Power failures are part of our daily life here at the sanctuary. However, once they last 2 or 3 days, then, it means there is a bigger problem behind it.
This is what has recently happened at J.A.C.K. After two days without power, it was discovered a bit more than 20 meters of the main electric cable providing electricity to the whole complex had been stolen…
Running the sanctuary and taking care of 56 esidents is a real nightmare without electricity as it means the water pumps can’t work and we can’t cook nor provide our furry family with water or milk.
Also, if there is no electricity, the complex isn’t iluminated at night and this could be an open door to malicious people. J.A.C.K. has gone through 2 criminal arsons already – one of them cost the life of two babies chimpanzees. The world of Conservation is getting dangerous…
Therefore, today, what worries us most is the fact that the sabotage coincides with the arrival of the 20 smuggled monkeys repatriated from Zimbabwe. Unlike our chimpanzee residents, these little primates are protected species and we must remain on the alert without panicking.
Our sanctuary is fortunate enough of having two armed Rangers from ICCN, the DRC National Parks. We again thank the DRC Wildlife Authority for having transferred these two soldiers to J.A.C.K. We also would like to thank the INTERNATIONAL PRIMATE PROTECTION LEAGUE (IPPL) as it has been sponsoring the food and the salary bonuses of the two soldiers for years. The presence of the Rangers is essential to the security of the sanctuary and, because we don’t know if there is a link or not between the sabotage and the arrival of the monkeys, J.A.C.K. is trying to find funds to hire a third Ranger to enhance the security of the rehabilitation centre.
Power is now back! J.A.C.K. Founder Franck has found a way to urgently purchase the electric material needed to provide power. We couldn’t remain in the dark like this and our team couldn’t continue to work in a tough situation like this. So, we are glad to have electricty again…
