Charming Chimpazees

Amelie and I did a study on chimps, and we created a lapbook, which was so much fun. It covers topics like where chimps live, type of habitat, what they eat, how they can speak in American Sign Language, and a section on Jane Goodall. We also wrote a poem about the chimps she studied. We learned about chimps for a week, reading poetry about great apes, watching an IMAX dvd about Jane and the wild chimps, and read a childrens book about an orphan chimp named Rickie, whose mother was killed by hunters for bushmeat, and who ended up with a kind man who rescued him, and while he was gone on a business trip, the man's dog befriended the baby chimp, and they slept together, and little Rickie rode around on Henri's (the dog) back, as baby chimps will do with thier mothers.
So, this lead us on a learning about the bushmeat trade, and how it is destitute people who hunt the chimps so that rich city-people can eat thier meat in fancy restaurants--they think if they do they will gain special powers from consuming thier flesh. It‘s awful. Chimps are so like people, and have been proven to have emotions, and to be self-aware, they are social and live in family groups and communities, can use ASL and learn at the same rate as human children do until they are about 3 years old.
So, Ami is now on a mission to raise enough money to help take care of a chimp named Petit Prince, --he is in a chimp orphanage/sanctuary, in Congo, Africa. She chose him because he was found at 2 mos old, tied in a bag with his leg nearly severed from a snare injury. He is ok now, but like Petit Prince, there are new orphans arriving at Jane's sanctuary's all the time, victims of the bushmeat and pet trade.....and because chimps live to be about 50-60 years they require expensive lifelong care and looking after since they can never be returned to the wild.
To raise money, Ami is making bookmarks and asking for donations! The bookmarks have little pictures of chimps that she draws, and a saying she writes on the bookmark, it’s then glued to construction paper, and laminated. She is trying to raise $250 for Petit Prince and has already raised $125.00. She donated $10 of her own birthday money and has been saving change, as well as receiving donations from anyone who comes to the house.

Once she raises the funds she will send the money to the Jane Goodall Institute and they will disperse the funds 100% to the orphanage—the money does not go to pay administrative stuff, it goes directly to the needy chimps in Africa. She will then be a “Chimp Guardian” and receive information, certificate, stuffed chimp doll, and a signed photo from Jane Goodall.

Please email me if you would like to donate to Amelie's Chimp Guardian Fund to help the orphaned chimps at the Tchimpounga sanctuary.

Click Here for Chimp Guardian Info at Jane Goodall Institute