Dormitory construction to begin in January

Just in from the Republic of the Congo!

Through the efforts of the Roots & Shoots global network, plans are underway to break ground on a new chimpanzee dormitory at the Jane Goodall Institute's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Sanctuary in early January! The Tchimpounga review committee has finalized plans by an Australian architect for the dormitory.

The final design represents a state-of-the-art facility that will protect and help rehabilitate chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat trade. The new facility will house many of the 164 chimpanzees currently living in a cramped and outdated dormitory. It will have a number of sliding doors and raceways that will allow staff to move chimpanzees quickly and safely throughout the building.

"The design of the dormitory will allow for easy movement of the chimpanzees, which is important in the case of medical emergency," said Lisa Pharoah, Program Manager for JGI's West & Central Africa Programs

The building will allow researchers from the Max Planck Institute and Harvard University to have access to the chimpanzees in a non-invasive setting. This will allow researchers to get their vital work done without disturbing the chimpanzees or altering their behavior.

The Roots & Shoots network has saved the lives of many orphaned chimpanzees! Great work Roots & Shoots and don't forget to check out the latest Roots & Shoots Youth Leadership Initiative campaign, ReBirth the Earth: Trees for tomorrow!