Chimfunshi
Wildlife Orphanage Trust (CWOT), located in the northern Copperbelt region of
Zambia, is one of the largest chimpanzee sanctuaries in the world. In an area
of over 10,000 hectares of Miombo forest on the banks of Zambia’s 2nd largest
river, the Upper Kafue River, over 150 endangered chimpanzees and other wild
animals in need have found a place to be rescued and rehabilitated in
species-appropriate, semi-captive enclosures.
Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage was founded by David and
Sheila Siddle (both deceased), who ran a cattle farm in the Zambian Copperbelt
very close to the DRC, have always had a reputation for taking in and caring
for sick and wounded animals. In 1983 a
game ranger brought a badly wounded baby chimp, rescued from poachers in the
Congo, to their farm. The Siddles nursed that chimp – whom they named ‘Pal’ –
back to health. Subsequently, more and more chimpanzees of diverse
origins found their way to the farm. The Siddles earned the recognition of
renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, who rescued one chimpanzee from a bar in
Tanzania in 1990 and brought the severely traumatized animal to Chimfunshi.
David and Sheila have received numerous honours and awards for their commitment
- including the Jane Goodall Award (1995), the United Nations Environment
Programme's Global 500 Award (2000), the Order of the British Empire (2001),
and the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) Circle of Compassion Award
(2017). Financially, however, the project quickly outgrew the Siddles' means.
In 1989,
Stephan Louis, got to know the couple and their work, founded the non-profit
CWOT Verein zum Schutz bedrohter Umwelt e.V. in Hamburg with the purpose of supporting
the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage and assuring its continued operation.
In 1995, under Stephan’s
and David's initiative, the non-profit CWOT Wildlife Orphanage Trust (CWOT) was
established in Zambia to give the sanctuary a solid, long-term foundation. CWOT
became a founding member of PASA alliance of great ape sanctuaries, launched in
Uganda in 2000. Since the
death of Stephan Louis in 2011,
his brother Sebastian Louis has continued his work as Chairman of the Board of
Trustees and Chairman of the Board of CWOT Germany.
The main mission of the programme are:
1) to support
wildlife law enforcement and to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned chimpanzees
and other wildlife by providing long-life care,
2) to engage
children and the community to protect chimpanzees, local wildlife and the
Miombo forest through education and
3) to reduce
poverty and improve local community well-being through medical care, gender
equality, alternative income community-based projects (e.g., organic farming)
and capacity building.
The cores values are:
1) Ensure the best standard of welfare to rescued
animals
2) Provide long term care and land for the Chimpanzees
3) Professionalize staff in charge of wildlife
rehabilitation and care
4) Support and educate the youth and engage them to
protect nature
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