Meet The Anti-Poaching Pilot Who Flies Rescued Baby Chimps To Their New Homes

September 11, 2020

Meet Anthony Caere, a Belgian who heads Virunga National Park's Air Wing and serves as a "big brother" in the sky for its rangers.

@anthonycaere / Instagram

Virunga National Park is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Caere's duties include supporting rangers' anti-poaching patrols, doing surveillance for wildlife censuses, inspecting poaching sites and carrying out medical evacuations.

@anthonycaere / Instagram

When rangers find orphaned chimps, Caere flies them to Lwiro Primates.

Lwiro Primates is a rehabilitation center and sanctuary for nearly 200 orphaned chimpanzees and monkeys in Congo. The park serves as a safe place for orphaned primates to recover both physically and physiologically from the loss of their family.

 

 

 

 

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Great teamwork of @lwirocrpl and Virunga National Park to save this baby out of the hands of poachers. We flew baby Mussa to his new home at Lwiro Primates. This looks cute but is actually a sad story. He should be with his mum.. But happy we could give him a new good home! Thanks to the whole team! This is conservation! #virunga #virunganationalpark #savevirunga #stoppoaching #babychimp #chimp #chimpansee #lwiroprimates #conservation #flying #wildlifewarriors #congo #drc #rdc #thedodo #livetotellthestory @i7saso

A post shared by Anthony Caere (@anthonycaere) on Feb 27, 2018 at 9:20am PST

During the flights, Caere refuses to put the primates in a cage. Instead, he gives them a seat on his lap.

"People ask me why I didn't put Mussa in a cage during the flight... a baby needs hugs and compassion instead of being locked up in a cage during a stressful flight," he said.

"We take the time to gain his trust, to feed him. And when he feels comfortable and he jumps on your arms and he holds you, then it's time to do the flight."

@anthonycaere / Instagram

Caere's Instagram is full of photos and videos of the park's wildlife, as well as a few of the pilot himself with rangers and the rescued primates.

 

 

 

 

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Today is World Chimpanzee day. I want to share a little rescue video of Rosie-Epulu who got rescued out of the hands of poachers who killed her family for bush meat. She would have been sold as a pet... Thanks @okapiconservation for the rescue! @virunganationalpark flew her to @lwiro_primates where she got a new life. Please remember that chimps are NOT pets... Happy World Chimpanzee day to our close relatives! #virunganationalpark #virunga #virungaalliance #congo #drc #rdc #worldchimpanzeeday #rescue #wildlife #chimpanzee #wildlifewarriors #lastchanceforanimals #lc4a #worldanimalnews #flying #chimp #babychimp #endpoaching #stoppoaching #bushpilot #chimpsarenotpets #africa #boseaviation #livetotellthestory

A post shared by Anthony Caere (@anthonycaere) on Jul 14, 2020 at 11:14am PDT