Japanese PAN Researchers Raise Fund to Save Bilia Orphans

Japanese "panthropologists" and other people assist orphans of bilias (Pan paniscus). Professor Takayoshi Kano of Kyoto University Primate Research Institute has made a fund-raising campaign to help Ms. Claudine Andre-Minesi, Belgian volunteer's activities to save bilia orphans. Dr. Kano was informed by Dr. Jo Thompson that bilia orphans had increased remarkably in Kinshasa and that Ms. Andre-Minesi found it difficult to continue to accommodate them in her orphanage owing to increasing cost. Through his colleagues' donation and public campaign, Professor Kano has collected money and already sent $15,000 to Ms. Andre-Minesi as the first step. Prof. Kano's fund-raising activity is still continuing. Currently, Ms. Andre-Minesi is keeping 17 bilias in her orphanage of "Les Amis des Animaux au Congo (ACC)" which was first established within the site of American Embassy. She was recently provided by Congolese Environment Agency a plot for accommodating her increasing charges in the private zoo that was owned by the previous President. The bilias she is taking care of are one to 8 years old and their mothers had been killed in the forest near Basankusu. (Reported by Toshisada Nishida)

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