landscapes in the park do indeed give it great tourist potential. Although it does not yet exist, ecotourism projects are expected to emerge in the coming years. The potential benefits of chimpanzee tourism can generate income for the park's management as well as for local communities, thus contributing to the conservation of chimpanzees and their habitats.
The geology of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea is mainly composed of sandstone, interbedded with limestone and silica. Natural erosion caused by water flow and wind has shaped unique landscapes, characterized by the interlocking of rocks of various sizes, as seen here at the Dansokoya Falls.
Even local guides in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, who are originally from the region and accustomed to this kind of topography, are impressed by the most unusual geological formations.
The view from the top of the Kokoun Timbobhè waterfall in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea offers a spectacular sight of the surrounding dense forest.
Portrait of a ranger from the paramilitary Nature Conservation Corps. Although they are few in number in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, they are the only ones legally authorized to make arrests or issue fines for wildlife or plant-related crimes. Additionally, although the risk is very low, being directly affiliated with the Guinean army and with the park located near the Malian border, they have the mission to monitor any potential jihadist incursions into the park. Here, from the village of Dilinbon, the ranger points to the other side of the Bafing River, where villages that are still resistant to the Park continue to disregard regulations on hunting and logging.
Portrait of a ranger from the paramilitary Nature Conservation Corps. Although they are few in number in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, they are the only ones legally authorized to make arrests or issue fines for wildlife or plant-related crimes. Additionally, although the risk is very low, being directly affiliated with the Guinean army and with the park located near the Malian border, they have the mission to monitor any potential jihadist incursions into the park.
Traditional Donzo hunter walking in the Niger River in Guinea. Even though they have no legal status, due to their extensive knowledge of the bush, Donzo hunters assist the Guinean government in protecting the environment and combating poaching.
Portrait of traditional Donzo hunters in the Upper Niger National Park in Guinea. Even though they have no legal status, due to their extensive knowledge of the bush, Donzo hunters assist the Guinean government in protecting the environment and combating poaching.
Portrait of a Malinke hunter. While bush hunting has been practiced for centuries and has not been completely banned in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, it is now regulated in terms of the species to hunt and the number of catches per village. Moreover, in this region of Guinea, traditional beliefs have always spared the chimpanzee from hunting. However, poaching, which involves selling infants as pets and adults as bushmeat, remains a major problem for their conservation in West Africa.
Wood collection, whether for fuel or construction, is an important activity for local communities living within the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea. This practice is now regulated and no longer takes place in high conservation value areas. However, artisanal logging remains a threat to the chimpanzee and its habitat. Although it does not involve large-scale logging, it often targets tree species that are essential for chimpanzees, such as preferred nesting species.
Wood collection, whether for fuel or construction, is an important activity for local communities living within the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea. This practice is now regulated and no longer takes place in high conservation value areas. However, artisanal logging remains a threat to the chimpanzee and its habitat. Although it does not involve large-scale logging, it often targets tree species that are essential for chimpanzees, such as preferred nesting species.
The inhabitants of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea mainly rely on self-cultivated rice as their food source, as seen here in the village of Idia. Previously, this cultivation was practiced using fertilizers and pesticides on forest clearings, which, in addition to having disastrous consequences for biodiversity, required long fallow periods between uses and resulted in poor yields. The use of agroecological processes based on organic fertilizers and agroforestry techniques such as Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) has greatly contributed to rehabilitating the land, improving soil fertility, and increasing agricultural productivity. This traditional agricultural practice requires constant attention to prevent wildlife from feeding on it during its development. Slingshots are used by farmers to scare them off.
The inhabitants of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea primarily rely on self-cultivated rice as their food source, as seen here in the village of Idia. Previously, this cultivation was practiced using fertilizers and pesticides on forest clearings, which, in addition to having disastrous consequences for biodiversity, required long fallow periods between uses and resulted in poor yields. The use of agroecological processes based on organic fertilizers and agroforestry techniques such as Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) has greatly contributed to rehabilitating the land, improving soil fertility, and increasing agricultural productivity.
Areas dedicated to groundnut cultivation, another traditional crop in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, are now done in small plots of about one square meter, delineated and separated from one another. They are combined with other crops amidst wild plants to improve drainage and facilitate harvesting. The use of agroecology and agroforestry techniques has significantly increased the yields of cultivated areas, especially groundnuts, which now generate a surplus for resale.
Once the groundnut pods are unearthed, the shells are separated from the leaves. Although only a small proportion of the harvest is for resale, its commercialization has contributed to the creation of significant additional income for the local communities in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea.
Usually consumed as peanuts for direct consumption, groundnuts are also processed into peanut paste, an essential ingredient in the local cuisine of the inhabitants of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea. The leaves, on the other hand, are used to feed livestock.
The establishment of sustainable, balanced, and solidarity-based commercial sectors with effective economic benefits, such as shea butter, has helped sustain income sources and improve the living conditions of many families within the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea. The process of harvesting shea nuts and transforming them into butter involves the participation of numerous villages organized in cooperatives. The entire process of this organic and fair trade value chain, which generates income, is based on respecting local know-how and the environment (seasonal and manual harvesting, sun drying without roasting, etc.). The collection of shea nuts is carried out by women during the rainy season. After harvest, the fruits are cracked to extract the kernels, which are then washed, sorted, and sun-dried before being transferred in jute sacks to the processing site.
After receiving all the shea kernels harvested within the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea, the transformation process from kernels to butter begins here in Belakouré.
The shea kernels harvested within the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea are first passed through a mill to extract the brownish almond powder.
The shea almond powder harvested within the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea is then sun-dried. The quality of the almond powder is checked to ensure its quality, as it could affect the final product, before being ground again to form a paste.
Once the paste is obtained, the churning (or kneading) phase begins, which is a long and tedious physical work that allows the fat to rise to the surface, just like with animal butter.
Mixed with water in a churn, the mechanical movements separate the fat particles contained in the paste. The fat particles then agglomerate to form grains of butter.
After being extracted from the churn, the butter is washed and kneaded in large basins. The churning process, which is long and tedious, requires many people and lasts about an hour.
At this stage, the shea butter, still grayish in color, is put into large pots to be heated. Once liquefied, the butter transforms into oil. This oil is stirred with a ladle for about 2 hours to accelerate the evaporation of water and allow impurities to settle at the bottom. At this stage, the liquid clarifies and is then extracted and cooled in the open air. Shea butter takes on its final color.
At this stage, the shea butter, still grayish in color, is put into large pots to be heated. Once liquefied, the butter transforms into oil. This oil is stirred with a ladle for about 2 hours to accelerate the evaporation of water and allow impurities to settle at the bottom. At this stage, the liquid clarifies and is then extracted and cooled in the open air. Shea butter takes on its final color.
Just like shea butter, the development of honey production is part of the initiatives implemented within the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea to improve the local economy. Here, young people who have been trained in beekeeping are preparing the smoker that will allow them to open the hives, under the curious gaze of the elders.
Although beekeeping has always been practiced by the inhabitants of the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea using traditional methods, the introduction of 'Kenyan' hives and new techniques has turned it into a commercial activity. While still relatively few in the park's zoning, the establishment and dissemination of these new hives are part of future actions to strengthen the capacities of the park's village communities.

The West African chimpanzee: a hope of survival?

Where: Guinea

When: 2023

The West African chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes verus, is one of the four recognized subspecies of chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, and is the most threatened among them. That's why in 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reclassified the conservation status of the West African chimpanzee from "endangered" to "critically endangered," reflecting the alarming situation of this subspecies.

According to estimates, the population has declined by 80% over the past two decades and now consists of approximately 50,000 individuals in the wild, distributed across 8 countries, with around 30,000 in Guinea, accounting for over 60% of the remaining population. However, the West African chimpanzee has already disappeared in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo.

There are numerous threats to the West African chimpanzees: agriculture, mining, logging, diseases, hunting, and poaching. But the greatest threat lies in the loss of their habitat due to the growth of the human population and its encroachment on new territories and resources. Today, nearly half of the Western chimpanzees live within 5 km of a human settlement or a road.

Fortunately, efforts are underway throughout West Africa to protect this endangered species. For example, in Guinea, the recently established Moyen-Bafing National Park and the Chimpanzee Conservation Center (CCC) provide reasons for hope.

Full story, both in French and English, available on request.