Pan African Sanctuary Alliance

Note: The organization did not respond to this question.

Note: The organization did not respond to this question.

PASA has held its Strategic Development Conference (SDC) annually since the organization’s founding in 2000. It brings together sanctuary leaders for several days of focused learning, discussion, and strategic planning. It is one of the most important ways that PASA helps sanctuaries build capacity, a critical part of our mission. Although we were not able to hold an in-person Strategic Development Conference in 2020, it was important that we continue two recognition programs that are usually celebrated at the event. The Siddle Marsden Award is given annually to an African national working in a sanctuary or wildlife center that is part of the PASA network. It carries a stipend of $250, and the winner is invited to attend the SDC. The Norm Rosen Leadership Grant is given to up-and-coming sanctuary leaders who receive this stipend for three years to foster sustained professional growth. We hope that all recipients of the 2020 awards will be able to join us at SDC in 2021.

PASA combines the deep local knowledge and expertise of our members with a global network of researchers, advocates, funders, and concerned individuals. This allows us to both address the needs of individual animals and develop solutions to the systemic threats facing Africa’s primates. In 2020, we launched the Action for Chimpanzees initiative to leverage the power of this two-pronged approach. PASA is committed to moving this work forward and we know that together, sanctuaries, other NGOs, and governments can prevent the extinction of these remarkable animals. Building communities around conservation is a key role of PASA member sanctuaries. Their varied programs deepen the connection to both the land and the animals, and position the sanctuaries as a hub of opportunity in their local communities.

As the COVID-19 pandemic moved across the continent, two priorities emerged. First, we sought to ensure that the 23 member sanctuaries could continue to operate. Second, we needed to protect more than 3000 primates from contracting the disease. PASA members had survived disease outbreaks before, including the Ebola crisis of 2014-2018. So they had strong biosecurity protocols in place, including disinfecting food and enclosures, regular handwashing, and the use of personal protective equipment. However, the virus was new, and little was known about it. To address this gap, we partnered with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and the Arcus Foundation to develop the Non-Human Primate COVID-19 Information Hub. This online resource is regularly updated with research findings, news, and veterinary care guidelines. The goal is to create a community of practice that offers PASA members – and the broader, global network of primatologists and sanctuaries – an authoritative source to guide their work. PASA members struggled to get medicines and other needed supplies as travel bans and cargo slow-downs disrupted their usual supply chains. At the same time, they were using more disinfectant, more PPE – more of everything they couldn’t get – to protect themselves and the animals from the disease. The team in Portland went to work sourcing masks and other PPE, then worked with the Humane Society International and others to get the goods to Africa, where they could be distributed to PASA members across the continent.