At 22 years old, Rachel Hogan never dreamed that a three month volunteering trip to Africa would result in her becoming the director of one of the world's largest and most well known primate sanctuaries. Over two decades later, Rachel remains on the edge of Cameroon's rainforests overseeing fifty human residents and 300 non-human residents - a growing hoard of gorillas, chimps, and monkeys now living in Ape Action Africa's 17 ginormous forest enclosures. The sanctuary is a lifeline for endangered baby chimpanzees and gorillas that have been illegally stolen from the wild, victims of the bushmeat trade - their parents killed and the babies sold on as pets. Ape Action Africa supports the government by making confiscations of these animals possible, and providing lifelong care to the orphaned apes and monkeys that show up at their gates. Listen to Rachel tell us about the unpredictable and sometimes chaotic day to day life at the sanctuary, the tiny baby gorilla that persuaded her to stay forever, and the recent events that have given her a greater hope for the future of great apes in Africa. To learn more about Ape Action Africa visit: apeactionafrica.org Support their work: here Support our work by becoming a Patreon subscriber: Click here Support the showTalking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO. Learn more: Official website: talkingapes.org Instagram: @talkingapes_podcast Twitter: @talking_apes Support our work by making a small donation here, or for access to exclusive content and rewards, click here to become a Patreon member. Thanks for listening!