Pilot Flies Chimp Out From Captivity To National Park — Chimp Decides The Pilot Needs His Help

Dec 30, 2019 by apost team

Last year, a 3-year-old chimpanzee named Mussa was rescued by the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from a private home. 

Anti-poaching pilot Anthony Caere flew Mussa from captivity to the Virunga National Park, a journey which saw the two build a very special bond.

In February 2018, officials confiscated Mussa along with three alligators from an expat’s home in Beni, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

According to the Dodo, Mussa was captive for years before being rescued. It is unclear whether the suspect was planning on selling the exotic animals or was keeping them as pets.

apost.com

The illegal trade of exotic animals runs rampant on the African continent - Mussa could have been sold for as much as $12,000 on the black market. 

Officials don’t know how the suspect caught Mussa in the first place, but Velez Del Burgo, Technical Director of the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre explains his mother was most likely killed by poachers in order to get the chimp into captivity. “You cannot take a baby from a mother without killing the mother,” she said.

Following his rescue, Anthony Caere was assigned with transferring Mussa to the national park, a journey the pilot caught on video. 

“We look to see if the chimp is not too stressed,” Caere said. “Otherwise, you need to put him in a cage or it will be too dangerous to put him on a plane. But when I saw him and I made some chimp noises, he ran to me and jumped into my arms… so we immediately had a bond.”

“He was very curious, and every time I touched a button or the throttle, he did the same,” Caere added. “When I put my hand on the throttle, he did it. When I put my hand on the stick, he did it too.”

According to Caere, his faveorite moment with Mussa was when they both looked out the window together. “I was touching his head with my head, and he pushed back against me.”

The pilot gained Mussa’s trust by grooming him before they boarded the plane. “I had the impression that he really enjoyed the flight,” Caere said, adding that there was not one moment during the flight where Mussa seemed stressed. 

Mussa now lives at the sanctuary with another four chimpanzees: Busakara, Kashebere, Nishuli and Kalima, who have all been rescued from similar situations. 

Thanks to the daring rescue from the Lwiro Primates team, Baby Mussa will have a much brighter life within the sanctuary. If you found this story inspiring, show it to a family member or friend who loves animals.