Our Chimp Family

Wildlife vet Jimmy Desmond and wife Jenny on life with 22 orphaned chimpanzees…

- Hannah Davies, Ian Macewan, Rebecca Mahoney

As any parent knows, bringing up small children can be a chaotic and hugely stressful experience. But imagine the challenge of raising a whole houseful of baby chimpanzees. That’s a daily reality for wildlife vet Jimmy Desmond and his wife, Jenny, who share their home (and bed) in Liberia, West Africa, with 22 orphaned chimps whose mothers have been killed for bushmeat.

While the chimps are adorable and very entertaining, there’s a serious side to the Desmonds’ work. The chimp population in Liberia has plummeted by 80 per cent over 25 years, so their aim is to teach the animal babies the skills they need to return to the wild. However, that’s easier said than done, as the couple revealed to TV&Satellite Week…

Why do chimps need rescuing?