Climate Change Challenges for Ape Sanctuaries in Africa

New research highlights how Climate change affects wild apes, and the sanctuaries caring for them are also feeling the impacts of a warming world. Across Africa, changing weather patterns, including both droughts and floods, are creating significant challenges for ape sanctuaries.

In April 2024, above-average rainfall caused Kenya’s Ewaso Nyiro River to overflow, flooding the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary and affecting over two dozen rescued chimpanzees. This flooding damaged fences and restricted the chimps’ access to larger enclosures, increasing the risk of physical conflicts and disease outbreaks. Staff also struggled to access damaged areas, and transporting food and supplies became more difficult.

Extreme weather events like these are becoming more common. Dr. Stephen Ngulu, manager at Sweetwaters, highlights how unprecedented rainfall has caused severe infrastructure damage and limited resources. Similarly, in Uganda, heavy rains have flooded the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, forcing visitor facilities to close and affecting income for both the sanctuary and wild chimpanzee Conservation efforts.

In Zambia, drought rather than flooding is the primary concern. The Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust is grappling with food and water shortages, making it difficult to care for rescued chimpanzees. Drought conditions have also led to increased food prices, making it harder for the sanctuary to meet its needs. Peggy Motsch, the executive director, notes that local communities face hunger and poverty, sometimes leading to theft of materials, compromising both the sanctuary and chimpanzee safety.

The human impact is also significant. Sanctuary staff struggle to feed their families and maintain sanitary measures to prevent disease. Kaitlyn Bock, head of programs for the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), emphasizes that water shortages make it challenging to prevent the transmission of diseases like cholera, affecting both the animals and the people caring for them.

Despite these challenges, sanctuaries are finding ways to adapt. Many are implementing Conservation programs to restore wild ape habitats and mitigate Climate change. For example, Sweetwaters has a tree-planting program, and the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo manages a large protected area that serves as both a bonobo rewilding site and a climate-stabilizing carbon sink.

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