Baby Chimp Rescue

The Desmonds started with just two rescued baby chimps, saved from the illegal pet trade, but now their home is bursting at the seams with 21 orphans to look after. Their dream is to build them all a new sanctuary in the forest and, with help from friend and chimp specialist Ben Garrod, they teach the orphans the skills they would have learnt from their mothers in the wild.

There are more new arrivals at the home, meaning Jimmy and Jenny Desmond now have 28 rescued chimpanzees to look after, including an eight-week-old baby called Gaia. Plans are coming together for the new sanctuary in the forest, and the orphans learn to master tools so they can forage for food. But a deadly cold breaks out among the babies, with disastrous consequences. The team also rescues an adult male chimp called Jonny who brings a fresh set of challenges. The pressure is on to move the chimps to their new home before things get out of hand.

At a chimpanzee orphanage in Liberia, the team reach breaking point caring for 38 rescued baby chimps, and the orphans have their first taste of life in the forest.