The battle to save Uganda’s chimpanzee island

Ngamba Island serves as a sanctuary for chimps but is now at risk from extreme weather. Federica Marsi reports from Lake Victoria

A chimp at the reserve (Federica Marsi)

When rangers stormed a wildlife traffickers’ hideout in a remote corner of western Uganda, a caged chimpanzee stared back at them, her human-like limbs bound by heavy chains.

Africa – as the chimp was later named by her rescuers – was about to be sold to the highest bidder at a lucrative price. Large numbers of chimpanzees are being captured in Uganda and flown to zoos as far away as Russia, and prices can reach $10,000 (a little over £7,000).

Some are sold as pets, shipped to labs, or killed for bushmeat. Over the course of a few decades, their population is estimated to have dropped from tens of thousands to around 5,000.