Lives Less Ordinary - I save chimpanzees and they've saved me

Download I save chimpanzees and they've saved me

Stany Nyandwi's rescued chimpanzees helped him through war and loneliness.

As a young boy Stany made money selling sugarcane and worked as a 'houseboy' for families in Burundi's capital city Bujumbura. But later, a job with rescued chimpanzees became about more than just money. When ethnic conflict in Burundi escalated into civil war, Stany fled to safety with the chimps who, with histories of their own, gave him companionship and a ticket to a future without war.

Stany is a chimp specialist and his behaviour should not be copied or emulated in any way.

He has co-written a book called The Chimpanzee Whisperer: A Life of Love and Loss, Compassion and Conservation.

Presenter: India Rakusen Producer: May Cameron Editor: Andrea Kennedy

Published on Sunday, 16th July 2023.

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