A Colonel and 3 others arrested and 4 chimps rescued
A Colonel arrested and 4 chimps rescued. WARA in a fantastic two back-to-back operations and great work of Charlotte, Saidou, and Cecile. Dozens of other animals rescued and 3 more arrested in this victory against impunity and corruption. Colonel Manguiana, an influential army high official was involved in the powerful and influential wildlife trade in the country, he was in charge of the army's oil supply, the same lucrative and powerful post that was occupied the former Dictator before he took power by force (Captain Dadis Camara). These operations have been prepared for a long time as they were extremely difficult logistically as well as challenging in aiming to break impunity and get a powerful colonel behind bars. Colonel Manguiana kept an illegal zoo with many animals that kept dying and replaced. He also kept more animals in his home 100km from the zoo. Charlotte, Saidou, and their teams carried out two simultaneous operations in the two locations which required thorough planning and logistics: employing 12 pickup cars, and 45 people for the operations including INTERPOL NCB, Special Anti-bandits brigade, wildlife officers and 12 team members of WARA/GALF including Cecile Bloch that came from Dakar specifically to help with the confiscation of animals, the international press REUTERS, Guinean televisions and people of CCC sanctuary for the chimps.
Result: 4 people arrested including employees of the colonel in charge of animals at the zoo and at his home the Colonel arrested. On the operation coordinated by Charlotte at the zoo, the team rescued: 4 adult and young chimpanzees, 9 crocodiles, 1 mongoose, 1civette, 3 furrowed turtles, 2 Trionyx turtle, 2 turtle pelomedusa, 2 crowned cranes. On the operation coordinated by Saidou at the Colonel's home: 1 Serval, 1 baboon, crowned cranes, and parrots. All the traffickers are behind bars including the colonel.