Zakayo the chimp gets successor

Dr Jane Godall (R) pats Zakayo II’s shoulder, heir to the late Zakayo as animal keeper Bruce hold’s him over the on Saturday. Photo by Paul Adude

Nearly two months after the passing of Zakayo, the oldest known captive chimpanzee in East Africa who succumbed to Chronic Gastroenteritis, wildlife conservationist over the weekend gathered at the Uganda Wild Life Education Centre (UWEC) to install his heir.

Mr James Musinguzi the director UWEC said there was need to safeguard chimpanzees’ habitats, support communities to appreciate the value of conserving our next of kin.

Musinguzi said he arrived at the time when they celebrated the success story of Zakayo, adding that it would be just for Dr. Jane Goodall, the Natures Ambassador at UWEC to officially name him after the celebrated captive chimpanzee – Zakayo.

Dr. Goodall urged environmentalists and UWEC to integrate the roots and shoots program in schools so as to promote conservation of Wildlife among children.

“We need to empower the young people to carry on the mantle of saving man’s relative and other resources,” she said.

Zakayo II was received at UWEC on 1st May, 2018 two weeks after the death of Zakayo who died aged 54 years.

His origin is Kasyoha Kitomi, South Western Uganda and estimated to be 2 years old.

Zakayo left behind 19 chimpanzees with Kiri as the oldest of the group and a total of 284 individual animals comprised of 64 species in the zoo collection at the centre.