News From Mission Caita

Zeze, the primate we have rescued from the horrid condition alongside Zizi and Kuxie as a baby, is now recovering well. He had his last eye surgery, as the machete wound caused by the poachers didn´t heal properly and he had an infection. We decided the bullet lodge on his testicles shouldn´t be removed as it might cause even more damage.

Our mission is named after the chimpanzee called Caita, who was poached in the forest. We have apprehended the culprits and brought them to justice, but sadly Caita succumbed to the septic shock under our care and passed. We chose to keep her alive by naming our Mission after her to honor her memory and to remind ourselves and others that we must never give up our fight to protect these amazing animals. Caita’s story inspires us to keep going, even when the work is difficult, because we know that every life we save is worth it.

With the black market for illegal wildlife products worth up to USD 20 billion per year, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade has become a major area of activity for organized crime groups and is increasingly linked with armed violence, corruption and other forms of organized crime.
The illegal wildlife trade is a serious problem that causes intensive harm to primates, the ecosystem and the biodiversity. Many chimpanzees are taken away from their families when they are very young. For each baby chimpanzee, 10 adults from the same family is murdered. The poached infants are the sold as pets, while others are hunted for meat. This cruel practice not only puts the lives of these animals in danger but also threatens the survival of their species in the wild. At Mission Caita, we are dedicated to stopping this. We rescue these animals, provide them with a safe and caring environment, and work on getting them ready to live in the wild again.

Our work is challenging, but it is also incredibly rewarding. Every day, we see the progress that our rescued animals are making, and it gives us hope for a better future for all primates. We are grateful for the support of everyone who believes in our mission. We will continue to fight against the illegal wildlife trade and work towards a world where primates like Caita, Maiombe, Jacka, Matiaba, Zizi, Walter, Januario, Zeze and Kuxie can live freely and safely in the wild.