Baraza

This post is dedicated to Claudine Andre, whose dedication to bonobo conservation resulted in the creation of the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo more than a decade ago, was honored with the inaugural Badham-Evans Award for Women’s Commitment to Wildlife from the Twycross Zoo in London on November 26.

The Badham-Evans Award was named after Twycross Zoo founders Molly Badham and Nathalie Evans, and will “honour other women who have committed their lives to caring for and saving wildlife worldwide.”

A Belgian expatriate, Andre survived civil wars, economic strife, and personal danger to protect bonobos, one of the rarest great apes in the world. Often referred to as “pygmy chimpanzees,” bonobos are a separate species found only in the DR Congo, and the wild population is thought to number less than 50,000.

Some of us are more like bonobos than any other ape

Andre created the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in 1994, and the refuge currently is home to 63 orphaned bonobos at its 75-acre site near Kinshasa.

In 2009, Lola ya Bonobo plans to reintroduce approximately one-third of those bonobos back into the forests of northern DR Congo, the first-ever attempt to return that species to the wild.

Lola ya Bonobo is a charter member of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA).

The Badham-Evans Award was presented to Andre at a ceremony at the House of Lords, and featured noted actresses Susannah York, Stephanie Powers and Miranda Richardson, each of whom helped draw attention to Andre’s work and the bonobo’s plight. Said Richardson: “Claudine’s dedication to these animals is remarkable. It is now our responsibility to join her efforts.”

Read more about bonobos and the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary on their exciting blog here and don’t forget to buy your perfect Christmas present right here on Baraza blog. Make a donation and send your email  address to  victor at wildlifedirect.org and we will send you a beautiful gift certificate to give to your friend and or loved one.