World Chimpanzee Day
July 14, 1960 is the day Dr. Jane Goodall first stepped foot in what is now Gombe Stream National Park to study wild chimpanzees. The day is therefore remembered and recognized as the World Chimpanzee Day. The day is celebrated to improve understanding by educating global audiences about chimpanzee, uniqueness and innate value as a species, as well as their importance to ecosystems, raise awareness and inspire action about threats they face in the wild including habitat loss, disease, and wildlife trafficking, while also advocating for their welfare in captive situations (worldchimpanzeeday.com)
Stakeholders’ Dialogue on collaborative conservation of the chimpanzee using culture and community resources
The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) in collaboration with conservationists in Bunyoro and Rwenzori held a stakeholders’ dialogue on collaborative conservation of the chimpanzee using culture and community resources on 14th July 2023 in Kagadi, on the occasion of the World Chimpanzee Day.
Cultural leaders, private forest owners and youth were at the fore of discussions to promote chimpanzee conservation. Other state and non state conservationists also participated.
The dialogue provided opportunities to strategise for the restoration of forest corridors for chimpanzee conservation, especially using culture and community resources, share key insights on emerging trends of chimpanzee conservation outside protected areas and reflect on various conservation efforts, especially regarding reducing human-chimpanzee conflicts and promoting respect and value for chimpanzees.
The event was marked – https://worldchimpanzeeday.org/#find-an-event and discussions also held online https://twitter.com/ccfu_ngo
Chimpanzee in Uganda and the cultural relationship with some communities
Uganda is home to the highest number of pantroglodytes, sub-species schweinfurthii chimpanzees in Africa, most of which are found in Kibaale National Park, in and around Bugoma and Budongo forests and in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
Communities across Uganda are culturally and socially organised in clans that often identify with a particular animal or plant as a totem, many of which are found in forests. Through legends, songs, proverbs and stories, the younger generation are taught about their cultural identity, including their totems.
Several clans identify with various primates, but two clans in western Uganda, the Abayanja (Banyoro) and Abatangyi (Bakonzo) identify with the chimpanzees as their totem. Other communities perceive the chimpanzees as “people who ran away from the community to evade taxes” or “wild people” but also as “brothers or sisters” or “relatives who should be respected” because they share human characteristics. Among the Bakonzo, the belief in a god of wild animals and of the forest contributes to the protection of these animals and their habitat. As a result, hunters from these communities refrain from hunting the chimpanzee because of its likeness to humans.
World Chimpanzee Day: CCFU’s call to action.
The increasing human chimpanzee conflicts especially in the Kagadi-Kikuube-Kibaale area, deforestation and its related causes, limited options for sources of livelihoods, and inadequate awareness on chimpanzee conservation (including chimpanzee changing behaviour) in communities still present a challenge.
CCFU called upon stakeholders to support the restoration of chimpanzee habits, promote value and respect for chimpanzees, as the welfare of communities are also taken into consideration.
Background to CCFU’s chimpanzee conservation work.
Since 2014, the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) has mostly been supported by the Arcus Foundation to conduct research and implement initiatives employing a cultural approach to the conservation of chimpanzees (PanTroglodytes Schweinfurthii) in Uganda, particularly in Bunyoro and Rwenzori regions in Uganda. Over the course of our work, PFOs have been an instrumental force, particularly in regard to protecting chimpanzees outside protected areas. CCFU has also worked with cultural leaders, CSOs and youth in protecting chimpanzees.
Read more about CCFU’s work to conserve chimpanzees in Uganda – https://crossculturalfoundation.or.ug/conservation/