Protecting chimpanzees, supporting communities: The Bulindi story

The Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project (BCCP) is not just about saving wild
chimpanzees, it's also about empowering local communities in western Uganda. The
project, which began in 2015, takes a holistic approach to conservation, recognising that the
well-being of people and nature are interconnected.

Background

The Bulindi chimpanzees are one of at least 12 communities of wild chimpanzees living in unprotected habitat in the Budongo–Bugoma corridor in western Uganda. This region,
which covers more than a 1,000 km² and links the major chimpanzee populations in two large,
protected areas (Budongo and Bugoma forests), has strong conservation value. However,
the small forests in the intervening ‘corridor’ landscape are owned by local village
households and have no formal protection.

Local people, many of whom live in poverty, cleared forests to plant crops and sell the timber
to raise money for their families. Habitat loss has led to escalating levels of conflict between villagers and resident chimpanzees, threatening the survival of this important population of
over 300 great apes.

Community-based conservation

The Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project was established in 2015 to address this
urgent conservation situation. Our immediate goal was to halt ongoing deforestation of
chimpanzee habitat in Bulindi and increase the long-term survival prospects of the resident
chimpanzees. Our broader goal was to find a workable template to help conserve the wider
population of ‘corridor chimpanzees’ clinging to survival in unprotected forests regionally,
which are equally threatened by human activities.

At the Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project, our mission is simple but powerful: to
safeguard wild chimpanzees while helping local people thrive alongside them. In western
Uganda, chimpanzees live in exceptionally close proximity to villages and farmland, which
brings unique challenges—and opportunities.

What we aim to achieve:

• Conserve chimpanzees and the forest habitats they depend on.
• Restore degraded landscapes through tree planting and sustainable land use.
• Support local families with practical alternatives that reduce pressure on forests and
  enhance their livelihoods, health and education.
• Build sustainable coexistence between people and wildlife, reducing conflict and
  

  fostering care.  

Support us

Every tree planted, every family supported, and every chimpanzee protected brings us closer to a future where communities and nature thrive side by side. Make a donation and make a difference in the lives of these great apes, the forest they depend on, and the livelihoods of local communities.