Jenny and Jimmy Desmond have both dedicated their lives to helping animals in need, but their work with chimps orphaned in Liberia’s illegal bushmeat trade started almost by accident.
Dispatched by the Humane Society of the United States to take over care of chimps spread across six islands, the pair also found themselves caring for orphaned chimps in desperate needs almost right away. Out of that need, they started Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection, and have since taken in more than 40 chimpanzees.
One of the little chimps brought to Jenny and Jimmy illustrates how important and heartbreaking their work is.
On May 4, 2018, an orphaned baby came to LCRP.
A tourist trying to do right had purchased the baby from a trafficker, most likely after her mother had been killed for bushmeat. While the tourist saved the little chimp’s life, buying wildlife like that doesn’t help fight the bushmeat trade. It just encourages the creation of more orphans.
When this baby arrived at LCRP, it was the middle of the night, after a long drive, and the baby had yet to grow her own teeth and couldn’t hold her head up. “At her age, she is extremely vulnerable and we are very concerned about her survival,” Jenny wrote on Facebook .
The baby also happened to arrive on a momentous day.
She came to LCRP on the same day that Jenny’s mother, Gay, had passed away, so she named the little chimp Gaia. Right from the start, she took to Jenny.
“She was attached to me – held or wrapped on my chest with her ear at my heartbeat – at every moment,” she wrote . “I felt her strongly as a charge from above, a light in darkness, a place to direct the great depth of grief and transform it into great love for her healing.”
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That bond is incredibly important for chimpanzees.
“In the wild, chimpanzee mothers make eye contact with their newborns more than twenty times per hour,” Jenny explained . “Chimpanzees Gaia’s age don’t cry – they have no need. They’re embraced by Mom who meets their every need 24 hours a day. We try our best to replicate this at LCRP’s sanctuary.”
With the tender loving care she received from Jenny and everybody else at LCRP, Gaia improved quickly.
Within a couple of weeks, Gaia treated them to her first, big, full, toothless smile, and she seems quite happy with her new family. One year after her arrival at LCRP, Gaia has not only survived, but thrived, and is now climbing trees.
“While she’s become very confident and is highly energetic we were all wondering a bit about why she didn’t climb with her friends,” Jenny wrote . “Sure enough she’s proven to be the kid who waits until she can do it before trying at all! Once she was up she was everywhere!”
Although Gaia is absolutely adorable, it’s important to remember that chimps are not and should not be pets.
“While we are happy she was saved, money was exchanged, an expat ended up with her, and no report was made to authorities so her seller (and possibly mother’s killer) not only got away but may try to sell more chimps in this area,” Jenny wrote. “Gaia is a perfect example of why we ask people to please respect the laws and never buy illegal wildlife or take animals without making a full report to authorities.”
h/t: Facebook | Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue
