Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project Camp
The place
Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project Camp in Central River Division, Kuntaur/River Gambia National Park sector (Baboon Islands, River Gambia, The Gambia), at 20 m altitude, riverine gallery forest. Continuous Gambia cluster (batches 260-402). The iconic CRP camp founded by Stella Marsden in 1969 for rehabilitating chimpanzees from the exotic wildlife trade (Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project, 1969, Stella Marsden, 4 initial chimpanzees, 100+ today, on the Baboon Islands of the River Gambia), set within River Gambia National Park (585 km², established 1978), the five uninhabited Baboon Islands, the 1120 km River Gambia, the town of Kuntaur (15,000 inhabitants), and the heritage of the Mandinka/Wolof peoples (Mande peoples: 1.5 million Mandinka speakers across The Gambia; 500,000 Wolof speakers in Senegal), together with the iconic legacy of the Mali Empire (13th-15th centuries, Sundiata Keita, Mansa Musa 1312-1337 and his famous 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca with 100 camels of gold that devalued Cairo's currency), the iconic heritage of the transatlantic slave trade (Kunta Kinteh Island, formerly James Island, UNESCO World Heritage since 2003, 800,000 enslaved people), Alex Haley's iconic 1976 novel "Roots", the iconic independence gained on 18 February 1965 from the UK under Dawda Jawara's 30-year rule, the dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh (1994-2017, seized power in a coup), Adama Barrow (president since 2017), and The Gambia's status as the smallest mainland country in Africa (11,000 km², 2.5 million inhabitants).
The setting
Central River, Kuntaur/River Gambia NP, Baboon Islands, River Gambia, The Gambia, 20 m, riverine gallery forest, continuous cluster batches 260-402, CRP 1969 Stella Marsden 4 initial chimpanzees 100+ Baboon Islands iconic + River Gambia NP 585 km² 1978 + 5 uninhabited Baboon Islands + River Gambia 1120 km + Kuntaur 15,000, Mandinka/Wolof Mande peoples Mandinka 1.5 M + Wolof 500,000 Senegal + Mali Empire 13th-15th c. Sundiata Keita Mansa Musa 1312-1337 1324 pilgrimage 100 camels of gold devalued Cairo currency iconic + slave trade Kunta Kinteh James Island UNESCO 2003 800,000 enslaved people + Haley "Roots" 1976 iconic + independence 18 Feb 1965 from UK Jawara 30-year rule + Jammeh dictator 1994-2017 coup + Barrow 2017-present + smallest mainland country in Africa 11,000 km² 2.5 M inhabitants.
