Bo and Bella at their new sanctuary home.

You purchase a ticket at the Zoo and are handed a token. You’re told to drop that token into a box to “vote” for your favorite of our Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) projects. So you walk up, examine your options, choose your favorite and drop the token in. Now what?

Though we typically don’t get to see first-hand how the money raised impacts its recipients because they are located all over the world, we often receive updates detailing exactly how the funds have helped them achieve conservation success. In summer 2018, Q4C raised over $6,000 to send to Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) to help rescue primates from the illegal wildlife trade.

Chimpanzees face serious threats in their natural range, where they are often slaughtered for use as bushmeat or sold on the black market as pets; an average of 3,000 great apes are lost to these illegal industries each year. PASA works to save baby chimpanzees and other primates from this gloomy reality by providing financial and logistical support to “boots-on-the-ground” organizations and making connections around the world.

The $6,000 that you helped us raise went directly to the rescue of infant chimpanzees Bo and Bella. When their families were killed in front of them, Bo and Bella were captured to be sold as pets. Luckily, law enforcement rescued these two babies before they spent the rest of their lives in substandard care without the companionship of other chimpanzees.

However, the country in which Bo and Bella were located—Guinea-Bissau—did not have a chimpanzee sanctuary, so the pair had to live in the national park office. When PASA found out about Bo and Bella, they used our Q4C funds to fly the chimps to safety at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Kenya. The money was also used on blood tests for the pair, permits to import the blood samples, travel crates and carrier fees.

Today, Bo and Bella are living it up in their lush forest habitat at the sanctuary, climbing trees and enjoying a diet filled with fruits and vegetables. Their second lease on life was made possible by your generous participation in our Q4C initiative, so thank you!