Cameroun - Cameroon: Arrested for selling baby chimp

A man has been arrested following his attempts at selling a baby chimpanzee in Djoum, after travelling from Meyo III with the animal hidden inside a tiny little bag.

The arrest that took place at about 7 pm on Friday September 9 was the result of a quick and incisive investigation that found out that the man, who is an inhabitant of Meyos III in the South Region, was actively searching for clients to buy the animal he has been grooming for some weeks. Information from some sources in Meyo III indicated that he was impatiently searching for customers for the animal. .

He failed to get a customer in Meyo III and decided to travel to Djoum, a town known for its trafficking activities, especially for illegal ivory trade. When he arived the town, he was closely tracked by wildlife officials who waited for him to make a moved to sell the chimp and was then arrested. The chimp was immediately checked to ascertain if it was in good shape and first aid treatment and food provided. The suspect shot and killed the mother of the chimp, sold part of the meat and ate some. He then kept the baby for sale as a pet.

The 23-year old man would spent the night upon his arrest at the Djoum gendarmerie brigade and proceedings for the establishment of a case file continued the next day at the office of the Djoum wildlife chief. The chimp was then taken to the Mefou National Park where caregivers of the Ape Action Africa, an NGO that assist government in providing veterinary care and nourishment to chimps in the park, would immediately set to work, giving motherly care, support and affection to the baby chimp.

This is the second baby chimpanzee saved within the past two weeks in the South Region. On Augustt 29, a 43-year-old man was arrested by wildlife officials for illegal possession and transportation of a baby chimpanzee at the entrance to Ebolowa,

The man travelled with the little malnourished and dying chimpanzee hidden in a black bag to Ebolowa where he was expected to sell the animal alongside 45kg of pangolin scales that were also found in his possession. This move was stopped by the arrest that was carried out by the South Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife working in collaboration with the gendarmerie while LAGA provided technical assistance. .

This is business as usual for ape traffickers who prefer selling baby chimps alive rather than the killing them for meat that may not fetch enough profits. Chimpanzees are totally protected by the wildlife law and according to this law, anyone found in possession of a totally protected wildlife species is considered to have captured the animal and my face a jail term of up to 3 years and a fine of 10 million CFA francs maximum.

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