July 2, 2026

Meet Dr. Rebeca Atencia, Tchimpounga Sanctuary’s head veterinarian

Photo: Fernando Turmo

You may have seen the name Dr. Rebeca Atencia — but we want you to meet her and know more about her story, too.

The head veterinarian at the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga Sanctuary, and the Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute in the Republic of the Congo, she has rescued and rehabilitated dozens of chimpanzees and other great apes.

Not only does she work with rescued animals at Tchimpounga, but — as an accomplished wildlife expert who has become respected globally and considered an important thought leader — Rebeca is often tapped to assist with rescuing and rehabilitating species impacted by the illegal wildlife trade around the world.

Since she joined the team at the Tchimpounga, the sanctuary has expanded to become the largest chimpanzee sanctuary on the African continent. More than 150 chimpanzees injured and/or orphaned by the illegal wildlife trade are currently getting the care they need at Tchimpounga.

(Fun fact: Rebeca was hired by Dr. Jane Goodall herself!)

Years ago, in order to save the life of a critically-wounded chimpanzee, Rebeca performed the first known chimpanzee-to-chimpanzee blood transfusion in African history.

Her groundbreaking work also includes developing the Jane Goodall Institute’s Triangle Approach to combat the illegal wildlife trade, and developing the Chimpanzee Welfare Index — an innovative tool used to measure and monitor the wellbeing of chimpanzees in captivity.

Rebeca’s expertise extends to multiple Central and Western African species, and was recently instrumental in the rescues of an infant gorilla, numerous African Grey Parrots, and one mandrill. These wonderful creatures are now safe with the Tchimpounga team.

As we approach World Chimpanzee Day on July 14th, we want to celebrate the heroes — including Dr. Rebeca Atencia — who are making an incredible difference for our closest animal relatives. Thank you, thank you, thank you!