In central Cameroon, the Sanaga-Yong sanctuary, established in 1999 by primatologist Sheri Speede, is home to 75 chimpanzees. Speede oversees their daily feeding, monitors their health, and manages their social integration.
Among the chimpanzees, over 30 are given routine birth-control medications, four are babies needing constant care, and two teenagers are being integrated into new social groups. Speede's roles at the sanctuary include therapist, meal-prepper, veterinarian, and site manager.
Chimpanzees and other great apes are hunted for bushmeat and traditional remedies, with 22 chimpanzee parts reportedly used to treat 36 conditions. Poaching often results in infants being sold as pets or to private zoos after their mothers are killed for meat.
The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee subspecies, classified as endangered, is also threatened by armed conflict in the country. The anglophone crisis and Boko Haram insurgency have affected conservation efforts and forests, which are natural habitats for these apes. Armed groups sometimes set traps for bushmeat and create farms in protected areas, restricting conservationists' work.
Killing chimpanzees has been illegal in Cameroon since 1994, but effective enforcement began in 2006, driven by the Last Great Ape organisation (Laga). Conservation groups estimate that between 3,500 and 9,000 Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees remain in the wild, with their population continuing to decline.
Sanaga-Yong is one of three wildlife centres in Cameroon, alongside Ape Action Africa and Limbe Wildlife Centre, which together house over 200 rescued chimpanzees. These centres do not have plans or space to release the chimpanzees due to a lack of enforcement to safeguard them and suitable forested habitats. The sanctuary employs local caregivers and trains Cameroonian veterinarians to ensure future care is in local hands.