Grooming Sandie

Image © Ape Action Africa / Jo Gaweda

Sandie arrived at Ape Action Africa back in August 2017, after she was rescued from a wildlife trafficker. She was only one month old. When she was strong enough she moved to our baby chimp group and since then she has done a lot of growing up! She became a fearless climber and gained a huge amount of confidence. When she began exploring further and further away from her caregivers on her daily outings into the forest, we decided that it was time for Sandie to move on to the pre-nursery group.

Baby Sandie © Ape Action Africa / Ian Bickerstaff

Sandie’s integration into the pre-nursery chimpanzee group progressed very smoothly. Many of the pre-nursery chimps previously lived with Sandie when they were in the baby group, and it took very little time for them all to become reacquainted. Noah, Kam and her other old friends were very happy to see little Sandie again, and Ndongo and Paula keep a careful eye on her in the forest.

She’s also been building great relationships with the individuals she'd never previously met. Little Larry and Daphne, two of the oldest members of the group, were both quick to approach young Sandie when they were first introduced, and while Daphne was, as always, very keen to offer lots of reassuring hugs, Little Larry decided to focus on grooming to build his friendship with the newcomer. Sandie has been getting lots of attention from him and, as she is still a little nervous at times, Little Larry is always ready to offer a protective arm when the boisterous antics of the rest of the group occasionally startle her.

We're delighted with how quickly Sandie has settled in with her new group. If you'd like to join our forest family, you can adopt Sandie, Little Larry or one of our other rescued chimpanzees and gorillas here. For just £30 a year you’ll receive a photo and biography of your adopted ape, a certificate of adoption, an annual update and the huge reward of making a difference to an individual. Thank you for your support!