J.A.C.K. CREATED TO FACILITATE WILDLIFE CONFISCATIONS

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to a  great variety of endangered wildlife. Yet, poaching, wildlife traficking and bushmeat are the threats it faces daily.

Jeunes Animaux Confisqués au Katanga (J.A.C.K.)  is a Congolese NGO which aims to stop all that wildlife trade through law enforcement and by managing a rehabilitation center. It focuses on apes and primates mainly and, because of its partnership with the DRC Environment authorities (Ministry of the Environment & ICCN), confiscated primates are handed over  to J.A.C.K. for rehabilitation and  future release.

In 2006,  J.A.C.K. was created to stop the trade in chimpanzees in and around the city of Lubumbashi. Today, J.A.C.K. has stopped ape traficking in this part of the DR Congo and now also concentrates on other primates (smaller ones) which are smuggled for their meat or sold to respond to the tropical pet demand.

Most of the endemic primate species of the DRC are in danger. This is the case of chimpanzees! It is thought that nearly half of the chimpanzees living in the wild on the African continent live in the forests of the DRC. Unfortunately, although this Central African country has ratified CITES agreements protecting Great Apes more than 30 years ago, nearly no action has been taken in Southern DRC to protect them. Chimpanzees are still being poached, eaten and sold in the Democratic Republic of CONGO.  This species is soon to become extinct if awareness is not advocated to stop the trade!!!

Therefore, J.A.C.K. exists to facilitate wildlife confiscations by the authorities. Where would all these poor and traumatised souls have gone after being legally confiscated by DRC Environment officials?