Pro Wildlife and Limbe Wildlife Centre: a joint effort to safeguard wildlife in Cameroon
This year, the Limbe Wildlife Centre (LWC) is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Since 1993, the LWC has been working tirelessly towards its mission of protecting Cameroon’s unique wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation and release, education, and community outreach. The LWC’s work would not be possible without the support of its partners, and Pro Wildlife is one of the longest friendships of all!
Pro Wildlife is a Germany-based non-profit organisation working towards wildlife conservation and animal welfare worldwide. The organization is known for its efforts to combat wildlife crime and enforce animal protection laws. Pro Wildlife was founded in 1999 and will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024. Pro Wildlife campaigns for better protection of wildlife, social and ecological sustainability in cooperation with local, national, and international organisations, and works towards maintaining the delicate balance between humans and nature.
Pro Wildlife and the LWC has been working in partnership since 2000. As a sanctuary for Cameroonian wildlife, and a hub of education and community outreach, the LWC’s activities are of interest to Pro Wildlife because… “the sanctuary’s protégés, all of them victims of illegal bushmeat trade, are Ambassadors to combat wildlife crime”, says Executive Director of Pro Wildlife, Andrea Höppner.
“We chose the LWC for a long-term partnership because it offers comprehensive solutions through its education programme and ongoing efforts to provide alternatives to poaching – while ensuring enforcement of species conservation laws by providing shelter for confiscated animals.”
There have been a multitude of projects that have been made possible thanks to the generous financial support through Pro Wildlife. This includes the construction of critical infrastructure such as a chimpanzee nursery, gorilla night dens and enclosures, climbing structures and guenon enclosures, as well as many essential donations such as printers, computers, medication and bandages. Furthermore, Pro Wildlife have also been instrumental in creating educational materials such as poster series that have been used to sensitise visitors for many years.
Image: Photo Andrea Höppner, Executive Director of Pro Wildlife (left), Wilson Ateh the LWC Head of Education (centre, LWC) and Anthony Chasar the Project Manager at the time (right, LWC), 2003.
Image: Pro Wildlife team visiting in 2002
Today (1st of December 2023), we are at $3,631. Please donate to help us reach our goal!
On many occasions the LWC has been honoured by several visits from Pro Wildlife team members. During their visits they were a helping hand in the quarantine area, saw with their own eyes how Cameroon’s next generations are being sensitised to species conservation and how successful the station’s “Green Project” is. Accompanying journalists have helped publicise the threat to great apes and to increase the LWC’s international reputation.
More recently, Pro Wildlife has been facilitating the Transnational African Zoonoses Education Campaign, which the LWC is participating in. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the risks of zoonotic disease transmission and encourage lasting behavioural change. The campaign seeks to directly link wildlife conservation with public health protection through the One Health concept. Pro Wildlife is coordinating the actions of LWC and three other African sanctuaries to deliver this awareness campaign.
To celebrate 30 years of the LWC, Pro Wildlife has kicked off our #30for30 campaign by generously donating 3,000 EUR towards our 30,000 USD goal! We are incredibly grateful for Pro Wildlife’s trust and belief in the LWC and its mission. If you would also like to contribute to our #30for30 campaign you can donate through our PayPal or contact us directly to make a bank transfer.
Through our joint efforts, Pro Wildlife and the LWC will continue to work to improve animal welfare, deliver effective environmental education and raise awareness for wildlife conservation in Cameroon. Our partnership reinforces the need for collaborative partnerships in conservation to address the challenges facing the world today.
#Throwback30 #LWC30