Posts about Conservation

World Wildlife Day 2026: A Unified Global Response to Wildlife Trafficking

03-03-26

Integrating Biodiversity Protection Across Species, Landscapes, and Communities

World Wildlife Day, celebrated every year on 3 March, is the largest global annual day dedicated to wildlife. The date marks the conclusion of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In this blog Dr Zara Bending talks about this year’s theme, including how chimpanzees enjoy a special connection to it.

Zeytin: a baby gorilla waiting to go home

13-02-26

The Jane Goodall Institute Global expresses its deep concern and genuine hope regarding the future of Zeytin, a baby gorilla currently held in a Turkish zoo after being rescued from an illegal trafficking operation.

Zeytin’s story is heartbreaking. He was found concealed in a cargo shipment at Istanbul Airport, a victim of a cruel trade that treats living beings as objects. Today, he remains in captivity—far from the forests of Africa, far from the companionship of his own kind, and far from the care he urgently needs.

Gorillas are intelligent, emotional creatures. Like human children, they need nurturing, social bonds, and space to grow. Zeytin is still very young, and this is a critical time in his development. Every day spent in isolation risks long-term harm to his physical and emotional well-being.

Our 2025 summary

03-02-26

We are really grateful and proud of what we achieved this year :

More than 12,745 trees planted all over Belgium with 6 tree plantings organised, which supports the reforestation of 275,000 trees in Burundi.
Our commitment to education and youth empowerment led us to conduct 333 workshops with 6,923 children across Belgium, we have nearly doubled since last year!
We received more than 2000€ of donations for helping the chimps and supporting our work in Chimp Eden sanctuary and Dindefelo Reserve in Africa. To our actual Chimp Guardians who have supported the centra on a recurrent basis, we express our deepest gratitude for being part of this mission year after year.

Help us to offer the rescued chimpanzees at Chimp Eden a truly “Eden-like” home

29-01-26

Chimp Eden in South Africa is home to 33 rescued chimpanzees that can no longer return to the wild. Chimp Eden, where they will live out their lives, is their last safe haven. What these animals need is an environment where they can recover and continue to live in dignity. Chimp Eden offers all of this, but the smooth running of the sanctuary requires continuous maintenance and costs. Currently, there are problems with the infrastructure: the walls of the chimp enclosures and staff rooms are outdated, roofs are leaking, and the chimp enclosures (where they sleep and shelter) are difficult to maintain. This makes it increasingly difficult to provide efficient care. If the infrastructure is not fully functional, it will become damaged and the welfare of the chimps will also be compromised. Moreover, this prevents the staff from performing their important tasks optimally.

Release of a children's book in Belgium in collaboration with Jane

11-08-25

Willow the Nature Hero is back with a brand-new adventure, and this time he has some special company!
None other than Jane Goodall, world-renowned biologist, anthropologist, and pioneer in chimpanzee research. The book, created in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute Belgium takes children aged 5 and up to the lush jungles of Tanzania.

Meet Aco, a recently rescued baby chimpanzee who is the newest member of JGI's Tchimpounga sanctuary!

23-07-25

With wide eyes and cautious curiosity, Aco is already showing signs of a thoughtful and resilient nature. Born around March 2025, this young chimpanzee has taken his first steps toward a brighter future at the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center, where he is safe, loved, and just beginning to settle into his new life. 😍

World Chimpanzee Day 2025 and Gombe 65

14-07-25

Every World Chimpanzee Day on July 14, we celebrate not only our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom—but also one of the most important places in the history of science and conservation: JGI’s Gombe Stream Research Center in Tanzania. This year marks 65 years of continuous research at Gombe Stream Research Center—the world’s longest-running wild chimpanzee study, driving groundbreaking discoveries in primatology, chimpanzee behavior, and wildlife conservation.

Commemorating the killing of Cecil the Lion

01-07-25

On 1 July 2015, an American dentist shot and killed Cecil the lion on his quest for a trophy to bring back from Africa. What followed was a wave of global outrage that gave way to more robust discussion about the ethics of trophy hunting.

An open letter from Dr. Jane Goodall & JGI’s Cetacean Committee on whale hunting in the Faroe Islands

24-06-25

Whales and dolphins – new knowledge and new compassion

Paula's pollinator project

01-06-25

We’re excited to announce that Paula, our intern studying biology, has been selected by R&S Global to represent Belgium at the Malaysia retreat in September for her proposal to launch a fantastic project to create pollinator hotspots in Brussels this last month! 🐝

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World Wildlife Day 2026: A Unified Global Response to Wildlife Trafficking