It’s a beautiful photo. A handsome man is smiling down at the young gorilla in his lap. And the gorilla is unarguably smiling back. Their arms are around each other. Clearly, they’re friends. And if that were the whole story, it would be special enough. But it’s not the whole story.

The Story of Pikin and Appolinaire Ndohoudou

Gorilla hugging man who saved his life picture wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year award

Posted by LOL Memes on Saturday, February 17, 2018

Pikin is a six-year-old lowland gorilla from Cameroon. When she was a baby, poachers killed her mother, leaving Pikin an orphan. Poaching is rife in Cameroon, and the market for bushmeat, that is, the meat of wild animals like the gorilla, is booming. Almost every restaurant in Cameroon has bushmeat on the menu. It’s served at government functions. People even sell it for export. And Pikin might have been next.

Fortunately, an organization called Ape Action Africa stepped in to rescue Pikin. And Appolinaire Ndohoudou, the handsome man in the photo, was her caretaker. Photographer Jo-Anne McArthur snapped this photo as Mr. Ndouhoudou was accompanying the young gorilla Pikin to a new, larger sanctuary. Because she was orphaned at an early age, Pikin will never be able to take care of herself in the wild. As a result, she must live the rest of her life in a sanctuary.

But that’s still not the whole story.

Map of Cameroon.

Image Public Domain, by the United Nations, via Wikimedia Commons.

Appolinaire Ndohoudou likewise understands what it’s like to live in fear. Mr. Ndohoudou is originally from Chad, but he fled to Cameroon to escape the civil war there. He built a new life working for Ape Action Africa, helping to protect Cameroon’s primates like the gorilla and chimpanzee. Pikin is just one of the primates he has cared for, and you can see their bond in McArthur’s photo. Some of the animals Mr. Ndohoudou has cared for have known him all their lives.

Photographer Jo-Anne McArthur

Canadian photographer Jo-Anne McArthur won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award for her photo with Appolinaire Ndohoudou and Pikin the gorilla sharing a hug.

Image CC by SA 3.0, by Lesley Marino, via Wikimedia Commons.

“I regularly document the cruelties animals endure at our hands, but sometimes I bear witness to stories of rescue, hope and redemption. Such is the case with the story of Pikin and Appolinaire, a beautiful moment between friends.”

Jo-Anne McArthur is a Canadian photojournalist, educator, animal rights activist and author. Her art centers on the complex relationship between humans and animals. Her booksWe Animals and Captive, focus on the way the human world uses animals — as entertainment, food, and fashion. As an activist, McArthur has advocated for animal rights and protection. She is involved with several animal welfare charities, including her foundation, We Animals, and the Unbound Project.

Says McArthur,

“I’m so thankful that this image resonated with people and I hope it might inspire us all to care a little bit more about animals. No act of compassion towards them is ever too small.”

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award

Every year, the Natural History Museum in London hosts the People’s Choice Award. In 2017, there were nearly 50,000 entries. The museum staff selected a short list of 24, and from these 24, the public chose the winners. “Pikin and Appolinaire” was this year’s overall winner.

You can visit “Pikin and Appolinaire” and the other winners at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London. The exhibition will run through May 28.

How You Can Help the People of the Lake Chad Basin

The Chadian civil war that sent Appolinaire Ndohoudou to Cameroon ended in 2010. But conflict continues to displace people in Chad and neighboring countries. In addition, Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa are keeping humanitarian aid from reaching victims of violence in Chad, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Nearly seventeen million people in the Lake Chad basin are living in crisis conditions. If you want to help people like Mr. Ndohoudou, please consider donating to the following organizations:

How You Can Help the Lowland Gorilla

Appolinaire Ndohoudou works for Ape Action Africa. First, Ape Action Africa rescues orphaned and injured gorillas and chimpanzees. Then, they shelter these animals in Cameroon’s Mefou Primate Park. In addition, they provide food and veterinary care. Finally, once a gorilla is fit and healthy again, the trained caretakers introduce it to groups of its own kind. As a result, they hope to release as many rescued primates back to nature as possible.

Ape Action Africa also educates the community about primate conservation. In addition, they work to set aside more parts of the country as protected habitat for the chimpanzee and the gorilla. If you want to help gorillas like Pikin, please consider donating to Ape Action Africa.

In Conclusion

The portrait of Pikin and Appolinaire is more than just a touching photo. It’s two stories of rescue and redemption, brought together in one beautiful image. If that image uplifts and entertains us, that’s good. If it inspires us to further action, even better.

Featured Image: CC by 0, via Maxpixel.

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