25 May 2007
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Father figure: JJ Debenham at the Goma chimpanzee sanctuary |
At Goma, on the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is a "halfway house" refuge for baby chimpanzees orphaned by the activities of poachers and developers.
It was here that Sydney University commerce and science student John James (JJ) Debenham arrived towards the end of last year, searching for something beyond the usual backpacker experience after spending five months in Europe.
It was the start of a life changing experience. Protected by his travel vaccinations, he was given the task of looking after a baby chimp suffering from meningitis.
JJ and the chimp, Etiato, spent a week together quarantined in a small room. Their only contact with the outside world was when food was delivered three times a day.
"People thought I was crazy and asked how I stayed interested but every day was different," he said.
He looked after the chimp as if it was his own child. "I learnt its habits, expressions and moods," he said. "I knew that when he moved into a corner he needed his space. If he moved to sit between my legs then I knew he was comfortable.
"Chimps are very facial. They're actually much better at recognising faces than humans are, especially when they're upside down. You can read them by what we would call very humanistic expressions, like frowning, surprise and pain.
"It really challenges your ideas that humans and animals are intrinsically different to each other. I really don't believe they are. I'd look at his facial expressions, his mannerisms and we would really be interacting with each other."
The story had a sad ending: Etiato survived the meningitis scare but died two weeks after JJ returned to Australia of an unrelated illness.
But the experience changed JJ's life. He dropped his previous degree and enrolled in a veterinary science degree at the beginning of this year, with the aim of pursuing a career in wildlife conservation.
Africa's chimpanzees still occupy his thoughts. Toward the end of his three month stay the chimps were moved to the Lwiro Sanctuary, a relic of Belgian colonialism half an hour from Goma by helicopter.
It has a lot of potential as a sanctuary but needs plenty of work, and JJ is planning to organise student working groups to go to the Congo and make their own contribution to the conservation work.
Volunteer helpers often find themselves up a tree or playing games with the chimps. But there is a nurturing side to the interaction as well: chimps require constant interaction and contact for their learning and development and many of the volunteers find themselves playing the role of substitute chimps or parental figures.
The chimps also have to be taught survival skills. "It's important that the chimps learn by having that parental figure, even if it is a human. But you have to maintain respect for the fact that they are a wild animal," said JJ.
Contact: Claudia Liu
Phone: 02 9351 3168