HAWA
HER STORY
Hawa is the eldest of the group. She arrived at Akatia in 2018 aged 18 months from a private zoo that had bought her from a trafficker. Recovered by Estelle, she was then housed with Dominique while waiting to join the future sanctuary.
She had several health problems, including a worm infection. As a result of her health problems, she almost lost her life on several occasions. We were very afraid for her. A chain of solidarity was set up to look after her, as she needed daily care. Lucie, a vet from Belgium, came to help Estelle and Dominique.
After treatment, Hawa stayed with Dominique for around 2 years, until an agreement was signed for the creation of the sanctuary. Many volunteers came to support Hawa, to keep her company and care for her. She remained alone for a year and a half until Emma arrived.
Hawa is now a beautiful, healthy chimpanzee! She is often pensive and sometimes melancholy, and is currently the dominant member of the group. Hawa is a true sage, who now has a key role to play in the chimpanzee group.
Indeed, being the dominant is a great responsibility and Hawa, due to her age and character, has naturally taken on this role, ensuring the balance of the group. Despite this, Hawa remains young and still needs attention and tenderness from the caretakers. It's essential to respond to her dominant needs, when she wants to change places for example, for the good health of the group.
Fun fact about d’Hawa : she knows how to help the caretakers when we need to put the troublemaker Djodjo back in his place; when Akouba had just returned to the sanctuary after being treated for her injuries, Djodjo was constantly trying to play with her, pulling on her feet and annoying her, even though she needed to be calm, as she was still recovering and therefore fragile. So we grabbed Djodjo and told him to stop. Hawa saw this and came over to him and gave him a big slap, thus confirming our approach - thank you, Hawa!
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Some photos of Hawa
⚠ Chimpanzees are not pets!
These chimpanzees are orphans who have fallen victim to the illegal bushmeat and pet trade. They are being rehabilitated at the Akatia sanctuary.