Photojournalist Roberto García Roa has been working with the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre in Guinea, one of the few international institutions trying to protect critically endangered western chimpanzees
Pepe embraces Michelle, his caregiver, while they explore the habitat that surrounds the sanctuary. Photograph: Roberto García Roa
A group of “teenagers” walk in the forest around the area controlled by the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre. Chimpanzees are free to interact among themselves and with the natural surroundings. They have a lot of learning to do in order to be released back into the wild. Researchers are understandably excited by the prospect of understanding this rich cultural diversity, though sadly they are under considerable time pressure. After reports of unprecedented decline, in 2016 the International Union for Conservation of Nature upgraded the western chimpanzee’s threat status from endangered to critically endangered.
A worker at the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre classifies and manages the food, mainly vegetables, fruits and cereals, to be given to the chimpanzees. Cédric Kambere is a key part of the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre. He is a Congolese vet with a great deal of experience working with apes. His work is particularly useful for rescued baby chimps as they often arrive to the sanctuary with critical health conditions.