Ikia made it! She arrived in Lubum with Patrick. Chantal, Elie and Jules of JACK with a representative from the ministry of environment were there to meet her.

I've been without power for 3 days that's why there's been no update on ythe blog. Ikia's flying to Lubumbashi today to join the other chimps JACK is caring for. I had a meeting with some JACK people here in Lubum where I'm right now. Yesterday Patrick, Charles and Matilda who've been caring for her since I left Kalemie on Tuesday told me that Ikia had an awful day: crying and tossing and turning in pain. They forcedfed her(pawpaw) and gave her a bit multivit to stimulate her appepite.

The plane should land here around 14:30 and the wildlife inspector who works with JACK told me that the Provincial Envirnment Minister might be on hand to receive Ikia at the airport in Lubum. The electronic media people will be there too. I'd have to say something about IKia's sad life story since 22/6 the day on which she entered my life

Today went the same way as yesterday. She spent a great deal of time oustide, changing spots every 10 minutes like someone who is really bored. It gave me a chance to groom her as well. She then entered someone's office and that's where we had to draw the line. The trouble was Ikia didnt want to leave the office and she actually bit someone in protest as they tried to lead her back to her cage.

 Ikia only got out of her box at 11:50 after she had refused all our offers of food: rice, bread, local aubergines but the good news is Ikia is now getting online professional help; a vet based in the Lubumbashi zoo has given me some dos and donts which  I'm now observing. I gave her some multivit that she took after much cajoling. If all goes well, ikia will go to join other chimps at the Lubumbashi zoo; the chimps there are cared for by an organisation called JACK.(www.jack.wildlifedirect.org). It looks like the worst is behind us because Ikia got out of her cage at about 12:30, walked about around the yard, enjoyed a piece of sugar cane(see photo)  and  when she had enough she simply went back inside.  She's lost weight, probably  600gr. Ikia says no by lying almost flat face down with arms folded. She's been doing that a lot since she's been ill.

Second day. Ikia's still unwell. She woke up late today at about 7:30 to have the orange I had for her but went back to sleep as soon as she finished eating it. She eventually woke up again at about 8:30 and sat at the entrance of her cage watching passersby. Her eyelids are still in the same condition as yesterday. I've also noted that she hasnt thrown any tantrum in the last 2 days; I guess she hasnt got energy left for that.

Today Ikia hasnt been lively at all. I noticed something was wrong when I found her still lying in her box around 7:30am. She turned to look at me as I called her thru an opening. I went back to the house and brought her a mango; this time around she stepped out and came to receive her mango. She was lethargic and her eyelids were puffed up like someone who had been weeping all night. Later in the day I noticed she was dipping her fingers in her own urine and then lick it. 

July is the coldest month in Kalemie, night temperatures drop from 20 to about 10 degrees celcius between 1 am and 4 am. This is due winds blowing from lake Tanganyika to the land. These winds are violent locally known as saba saba; fishermen suspend their activities during this time. We didnt want Ikia to be exposed this chilly weather and these powerful winds so we placed a wooden box with a small opening( big enough for her) into her cage hoping that she'd work out that's actually meant for her protection against the elements. On day one she mistook it for a toy and kicked it around a bit but got quickly put off. Next she used it as a pedestal during the day. It's after a week that it finally dawned on her that she could take refuge in there. So now she gets into the box as early as 6pm and only climbs out after 6:30am. It's evident Ikia doesnt like cold weather

I've been so busy the last 4 days I couldnt update Ikia's blog; nonetheless things continued happening in Ikia's life. Yesterday we gave her the bottle on someone's suggestion and what reaction we got! After i gave her a taste of the bottle thru the wire mesh of her cage and didnt want to let go of the bottle so she grabbed it tight and a tug of war with me ensued. She is a strong little girl! And the process she was making the most distressing noises I've ever heard from an animal. Yet my idea was to go round the door and feed her and teach her as well how to drink from a bottle. For Ikia's of course I was taking the bottle away. I stopped pulling and shortly after that she dropped it in an attempt of pulling it inside thru the mesh(too small to let the bottle thru). I picked it up and gave it to her thru the door. She quickly gradded it and I thought to myself she was in no mood for bottlle training unless I was looking for trouble. She held the bottle upside down and some milk dripped on her arms and she licked it....failing to figure out how to use the bottle, running out patience and, I guess, madly driven by some sort of craving she craked the bottle with her diabolically sharp incissors(sp). Man, you dont want those in your flesh! This entire incident is starting to make us think Ikia is still a baby....still on the bottle!

In my last entry I mentioned that Ikia wasnt very interested in having breakfast  early this morning but at about 8:30 she started screaming in a way that clearly indicated something was seriously amiss with a little hand stretched out like a street urchin. Food was the last thing on my mind because of the way she behaved when I gave her bananas but alas! it turned out she was hungry. We gave her 3 bananas, 3 matungulu pori and some sugar cane she ate appreciatingly. 20 minutes later she was contentedly lying on her back with are legs crossed like a happy millionaire on the deck of his yatch.

Ikia! Ikia!,Ikia! she's flooded her cage with her own urine! You'd think a mini tropical storm had hit her cage! didnt even care to find a dry spot where she could spend the night. I found her this morning seated in her pool of urine with a face that says 'no worries'. Strange isnt it? I'm trying to work out how much food she should be having in a day and the right interval between meals.

Hygiene is certainly not Ikia's strongest point. She does her number 2's anytime and anywhere! This evening she has been trying to get out but couldnt find an opening big enough to squeeze thru.

On the first day I forgot to mention that Ikia had a running tummy when she arrived but I thought it'd stop once she has settled in but it continued. This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see that her pooh was alright. I'm wondering if it's the wild fruits she ate yesterday that has cured it. The the Swahili name of these fruits is matungulu pori. She wants to have her hands sroked and no longer show aggression when she sees our dogs. On the first and second days she'd make aggressive noises at them until they went out of sight

I've just given Ikia water to drink...I think she was thirsty because she drank quite a bit. For 2 hours this morning after breakfast she stuck her rear out thru a little opening facing the reception area where the guard sits. I just wonder again what that means. It looked so rude and disgusting

Ikia's is up. She'll have her breakfast now, some cassava and peanuts. We'll see how the day goes. We'll keep her on a natural diet. Nothing cooked

Ikia is still sleeping; tried to wake her up but in vain. it's altright, she can rest. Maybe she isnt a morning person. she's got a foam mattress: she is sleeping on the one half and covering herself with the other

This is Ikia, the name I've given her; she is a chimp that I rescued yesterday from a poacher who must have killed her entire family to have her. I'm not sure what to do now. So I've created this space for Ikia.