Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center

Sanaga-Yong was founded in the late 1990s in forest north of Belabo in eastern Cameroon by an American veterinarian, to care for chimpanzees orphaned when their families were killed for meat, and it has grown into a sanctuary holding dozens of animals in large forested enclosures where they live in social groups. The work is veterinary and behavioural as much as protective, and the centre also runs education programmes with communities in the region about the trade and the law. Visits are possible but must be arranged in advance and are limited, both because the site is remote and because contact with the chimpanzees has to be controlled for their health.

What you actually see

• Chimpanzees in forest enclosures - rescued animals living in groups.
• Veterinary and behavioural care - the daily work of the sanctuary.
• Community education programmes - the outreach on the bushmeat trade.
• Eastern forest setting - the block of forest the centre sits in.

When to go

December to February, the drier season, when the track is passable. A day or overnight. Visits must be arranged well in advance; the centre is not open to callers.

Honest expectations

This is a working sanctuary, not an attraction, and visits are limited and controlled. Contact with the animals is restricted for disease reasons. Access is by rough track. Anyone who is unwell should not visit, as chimpanzees catch human infections.

Nearby

Belabo is south; Deng Deng national park lies north.