She is on a wintry Ngamba Island in Uganda and the kind of party she is witnessing is not graced with loud music and human merry making.
She is in Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, having a tête-à-tête with chimpanzees. Her world right now is marked with pant hoops—familiar sounds she has become accustomed to ever since she started working at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary at the Olpejeta Conservancy for the last one and a half years.
Her career aspirations were always to work with animals, she says, but she never in her wildest dreams thought that those animals could be chimpanzees.
“Chimpanzees are very unique primates and not endemic to Kenya. They are not your everyday wild animals. So, no I did not envision working with them at the only chimpanzee sanctuary in the country,” she says.
Her career started at the Meru National Park where she honed her skills as a veterinary surgeon in a mandatory one-year post-graduation work experience that covered the Eastern Conservation Area in Kenya.
You could say she has grown up with the sanctuary. Sweetwaters Chimpanzees Sanctuary was established in 1993, slightly a year before she was born. The facility was initially established to receive and provide lifelong refuge to orphaned and abused chimpanzees from West and Central Africa.
The initial population came from the Jane Goodall Institute in Burundi and over the years, the sanctuary has been offering a home to chimpanzees from across the globe; Dubai, Iraq, and Iran amongst many other countries within Africa like; Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Rwanda and South Africa.
Dr Florence Kang'ethe, a veterinary at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, prepares a tranquilizer.
Photo credit: Pool
Others have also been rescued while in transit at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport all through efforts between wildlife institutions.
Path to veterinary medicine
Her path up the veterinary medicine ladder was never a walk in the park.
“There are many great veterinarians in Kenya and to have this unique opportunity despite it being very competitive, is a great honour,” she says.
Had she not ended up here, she probably would have picked other interests she had as a young girl.
“In primary school, I was interested in becoming a ranger, which shocked my family, I should say. We would visit the Nairobi Orphanage a lot and I admired the rangers and the work they did. In high school, I loved sciences a lot and ended up doing all three, and, around Form 3, I considered becoming an aeronautical engineer if veterinary medicine didn’t work out.”
Even though this life chose her, it is easy to see why she is stuck with the chimpanzees. They are interesting animals.
“When I tell people about chimpanzees, what always stands out is how similar we are to them. They share over 98 percent of our genes and just like us, they are highly intelligent. They live in complex societies, solve complicated problems, make and use tools, engage in elaborate social interactions, and communicate through a rich variety of sounds and gestures,” she says passionately.
It takes many things to work with chimpanzees, chief of which is the ability to work well in a team. For the sanctuary’s success, one has to put their best foot forward as a team player to offer the best care for animals.
“On an individual level, I believe that it is critical to be all-rounded not only as a veterinarian, in my case, but also in other aspects such as managing things like infrastructure, logistics, supplies, and welfare (staff and animal). One must be diligent, hardworking, trustworthy, innovative, proactive, and passionate,” she says.
Her days are without routine except that, she is out of the house by 6:15am which is the standard operating procedure at the sanctuary. Together with her team, they offer care to 29 chimpanzees divided into two groups: the eastern and western populations that are separated by the Ewaso Ng’iro River that cuts across the sanctuary.
“I must ensure that the individuals in both groups are in good health before being released into their enclosures for the day. I heavily rely on the keen observational skills of the caregivers who have been with these animals longest to pick out abnormalities that I can then evaluate and come up with management plans,” she says.
After doing rounds, she then proceeds to either do administrative work, spend the day in the field, or carry out training.
Dr Florence Kang'ethe, a veterinary at the Olpejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, takes notes as she observes the chimpanzees.
Photo credit: Pool
With the task-heavy life she leads, one is inclined to ask, is working with chimpanzees a fulfilling career?
“Yes, it is. When treating animals, you don’t have the liberty of communication between the patient and the doctor. There is no greater feeling than seeing the animal, get better and flourish as it is supposed to,” she says.
Challenges
Are the challenges she faces in the wild unique to her career? “Yes and no. No, because we all have similar challenges when pursuing any career, it gets tough and requires a lot of discipline. Working with people from various backgrounds and being able to accommodate different personalities while being professional and respectful can be a tall order. Yes because of the delicate nature of my job.
Every day, you hold the weight of a life in your hands and sometimes when you’re unable to save them [the chimpanzees] despite your best efforts it can be overwhelming,” she adds.
To young people looking to join her career, she has this to say, “go for it! If it is something you truly desire don’t let anything keep you from achieving the dream. The person you are daily, greatly influences who you become so be disciplined, goal-oriented, consistent, smart and true. If you can, get a mentor that you admire and learn from them, ask questions, learn life through their experiences and get to grow.
In it all, don’t forget to have fun. You are young and there is time to be young so enjoy the journey (responsibly), embrace the challenges, learn from them, and grow. Importantly, treasure the moments and the people as they pass keeping the good and letting go of what does not serve you,” she says.
She winds down her busy days with long hot showers, calling family and friends, watching movies or reading a good book, listening to music, or painting. Yes, she paints too.
