PREVIEW

Somebody the chimp has a remarkable story, having battled disability to become a talented user of tools and an amazing mum. The primate arrived at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone in 2013. She was caught in a snare then sold to a couple who kept her for almost two years before handing her over to the sanctuary. Somebody was already 6 years old when she was rescued, but despite her handicap, she learnt how to be a very skillful chimp utilising tools as well as her peers despite her damaged hand. She is now also a mother to Someone, a young male chimp born towards the end of 2019. Chimps arriving at the sanctuary have often been maltreated as pets or are orphans whose parents have been hunted as part of the illegal bushmeat trade. All of the chimpanzees arriving at Tacugama have suffered some kind of mental trauma as a result of the violent separation from their families . Somebody is an ambassador chimp for Tacugama. This means that people can become her virtual guardian and get an update from her four times a year as well as a certificate of their guardianship.