April & May 2009
The death of Leki

I look deep into Semendwa's eyes, or maybe, she looks deep into my soul... She
has been holding the body of her dead infant in her arms since yesterday.
However, she's not holding the baby the same way as before, she is slowly
becoming detached, she moves the baby's arms, looks at him in a way that
intimately tells me that she knows he is dead.
Only just yesterday, she was holding him close to
her while he struggled to breathe, desperately
trying to resist the terrible virus which had
already snuffed out the lives of three other ofLola’s bonobos before it. Pity our little « Leki ya
Elikya » !
He was born at the height of a mortal epidemic,
so when our keepers told me that he “had a runnynose”, I knew in my heart that he would be too
weak to beat the virus. Semendwa paces back andforth, looking deep into my eyes. Today, yet once
again and ever still more, I want to cross overthat line that separates our two worlds. Or maybe the line that some people
want to maintain to keep our two worlds apart...
Be careful! This is the sin of anthropomorphism! How arrogant! How incompetent
can you be, Madame André?! May those who have never experienced suchemotions with Great Apes cast the first stone...
Semendwa comes back towards us; she lifts up his already bloated little bodyone last time, hands it to us, takes it back and turns, only to come back once
again. Finally, she abandons it on the ground and leaves, not even turning backfor a final glance.

"Planete Bonobo": Claudine’s newsletter n°44 (April-May 2009)

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I think to myself that it is past time that we go and seek out the traditional
Chief of our land, bringing him offerings for his ancestors who protect theforest of Lola! We will go to the top of “Lola peak” to pour palm oil on the soil
and offer up to the venerable ancestors the nine kola nuts! We will tell them ourmisfortunes and beseech their leniency because in the past they have so often
protected our bonobos when they have been in turmoil!
The release preparations - behavioral
observations of the bonobos tentatively
selected for release and preparations fortheir future life in the wild - are all nowresuming.
On April 1st, Crispin leaves « Lola Ya
Bonobo » for good. It is his choice and I
respect it, even if this decision leaves mewith a feeling of unfulfilled business given that we are only two months awayfrom the reintroduction and that we have together faced so many challenges.
But Lola is a winning team! Those remaining all stick together and we resume ourstaff meetings with drive and spirit.
The wounds of recent events are still fresh and deeply etched inside all of us,
but we are now able to take “a breather”. Still anxious, we all remain vigilant.
Such devastating events had not hit us since the terrible and deadly EMCV 1
epidemic back in 2003. I must admit now that I wrote part of this newsletter
before that of first quarter 2009 because I was honestly incapable ofrecounting so much suffering occurring in such close succession: Mimia and herbaby, our beautiful Lodja, Kindu, the acrobatic Mixa and little Leki, the only
“little brother” at Lola. And also, closer to home, the death of my own sisterand Crispin's departure.
This time around, I'm going to make some of my own offerings to my guardianangel! And she seems to take notice!

A peaceful wind returns

On May 1st, Dr Marie-Laure Doppagne accepts a volunteer position as ABC
veterinary coordinator. Marielle Puit, who has just left PPG (Project ProtectionGorilla) in the Congo and is visiting family members in the DRC, graciously
1

Encephalo-Myocarditis Virus"Planete Bonobo": Claudine’s newsletter n°44 (April-May 2009)

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accepts to work for six months on our release program. She brings to us her
experience with gorilla reintroductions in neighboring Congo; she takes on theresponsibility of coordinating the release of our bonobos and immediately sets
up camp in Basankusu. My colleague Aliette Jamart from « Help-Congo » inPointe Noire is sending me an Eco-Guard from her team, a RD-Congolese whowants to return home and is delighted to findMarie-Laurework so fast!
All this over the course of one week! So what
do we say? Well, we say a big “Thank you!” toour guardian angel!... And we leave forBasankusu….

Our « Château Margaux » is in danger

Marielle and I are accompanied by Valérie Urman from French newspaper“Journal du Dimanche”, who has come to the DRC to report on our last
preparatory trip before the release. I am taking Marielle for the first time toBasankusu, to introduce her as Reintroduction Project Coordinator to our newstaff and the local authorities.
Marie-Pierre and Delphine, nearing the end of their stay at Lola, offer us a goodbottle of wine: “Make a toast for us in Basankusu to the future success of therelease!” Both women are fervent supporters of Lola ya Bonobo and of ABE 2.
The precious nectar is packed and placed in
the trolley for the trip like a “Kanzi” (buriedtreasure). Unfortunately, when embarking atN’djili airport, we are told that international
security measures have been put into effect in
the DRC… as of today! “No liquids in carryons!” says the security agent with a wide smile,
putting his hand on the precious bottle! “Goodgracious!” exclaims Valérie, who had certainly been dreaming of the great
moment when the bottle would be uncorked. “All is lost!” Marielle echoes. Bye
bye to our dreams! Wait a moment! We will certainly be able to negotiate withthis charming agent, whose basket is already overflowing with all type of bottles
confiscated since the morning. A little green bill, as well as the number ofbottles that he has already confiscated and may be more to his personal tastes,2

Our sister association in Europe: Amis des Bonobos en Europe (Friends of bonobos in Europe). For more
information, visit www.amisdesbonobos.org"Planete Bonobo": Claudine’s newsletter n°44 (April-May 2009)

Page 3ease him in his decision. We get both our bottle of “Château Margaux” and oursmiles back!
Marielle discovers Basankusu, and with it all the work that remains to be done
before the arrival of the bonobos! She quickly takes charge and is making theright decisions.
Everything is going well. We are on the same wavelength. Her ideas match myown: a reintroduction project is multi-directional. Today, through hard-earnedexperience, we now know that the majorityof preparation work for a project like ours,or for the creation of a new National Parkor Natural Reserve, does not relate tohandling the animals to be released or
managing the space to be occupied. 80% of
the problems that we will have to deal withare related to our relations with the local
Blaise in awareness -raising mode
human population.
This is particularly true in the DRC, which has emerged from such as long periodof abandonment. This population, which cannot yet count on State services,
directs all its hopes towards any NGO or economic actor that is willing to set up
activities in the area. An amalgam is quickly made: You want to work here? You
must first help us! Their demands are quite valid, but… who can really replace
the State? Can we repair roads, rebuild schools and hospitals, or help support
dispensaries, all the while also providing work to everyone?
But their misery and their kindness quickly convinces you to tirelessly seek out
partners to come and assist them.
Humanitarian NGOs, such as Caritas or NHV,
can organize short seminars to help them takechargeofDistribution
theirownof medicines
development.
Donationof a first aid kit

Pierrot had
already initiated all these meetings; they werepart of our pre-release program. They must
imperatively be continued.

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And of course, Marielle always has an idea or two in her head! She hires asociologist, Alphonse, to help us with our surveys. He knows the place well; hedoes not belong to any of the local ethnic groups and therefore he is considered
as someone neutral by all involved. He will certainly be of precious assistance inworking towards our goals and avoiding any risk of tension.
We are now providing support to education and health services all around EKOLOYA BONOBO. 3
30 days to countdown already….
There is still so much to be done! But on May
14th, I head off for the USA to meet up withmy 18 colleagues for the 10 year anniversary ofthe creation of PASA. For the first time ever,this meeting is to be held in the USA: inColumbus, Ohio.
The Columbus Zoo, and particularly its Conservation
Department headed by Rebecca Rose, really did a
fantastic job organizing this meeting. It was a wonderful
success and we were fortunate to have Harvard professorRichard Wrangham as our guest of honor. He explained,with humor and joy, why he is such a PASA fan. Doug
Cress, PASA Executive Director, presented the excellent
work carried out by the Pan African sanctuaries. Everyone
deserved and received a standing ovation!

A little dance step forNorm & Sheila

Anne–Marie honored at the PASA meeting!
Anne-Marie, our nurse, is to receive an « Award » from PASA! The David Siddle
award, named after the late David Siddle, who passed away in 2006 and who was
one of our generation's pioneers, one of those who, like us, created the first Pan
African sanctuaries for Great Apes and are the founding members of PASA.
This « Award » recognizes the best employees of the PASA sanctuaries.

3We support 5 primary schools and 2 secondary schools within the Pôo zone; 3 primary schools and 1
secondary school in the Kodoro zone; the school at Eleke, as well as the new primary school at Elonda,
where our base camp is located. All these schools have received books, didactic materials, blackboards,
etc... thanks to support from France’s Social Development Fund. In addition, 4 maternity wards wereoutfitted thanks to support we obtained for them from the Canadian Embassy: mattresses, equipment forminor operations, sterilization material, medicine, etc.

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But despite all of our efforts to quickly obtain
An award for Anne Mariea passport and a visa, Anne-Marie will not
succeed in obtaining the authorization to travelto the United States from the local American
Consulate. And so she will not be able to takethe flight with me. We are all very sad: It was
to be the trip of her lifetime! And thus I
received Anne-Marie's award from Sheila,David Siddle's wife. I thanked the audience onbehalf of Anne-Marie, with tears in my eyes for this beautiful moment which
she did not have the chance to experience….
I am so proud for Lola Ya Bonobo: Four awards in the same year! It's wonderful!
Friends of bonobos
We take advantage of this opportunity to organize the annual meeting of theBoard of Directors of the American based « Friends of Bonobos » Association.
Our President, Dominique, is here: she nearly always comes with me to the PASA
meetings. Brian Hare and his wife, Vanessa Woods, have made the trip up fromNorth Carolina. Mary Rose from the« Sulatalu Fund for Great Apes » isalso present, as well as Becky Rose,
who never misses a meeting. Almost
all of us are in attendance…. We areso happy to be together again! Being
so close to the transfer of thebonobos to EKOLO in Equateur
Province, there is indeed a lot to talkabout!
At PASA 2009 with Mary Rose

This time, my friends,
We're on the final stretch!

"Planete Bonobo": Claudine’s newsletter n°44 (April-May 2009)

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