A female chimpanzee that was released back into the forest 16 months ago from a sanctuary in Guinea, West Africa, gave birth on November 18, bolstering reintroduction efforts among members of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA).

Lottie, a 19-year old female, was returned to the wild along with 11 other chimpanzees in June 2008 by the Centre de Conservation pour Chimpanzes (CCC). The infant’s birth — a male — was confirmed by researchers monitoring the chimpanzees.

The CCC, which was established in 1996 as a rescue and rehabilitation center for chimpanzees, is one of seven PASA member sanctuaries that currently operate reintroduction programs in accordance with protocols established by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

“This is a fantastic development” said Doug Cress, executive director of PASA. “A wild birth is always considered an important indicator for success in reintroduction, and the news concerning Lottie is extremely encouraging.”

“This is a fantastic development” said Doug Cress, executive director of PASA. “A wild birth is always considered an important indicator for success in reintroduction, and the news concerning Lottie is extremely encouraging.”

The CCC reintroduction was made possible through the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Arcus Foundation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Great Ape Conservation Fund, the Great Ape Trust of Iowa, the Swedish Chimpanzee Trust, the International Primate Protection League (IPPL), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Tusk Trust, Fauna and Flora International (FFI), the Lefa Corridor Gold Project, and private donors to Project Primate Inc., among others.

CCC director Estelle Raballand said she believes the father of Lottie’s infant might be Robert, a male chimpanzee that was also part of the 2008 release. But because the chimpanzees broke into smaller groups after returning to the forest, it’s not always easy to confirm when they come into contact.

“We follow the released chimp at a distance but we usually have visual sighting once or twice a week” Raballand said. “(Tuesday) when they went to see them, the five released chimps who are together as a group were spotted with a new tiny addition… They’re going to be even more ‘wild’ now.”

The infant is the second for Lottie, whose first son, Andrew, was also reintroduced in 2008. The baby appears healthy and has been seen suckling.

Most of the CCC chimpanzees were born in the wild but were illegally captured by hunters or traders. After confiscation by the authorities, the chimpanzees were turned over to the CCC for rehabilitation, which spent years helping them regain their physical and emotional health.

Despite the reintroduction, more than 35 chimpanzees still reside at main CCC compound in Guinea, and more than 825 are found at the other PASA facilities across Africa. Chimpanzees are listed as “endangered” as a result of illegal hunting, logging and human encroachment, and experts predict they could become extinct in the wild within the next 50 years at the current rate of decline.

PASA was formed in 2000 to unite the facilities across Africa that care for chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, drills and literally thousands of other endangered primates. For more information, please visit the PASA website, follow PASA on Facebook, or contact info@www.pasaprimates.org.