Adopt a Chimpanzee
Due to the ongoing restrictions in place across the UK we are currently operating a reduced presence in our office. We aim to dispatch orders within 7 working days of purchase.
In the last six years, over 14,000 chimpanzees have been lost to the illegal wildlife trade. With one chimpanzee being poached every four hours to satisfy consumer demand.
Adopt a chimpanzee today, and help David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) as we:
- Fight for an end to the illegal wildlife trade and reduce the demand for chimpanzees as pets.
- Protect future generations of chimpanzees by rescuing illegally trafficked chimps.
- Engage school groups living alongside chimps to foster a more positive perception of wildlife and the natural world.
What’s included?
- An adoption folder containing personalised certificate, species fact sheet, animal bio sheet and photo.
- Wildlife Matters supporter magazine.
- A beautiful chimpanzee sketch print by wildlife artist Mandy Shepherd.
- Optional unique hand knitted toy made by Little Ndaba, a women’s community group in Zambia.
Adopt a chimpanzee now
If you would like to adopt a chimpanzee, you can choose a regular monthly payment or a one off payment. Both offer differing pack options such as a physical pack by post (with or without a toy) to a UK address or a digital pack via email (does not include sketch or toy). Alternatively, if you have an existing DSWF adoption, you can renew this via a monthly payment or a one off payment.
How your adoption could help chimpanzees
- Just £3 per month (or £36 per year) could help protect and preserve key chimpanzee habitats in the High Niger National Park.
- Only £5 per month (or £47 per year) could help engage adults and children in Guinea to raise awareness and promote human wildlife co-existence.
- With £10 per month (or £60 per year) alternative livelihood programmes could be developed, empowering local communities to live sustainable lives.
Why your adoption is so important
DSWF has been protecting western chimpanzees since 2018. This the most recent species to be included in our conservation portfolio. Whilst eastern chimpanzees (made famous by Dr Jane Goodall) are exceptionally well-studied, western chimps require more attention.
Chimpanzees, along with bonobos, are man’s closest living relatives, we share 98% of DNA with chimpanzees but with human population growth, we are struggling to share resources as we encroach on vital chimpanzee habitats.
Human encroachment into the forest means chimps are now threatened by the localised bushmeat trade and human borne diseases like Ebola.
The biggest threat to chimpanzees is the illegal wildlife trade. Infant chimps are often captured for the exotic pet trade. A disturbing reality of these captures is that for every individual infant taken, poachers will typically slaughter 10 chimpanzees to stop the protective adults interfering in the capture.
Meet our Chimpanzee species ambassador, Kivili
Kivili and a population of western chimpanzees live in Guinea’s High Niger National Park. Being omnivores, they spend much of their time feeding on a wide variety of food including; fruit, nuts, seeds, insects and sometimes meat.
Chimps act as vital seed dispersers for Africa’s rainforests, assisting with tree germination by consuming fruits and nuts. If chimpanzees, like Kivili, go extinct, this will have dire consequences on Africa’s forests.
The Guinea High Niger National Park is home to around 500 western chimps. Making it one of seven top priority sites for chimpanzee conservation in West Africa. Kivili is lucky to live in an area where he is protected, and conservationists are working to protect him, thanks to your adoption.