Hey, I’m flying this plane, so quit the monkey business!
NESTLED in the pilot’s lap and gazing out the window, Mussa the baby chimpanzee is having quite the adventure.
He slept on Anthony Caere’s knees and even had a go on the aeroplane controls as they blazed across central Africa.
But his childlike wonder masks his trauma – as he had just been rescued from poachers who killed his mother in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a video posted online by the Lwiro Primates rescue centre, Mussa is seen exploring the cockpit before climbing into Mr Caere’s lap to settle down.
As they take off, Mussa peers out the window before adjusting the plane controls with the help of his new friend. The pilot then uses his beard to nuzzle Mussa’s head, which sends him happily to sleep.
In a post on Facebook the centre said little Mussa was saved on Wednesday from poachers in the Virunga National Park. ‘Unfortunately his family is dead,’ Lwiro Primates wrote.
‘We do not know how many, maybe only the mum, but most likely several members of his family were killed.’
Conservationists said Mussa was being treated for parasites, but was otherwise well and had been ‘playing and laughing’.
Belgian-born Mr Caere said: ‘This looks cute but is actually a sad story. He should be with his mum... But happy we could give him a new good home!’ Lwiro Primates, which has rescued three chimps so far this year, added: ‘Rescues are always a mix of feelings... happy because we are saving them but sad at the same time for what it means for wild populations.’
Almost 50,000 watched the video, including Kristy Hesom, who said: ‘He looks exactly like a human child going on a drive with a parent! He even has a little nap.’
While chimps being hunted for bushmeat is common in central and west Africa, they are increasingly being poached for sale as pets in wealthier nations.