[:de]Weitaus engere Verwandtschaft, als viele glauben…[:en]Ponso needs a new home![:]

[:de]Alle Lebewesen auf der Erde sind in Familien und Gattungen unterteilt: Schimpansen und Bonobos gehören z.B. zur Gattung Pan. Menschen gehören zur Gattung Homo – und sind die einzigen lebenden Vertreter dieser Gattung. Pan und Homo gehören zur Familie der Hominiden – den Menschenaffen. Eigentlich zählen Menschen also auch zu den Menschenaffen – und seit langem streiten sich Wissenschaftler über die Gattungen Pan und Homo: einige vertreten die Ansicht, dass die Trennung dieser zwei Gattung willkürlich sei; Menschen, Schimpansen und Bonobos seien sich so dermaßen ähnlich, dass sie eigentlich alle zur Gattung Homo oder Pan gehören sollten. Aber diese Ansicht stößt natürlich auch auf großen Widerstand. Daher bleibt es – zumindest vorerst – bei der Unterscheidung dieser beiden Gattungen.[:en]Chimfunshi is excited to welcome Estelle Raballand, the founder and ex director of the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. Estelle has over 20 years of experience with chimpanzees and has been retained by SOS Ponso, to improve Ponso’s life and find a long-term solution for him. ‪#‎Ponso‬ ‪#‎animalwelfare‬ ‪#‎SOSPonso‬

Chimfunshi has offered to become Ponso’s forever home and if successful, Ponso would be integrated with other West African chimpanzees already calling Chimfunshi home. Estelle’s visit is to assess Chimfunshi to ensure that this is the best place for Ponso.

Who is Ponso? Ponso is a 30+ year old male chimpanzee. He was born in Liberia. He was orphaned at a young age and used in viral research, part of the VILAB II project of the New ork Blood Center (NYBC).

In 1983, Ponso and 19 other chimps were relocated to an island, close to Azagny National Park in Ivory Coast. They were between seven and eleven years old. The ultimate goal was to release them but in a few months, 11 had died from lack of care or poaching. Release wasn’t an option anymore. The nine survivors (including Ponso) were relocated to a smaller island. Five chimpanzees died shortly after this second move from disease or hunger.

The help that once came from NYBC stopped hence for decades the survival of Ponso and his family depended entirely on the kindness and generosity of a villager, Germain. Only four managed to survive: Ponso, a female and their two offspring.

Almost four years ago, the female and her two offspring got sick and died. Ponso himself was sick for almost a month, according to Germain, but he miraculously survived. Since then, Ponso is alone on this five hectare island, which offers no food resources.

To show your support to Ponso and his onging care and transition to his forever home donate to GOFUNDME.

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