August 14, 2026

How human surrogate mothers help rescued chimpanzees heal, recover, and grow

Photos: Fernando Turmo

Did you know that the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga Sanctuary has surrogate mothers for the orphaned chimpanzees who are rescued?

When many of the baby chimpanzees at Tchimpounga are rescued, they have been orphaned — the mothers are usually attacked by poachers and left for dead, and the baby chimpanzees are then sold as pets.

The baby chimpanzees are left with severe trauma, and they tend to feel abandoned. This can have lasting effects on further development.

To help the rescued chimpanzees cope with the profound loss they experience, surrogate mothers give them intensive care. They also give them love, food, and warmth — creating an environment that resembles natural maternal care as much as possible.

At the same time, they also help the chimpanzees develop important skillsets. They can help introduce the baby to other young chimpanzees and intervene when problems occur — just like chimpanzee moms do out in the wild.

Together, they also explore the forests. The surrogate mothers can show the baby what food they can eat, accompany them when they learn to climb, and much more.

Here, you can see Antonette, one of the surrogate mothers at the Tchimpounga Sanctuary, with Vienna, one of the chimpanzees who has been rescued and can now get the second chance she deserves.

To support work like this, and to help chimpanzees get the care they need at the Jane Goodall Institute’s sanctuary, go to JaneGoodall.ca/Adopt.

Note: The Jane Goodall Institute does not endorse the handling of, or close proximity to, wildlife. These photos represent a sanctuary context with trained professionals.