Born Free

Category: Born Free, Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Apr 14 2009 | By: bornfree

In August 2006, I arrived at a Catholic Mission 3 hours drive from Lilongwe, in a small area of Malawi called Mua, my purpose of being there was to find a small menagerie of animals that were reportedly being housed in small dilapidated cages.  It was not long before I stumbled across the sad array of animals within the zoo; it contained an extremely obese baboon, an attention-seeking blue monkey, a terrified porcupine, a sad looking crocodile (as sad as a crocodile can look!!), pythons in a deep dark pit and a variety of small antelope and birds of prey. Although extremely depressing to see, all the animals had been rescued by the founder of the Mua Mission Cultural Centre, Father Bouche, who had arrived at the Mission in the mid 70’s and had accepted many wild orphaned animals in over the years, out of pity.  They had all been victims of the illegal bushmeat and pet trades in and around his area.   

When visiting the Mission for the first time, it was always obvious where Father Bouche’s passion and talents lie; the Cultural Centre, its dancers, its carvings, a small lodge and now recently opened Museum are impressive to say the least; they are a true testament to the diversity of Malawi’s tourism potential, a true gem of an attraction for both local and international visitors.  And so, over the past two years the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre and the Mission have been discussing ways in which the zoo could be dismantled, the animals relocated to the Wildlife Centre and the zoo replaced with a new facility; a facility that would not require animals in captivity, that would complement the cultural centre and its educational activities and that would provide a tranquil environment in which locals and tourists could explore and learn about cultural, wildlife and environmental links. 

After many visits to Mua, my visit two weeks ago was by far the most enjoyable.  Travelling to Mua with two boxes was one thing, travelling home with two boxes and two successfully darted animals was another, our baboon and blue monkey had taken their first steps back to a more ‘wild’ life.  First stop, Lilongwe, where they would be placed in quarantine and later introduced to large open topped enclosures with their own kind. 

But for our yellow baboon, Aide, there was a special treat in store.  Two days prior to the Mua rescue the Centre had rescued a young baboon called Chimpy (yes Chimpy!!) who was being kept on a two metre length of chain at a private residence within Lilongwe.  After a lonely existence on her own for many years, Aide would now spend quarantine and possibly the rest of her life with her new baboon friend, Chimpy.

This relocation of just two animals from the Mission to the Centre, marks the first step in a transitional process that will see all the animals removed from Mua and the zoo replaced with an alternative attraction for both local Malawian and International visitors.  A process that will require funding.  The Born Free Foundation have once again stepped in and have agreed to fund the relocation of the animals and committed funds to the development of a ‘Sensory Garden’ within the existing grounds of the Cultural Centre. Financial support has also been provided by Body Shop that has allowed the Centre to build two new enclosures at the Centre which will enable the centre to rescue some of the remaining birds of prey and porcupine. 

Thank you to both Born Free and Body Shop for helping to make this first (and future) rescue/s happen.

Lee Stewart
Operations and Development Manager

Tags: baboon, blue monkey, Born Free, Lilongwe, rescue

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Mar 31 2009 | By: bornfree

On Monday 9th March we had a chance to visit the release site for primates rescued and rehabilitated by the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre.

Kasungu National Park is a 3-hour drive from Lilongwe, and in contrast to the sun and heat that accompanied us on our journey, the preceding days had brought heavy rains to the park, giving life to lush, emerging vegetation across the picturesque landscape.

Chosen for the availability and variety of food and water resources required to sustain primate troops, the release site is situated several kilometres inside the park boundary, far from human habitation.

As we drove through the park, I was struck by the distinct lack of sightings of other wildlife, so readily visible in other, similarly vegetated parks in East Africa. No antelope, no monkeys, even relatively few birds. Poaching has hit Malawi’s wildlife hard, but hopefully with renewed efforts to strengthen anti-poaching patrols, in tandem with the research team monitoring the Centre’s released primates, all species will be sufficiently protected to repopulate this eerily quiet wildlife haven.

Informed by the research team that the released troop was only a few hundred metres away, we sat quietly, anticipating their appearance.

As we waited, I photographed some beautiful butterflies, until hushed but excited words indicated the arrival of some of the baboons.

Bobby John was first to show himself, picking his way slowly through the long grass, pausing occasionally to chew a stem but never taking his eyes off us.

He was soon joined by Brenda, subtly disguising her attempts to share Bobby John’s meal with a kiss (see photo).

He was having none of it, and sought sanctuary on top of the Land Rover amidst the legs of the watching researchers. He even braved a look up Murray’s shorts!

Whilst cute to watch, this gesture highlighted the attachment that has grown between these baboons and humans during their rehabilitation – something that will hopefully lessen as the troop becomes more independent.

Before we left the baboons, I was particularly pleased to catch sight of the troop’s second-in-command, Chris, who strode out of the bush with purpose to ensure all was in order in the absence of Jack, the Alpha male.

As we set off to leave, I remarked to my colleagues how extraordinarily adaptable these animals have been, to have recovered from, in some cases, years of captivity, neglect and abuse, to now appear almost indistinguishable from monkeys born in the wild.

It is testament to the dedication of the team at the Centre and the researchers now tracking their progress, and a sighting of a pair of kudus before we left the park, underlined that not only the Centre’s released monkeys, but all the other wildlife of Kasungu, can thrive if given the chance. 

Chris Wright, Programmes Officer, Born Free Foundation

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Mar 30 2009 | By: bornfree

I must admit, I had been a little apprehensive about the workshop.  By the very nature of the work the sanctuaries do, they need to be managed by strong-willed people who have to deal with the authorities, staff problems, finances, fundraising, suppliers etc before they even start with the animals; a 24-hour day is usually not long enough! And more often than not, when an animal arrives at a sanctuary, it’s got problems, either physical or mental. To deal with this the sanctuary team need expertise, determination and patience – and when they ‘invest’ in an animal in such a way, they usually also develop a strong bond with the individual.

So, getting our teams together round a table to talk about the problems and challenges they face and the best way to do things, from building an enclosure to running an education programme, could have been challenging. But no, the workshop went extremely well and after two-and-a-half days, we developed the necessary Working Groups to help lay down what we hope will be the path to best practice in all areas. While animal care is paramount, the other groups, from education through to accounting, all play a vital part. It will be a balancing act, stretching resources to help as many animals as possible, but without selling anyone short; allowing visitors to view the rescued animals to educate them about the threats faced by wildlife, but without depriving them of their often much needed privacy and freedom to choose where they spend their days – out of or in view! 

By June we hope to have our Born Free Sanctuaries Operation Manual complete – and of course these things only work if they are used!  So, along with the manual, we have created a network of support amongst our sanctuaries and field workers, which we hope will develop into a strong and unified group of people working in different areas with one ambition – to provide a better life for wild animals in captivity and for the lucky ones, give them the skills for a life back in the wild, where they belong.

Alison Hood, Programmes Director, Born Free Foundation

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Mar 27 2009 | By: bornfree

At the beginning of this month, I spent five days (5th to 10th March) attending a People And Wildlife (PAW) workshop at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi.

The contribution of various participants from different countries, working under different conditions was very informative. They brought much-needed knowledge on various topics such as animal care techniques, community participation in conservation, fund raising and business planning! I was particularly impressed with the animal welfare presentations from experienced professionals who gave thorough explanations of the various ways to assess and ensure quality animal welfare.

Of particular importance to animal welfare, were the facility designs. They also demonstrated practical ways of checking the health status of animals ranging from reptiles to big mammals. As if to underline the point, during a break in the seminars, we were able to observe the vets examine a hyena that had been suffering with an injured ankle!

By the end I realised that animal welfare does not depend on elaborate mathematics, delicate and expensive instruments or complex computer analysis packages - the paraphernalia that people can often associate it with.
Animal welfare can, more simply, be realised by observing the five freedoms of life, namely:
o Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition- fresh water and diet to maintain full health and vigour must be provided
o Freedom from thermal and physical discomfort- an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting/nesting area should be in place.
o Freedom from pain, injury and diseases- prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
o Freedom to express most normal patterns of behaviour- by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and the company of animals own kind.
o Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering
These freedoms are recognised both in national and international legislations, but sadly they are not always fully respected.

This workshop was timely for me, as it came at a time when Born Free Kenya is in the process of assessing the status of captive facilities through our country. The knowledge and ideas I have acquired during my stay at Lilongwe will go a long way in simplifying the assessment process, and hopefully allowing us to close down those facilities that do not provide adequate welfare for their animals.

A big thanks to the logistic team and all the participants for actualizing the workshop.

Manoa David, Research Assistant, Born Free- Kenya

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Mar 26 2009 | By: bornfree

Hot on the heels of Bella’s arrival from Romania and release into her new enclosure, Born Free teams from South Africa, Zambia, Kenya and Ethiopia converged with a sense of anticipation at Malawi’s Lilongwe Airport. Warmly welcomed by staff members from the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, we were taken to the delightful Sanctuary Lodge, the creation of Mark and Angela Sprong The Sanctuary Lodge is a classic mix of comfort and style - not to be missed if visiting Malawi.

This was to be the first Born Free Foundation Wildlife Centre workshop: a chance for established sanctuaries to exchange ideas with new sanctuaries; for policies and standards to be discussed; and for animal care, community, environmental education and business experts to present their experiences and recommendations.

A gathering of like minds is always inspiring, and any social mix is interesting when only some of the group know one another.

The workshop participants had years of specialised knowledge to share:

Shamwari Wildlife Centre, South Africa: Abagail McNichol (Centre Manager), Dr Murray Stokoe (Veterinary Consultant), Christine LeRoux (Education Officer)

Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Malawi: Lee Stewart (Centre Manager), Dr Richard Ssuna (Veterinary Manager), Andrea Durcik (Primate Release Project Manager), Mike Waterland (Volunteer Construction Project Manager), Clement (Community Outreach Officer)

Born Free Foundation Kenya: Manoa David (Project Assistant)

Lunga Luswishi Primate Release Project, Zambia: Cosmas Mumba (Primate Release Researcher)

Born Free Foundation Ethiopia: James Young (Project Director)

Born Free Foundation UK: Alison Hood (Programmes Director), Tricia Holford (Rescue Coordinator), Chris Wright (Programmes Officer), Andrina Murrell (Programmes Officer)

Independent Consultants: Dr John Knight (Veterinary), Dr Cheryl Mvula (People and Wildlife), Tony Wiles (Big cat rescue and care), Donnamarie O’Connell (Representing Lilongwe Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

To give us the Malawi point of reference, Lee (Lilongwe Wildlife Centre Manager) took us on a tour of the Centre. It’s remarkable what has been achieved in so short a time. Since I am just beginning the process of starting the Ethiopia Wildlife Centre from scratch, it was particularly good for me to see the design of the enclosures, the night rooms, the fencing specifications as well as a great opportunity to see how useful shipping containers are as temporary offices, stores and food preparation areas. On the tour we were passed by a couple of American visitors who could not sing their praises enough for the Centre. They voiced what we were all thinking!

The Workshop group returned to the Lodge for a delicious supper. Despite the many miles people had travelled, a combination of meeting like minds and the anticipation for the workshop kept the bar staff busy for several hours… 

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Mar 25 2009 | By: bornfree

We all held our breath as Bella emerged slowly from her crate, one foot at a time, stepping onto the soft sandy soil.  Standing alongside her crate, on the other side of the fence, was Virginia McKenna and Wildlife Centre supporter Sue Alves.  They had had the honour of opening the crate to give Bella her freedom, and had waited patiently for 40 minutes for Bella to feel comfortable enough to emerge.  Now the waiting was over.

c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon 

Bella stood outside and looked at the trees around her, and then left and right at the few people standing quietly along the fence line.  Then a strange thing happened: Bella walked over to Virginia McKenna and looked her straight in the eye.  Many of us watching said that the intense exchange seemed endless, although in reality it only lasted several long seconds. 

c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon

Perhaps it isn’t so strange.  Many of us who spend time with dogs will have experienced the recognition they seem to have of the stranger who has experience with their kind.  Perhaps Bella could sense this familiarity and understanding Virginia McKenna has with lions. 

Perhaps it is merely because Bella is only long-sighted in her remaining eye and was trying to focus on the first human nearest to her. At the time though, many felt it was a spine-tingling moment, only broken when Bella turned to sniff the air.

c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon 

She then walked steadily across the freshly-cleared earth towards the trees, and with one final backwards glance over her shoulder towards Virginia, Bella melted into the trees.  She walked through the trees into open ground by the fence and we left her to explore her new world in private.

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Mar 24 2009 | By: bornfree

For Bella, the journey from Romania to Malawi had been a long one, in real terms, and metaphorically. Only two days prior to her arrival at the sun-drenched Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, she had stood on concrete in a snow-covered zoo, deep in the Transylvanian mountains. The contrast could not have been more stark, yet her journey to a better life had begun earlier still.

In Buhusi zoo, where she had been incarcerated in deplorable conditions for the first seven years of her life, a cataract in Bella’s eye had been allowed to deteriorate so much that it threatened not only her sight but also her survival. During 2008, a team of vets from the UK tested their expertise to the limit, successfully removing her untreatable left eye, and later restoring her sight in the other.

Bella spent the next three months recovering at Brasov, until at last she was passed fit to withstand the lengthy air travel that stood between her and a new home in Malawi.  When we arrived in Romania a couple of weeks ago in the midst of winter, we were met by sub-zero temperatures and flurries of snow that served to underline the incongruity of keeping a lion captive, so far removed from the tropical climate enjoyed by her wild counterparts.

c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon

As evening drew in and the light faded, Born Free’s vet, John Knight, began the process of sedating Bella. Unfazed by the glare of torchlight, and the assembled Romanian Press, she succumbed calmly to the effects of the drug, allowing us to lift her onto a stretcher, administer a few final veterinary procedures and load her into her travelling crate.

c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon

Watching the truck containing Bella slowly rumble its way out of the zoo onto the mountainous road to Bucharest, I allowed myself a brief moment of reflection as I looked at her empty cage, with a small sense of triumph. I tried to picture where she had come from and where she soon would be.

A sleep-deprived twenty-four hours later, having driven to Bucharest and flown to the UK, we found ourselves amongst yet more Press, eager to catch a glimpse of Bella in the shadow of the mighty 747 Kenya Airways aircraft into which her crate was carefully loaded. I stood on the tarmac beside Virginia McKenna, Born Free’s founder, sharing the sobering thought that there are so many more wild animals in desperate need in captivity, but drawing strength from the fact that we were improving Bella’s life immeasurably.

c. Sunday Mirror/R Leon

Try as I might to sleep on the flight to Lilongwe, I remained restless, anxious for the moment when Bella would take her first steps onto African soil…

Chris Wright, Programmes Officer, Born Free Foundation

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Mar 23 2009 | By: bornfree

March the 3^rd, some time around midday is the time everything had to be completed. Months of hard work by Born Free and Lilongwe Wildlife Centre across three countries will come together at exactly that moment. I just had to make sure Bella’s new home was ready here at the Centre in Lilongwe. This was something I and the now thirty strong construction team were well aware of! The arrival day was never going to be quiet, something always comes up at the last minute. Everyone else had gone to the airport and I remained to make sure all was ready.

After erecting 400m of 5m high electrified fencing, landscaping the size of two football pitches and building a solid night room with bed and en-suite drinking facilities, we had one more job to do… dig a 2m x 0.8m hole which we could reverse the truck into and slide off the 500Kg crate carrying Bella. After the last 3 months that was almost easy. A few hours and it was done.

At 11am I did a last full walk around with Jam our head foreman, checking the fence, locking the doors and preparing the gates. Then the moment of realization came. It was done. Well, all done except one thing.

This one activity I had been saving to the very last. Putting up the ‘Born Free Lions’ sign above the entrance of Bella’s night room. The construction team members gathered round, I handed the sign up to Jam and he hammered in the two nails fixing the sign. The job was finished and it was 11.45am, 3^rd March 2009. Plenty of time to grab some lunch before she arrived.

I got the call at 2pm. Bella is here! We will be there in ten minutes! I took up position at the enclosure, waiting for them to arrive. First I see our truck moving very slowly along the dirt road with the hazard lights on, almost at walking speed. I see John, Tony, Richard and Lee holding onto a big white crate. The truck pulls up. Bella has arrived!

Then I feel a bit sad, the realization that I can no longer walk in to what has been my home for the last 3 months. The enclosure was no longer mine; it had been handed over to a lion.

But then I felt better, Bella deserves a home like this and what a great home it is!

Mike Waterland

Lion Enclosure Project Manager

One response so far

Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Feb 09 2009 | By: bornfree

Hello Hello,

Since the release, a research team has been monitoring the group’s daily patterns and adjustment to their new home. The research team, comprised of myself, the Project Manager for the Release Project, a local research assistant (provided by National Parks), an anti-poaching scout and a driver, will monitor the baboons for the next 6-12 months, helping to ensure their successful integration into the wild.

The initial weeks were adventure filled and difficult at times, but always exciting. In this first month, the group proved their ability to forage well on their own, explored a 2.5km radius around the release site and have begun interacting with a wild group of baboons. Initially, many members of the group were very attached to the vehicle, as well as the research team, continually climbing on the vehicle, inspecting the researchers and following the team’s every movement. Four weeks later, the group slowly started breaking their dependency on the research team, spending more time away from the humans and vehicle exploring and interacting with their environment.

In the 2nd week of the release a wild male occasionally visited the group, often times peacefully sitting among the group and sometimes being chased by Jack. At times an entire group (which may include this male) spent significant portions of the day with our group, up to 6 hours. No real aggressions occurred, rather these interactions have been quite friendly, though Jack will occasionally chase around members of his own group while in the presence of this wild group, most likely to prove his strength and command over his group to the wild troop.

Brenda, one of the 3 adult females in the release group, took quite a liking to the new wild group, spending much of her day with them. Brenda is the lowest ranking adult female, and therefore, may be looking to emigrate away from the release group, joining a new wild group. This is just speculation at this point, however.

The wild baboons will hopefully teach our group the necessary skills they will need for survival in the wild; skills our group may be lacking from their rearing in captivity.

Richard, one of the sub-adult males in the group is a baboon filled with character and innocence, which you all will grow to see in the coming months. He is the lowest ranking male in the group, not appreciated much by anyone. He tends to do his own thing, preferring to interact with the humans and the vehicle than any baboon. Sometimes I think that he truly believes he’s human and not a monkey. In any event, he has developed a very special relationship with the vehicle, which the research team has been trying to break, but will probably only come in time. Richard will come running from the brush every time he hears the vehicle, charging at full speed straight for the bonnet, which he will leap onto and settle in, as if this is his proper home. We have even observed Richard using the vehicle as a form of security, threatening Jack from the bonnet of the vehicle. Richard is a 7.5kg male and Jack is a 20kg male and the leader of the group, but one threat from Richard on the bonnet sends Jack running. Slowly Richard is breaking his attachment to the vehicle and research team, as he is spending larger and larger amounts of time away from us and off the vehicle, however, this time is not spent interacting with his group members, but rather off on his own inspecting his surroundings and feeding on scraps he finds in the bush. His lack of attention to the group often gets him left behind, one day 2.5km behind. Richard is a baboon who provides much amusement and intrigue and is certainly a case to follow.

We have now completed 2 full months of the release and this past month has been a very exciting and eventful one indeed!

We have seen a lot of the wild group of baboons; and it’s the whole group, not just the male. After the first encounter with Jack’s troop,  the wild baboons have visited our group on 4 other occasions. What initiated these encounters was a little adventure Chris, Ali, Bobby John and Brenda took one night. These 4 went missing for one afternoon and night. To where?…we’re not entirely sure, as we could not find Chris. However, that night we followed the signal on Chris’s radio collar to a wild group of baboons, sleeping about 600m from Jack’s troop.

While I did not see any of our missing group members with them, I am almost positive this is where Chris and the others ran off to, as the next day the wild group was around, persistently trying to get close to Jack and the others. The wild group stuck around for 3 days, sleeping near to Jack’s troop (within 50 meters), trying to interact with members, such as Chris, Brenda and the babies (Ruth and Nina) when they could. During these days no one else in Jack’s group took much of an interest in the wild troop, despite the great interest from the wild group, particularly an adult female and a male sub-adult.

The wild troop disappeared for several days after these encounters, only to return again 5 days later. Upon this next encounter, Jack’s troop inherited the wild adult female who was so curious with our group, and she has remained in our group, leaving her’s behind for the last 4 days. I’m not sure if she will become a permanent member of Jack’s group, but for the moment she’s hopefully passing on valuable lessons to our group. And Chris has already mated with her many times, so perhaps his genes will permanently become integrated in the wild population of baboons in Kasungu National Park. While we inherited a wild female, we also lost Brenda, whom I believe has moved on to the wild troop. The next several weeks are sure to prove interesting!

In other news, much poaching activity has been occurring just around the camp, where the project is based (3.5km from the release site and baboons) in the last 3 weeks. There have been 7 incidents in the area with poachers, 5 gunshots heard, 1 occasion of dogs barking and 1 occasion where 3 poachers were actually seen walking next to camp. Fortunately no one was injured during any of these encounters. And on 1 occasion, a poacher’s gun and the Kudu (a large antelope) they had killed were confiscated by the anti-poaching scouts in the Park, upon the project’s report of the gunshot heard. However, it has been challenging sometimes to receive scouts to follow-up on the reports we make to Parks of this poaching activity. For instance, the day the 3 poachers were physically seen, no scouts were deployed to try and trace them due to a lack of fuel by National Park’s staff. Typically the project would assist with the transportation of scouts, however the project vehicle was out conducting research with the baboons at the time the incident occurred and cell phone reception is very poor at the release site so there was no way of informing myself of the activity. A lack of resources both by National Parks and the Release Project is an unfortunate reality at the moment, which can be a problem in achievement of optimal results; however, we are working to resolve some of these issues.

Till next time, I wish you all happy reading, and I look forward to reporting the further progress of our babies next month!!

~Andrea~ 

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Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Feb 09 2009 | By: bornfree

Born Free is delighted to have taken receipt of two laptops generously refurbished by the Green Standards Trust, having become obsolete at ICI. Green Standards provides businesses with an environmentally-friendly alternative to landfill when such items are no longer wanted, and after being handed over to Born Free last week, the laptops are now winging their way to Malawi to help support the vital work of the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre.

The laptops will be an invaluable resource for the field researchers currently monitoring a troop of rehabilitated baboons released into Kusungu National Park before Christmas. Data on the baboons’ behaviour and adaptability to their new-found freedom will be recorded in a format that can easily be transmitted back to the Wildlife Centre for analysis and dissemination. With more releases of other rescued primates planned for 2009, this equipment that had outlived its use in one context, is already serving a new purpose for the protection of wildlife in Malawi.

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