Gorilla Haven, Dewar Wildlife Trust, Inc., Project of the DWT, Inc.

Gorilla Haven (Established 1996)
Sanctuary
Web Site: http://www.gorilla-haven.org

Director: Jane T.R. Dewar, Founder
Phone: 1-706-374-2616 Fax: 1-706-374-4491 E-Mail: jdewar@gorilla-haven.org
PO Box 210, Morganton, Georgia 30560 UNITED STATES
Department: Project of the DWT, Inc.
Institution: Dewar Wildlife Trust, Inc.
Affiliations: AZA certified as of 2005

Mission: Mission Statement: To help make every captive gorilla's life as enriched and natural as possible through husbandry and research and to promote education about gorilla conservation in zoos and the wild.

We do not own gorillas; we are not open to the public; gorillas can come to stay for life or temporarily, as requested by the Gorilla SSP. As of May 2009 construction is on hold and the 2 resident gorillas will be the last housed here, until or unless the zoo world is willing to help fund the project, which to-date has received NO zoo/government/grant funding. 100% of the 6 million dollars to fund this world-class facility has been provided by Steuart & Jane Dewar personally, via their 501-c-3 nonprofit, the Dewar Wildlife Trust. It was always the intent to build a facility, which zoos would then help support. If zoos do not help with funding, we will be forced to suspend operations, despite the fact gorillas are now waiting to come to the facility.

Clientele: Zoos housing gorillas; zoos renovating who could ship their entire gorilla group to Gorilla Haven during construction, then have them returned, without breaking up the group; the Gorilla SSP - 8.5 acre habitat to build all male groups; geriatric or single gorillas now housed off-display in less than ideal holding areas, etc.

Principal Research Programs: Since 2007 Fund Raising tours to the Gorilla Haven facility have served as an education venue for the public, in addition to our award winning website www.gorilla-haven.org ...

Training Opportunities: We have had interns, students working on primatology degrees from UGA, etc, work with the gorillas at Gorilla Haven ... students range from grade school to/thru post graduate work.

Number of Staff: 4

Associated Field Sites: Gorilla Haven supports in-situ conservation, including the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (www.panafricanprimates.org), helping bushmeat orphan sanctuaries rescue individual animals, while getting the educational message out to the local communities, in addition to several other projects in Africa and around the globe. In addition, we help USA sanctuaries with laboratory, entertainment/pet primates, as well as helping individual students and/or animal caregivers with small grants.

Supported Species: Gorilla gorilla gorilla (western lowland gorilla)

Publications: The GH website www.gorilla-haven.org receives between 20 and 40 thousand "hits" a month, and is used as our main form of communication with the world.

Comments: Gorilla Haven is a member of the Gorilla SSP and an AZA certified facility, funded by the Dewar Wildlife Trust, a non-profict 501(c)(3) corporation. GH acts as an adjunct to the zoo community, to achieve part of the goals of our mission statement. As of May 2009, two gorillas are in residence - a 46 year old male with health problems, but who is thriving, and an 21 year old totally deaf male, "waiting out" the testosterone-poisoned years, until the Gorilla SSP can find a breeding or social group for him.

Last Updated: 2009-05-23

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