Project Chimps Supports Chimp SAFE
By Kat West
Meet Dr. Tina Cloutier Barbour, director of Chimp SAFE. We talked to her about how Project Chimps is working to help Chimp SAFE conserve wild chimpanzees and protect them from extinction. Interested in learning how you can help chimps? Read below.
What is Chimp SAFE?
Chimp SAFE is an American Zoological Association program that connects zoos and conservation partners on the ground in Africa to help maximize the impact that AZA institutions can make for wild chimps. “SAFE” stands for Saving Animals from Extinction, and that’s exactly what they aim to do.
Chimp SAFE started in 2019 by Dr. Barbour when she inquired why there was no SAFE program for chimpanzees as there are for numerous other species under threat. In response, her superior encouraged Dr. Barbour to start one herself. Dr. Barbour took up the challenge, and thanks to the work of many passionate people ignited by her enthusiasm, Chimp SAFE is now in its first three-year action plan to help chimpanzees in the wild.
How Project Chimps is Helping
Sanctuaries help Chimp SAFE in a variety of ways. Not least of which is helping to educate the public about chimpanzee conservation. You can get involved in protecting chimps too!
Dr. Barbour spoke about how Project Chimps specifically has been there since the beginning. Two Project Chimps caregivers have volunteered their time to help with Chimp SAFE’s social media. Not only does Project Chimps bring an online following of people passionate about chimps, Dr. Barbour points out, the sanctuary also brings great online communication skills and some digital marketing savvy to the table. Project Chimps employees are getting the message about the plight of wild chimps to the masses. In this digital age conservation education and information can reach an enormous amount of people and Project Chimps caregivers are helping Chimp SAFE connect with a broad online audience.
How you can help conserve wild chimpanzees?
Dr. Barbour said, “Conservation is ultimately a human problem that requires a human solution”. This is very true but there are great ways that you can be part of that solution. While Project Chimps caregivers assist with social media you can engage with Chimp SAFE online as well by liking and sharing posts on Facebook and Instagram to help more people learn about the dangers that wild chimps face.
We asked Dr. Barbour what chimp lovers could do at home to help chimp conservation efforts. She told us that consumer choices really matter. Buying products with sustainably produced palm oil and looking for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) compliant paper products both help to support sustainable practices that protect chimpanzee habitat from further destruction.
Interestingly, Dr. Barbour also told us to recycle all our electronics. There is a unique mineral called coltan necessary to make these devices work. However, coltan can only be mined in places that are also ape habitats so recycling coltan also helps protect chimpanzee’s natural environment.
Project Chimps supports wild chimpanzee conservation efforts and partners with Chimp SAFE to do this. Sadly, releasing the chimps at Project Chimps is not an option. Our passionate staff, volunteers and supporters are all glad to see Chimp SAFE working hard to help zoos, sanctuaries and conservation programs partner together to protect wild chimps and their habitat.
Make sure to follow Chimp SAFE on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about how you can help chimpanzees in the wild.
