I saved chimpanzees and they've saved me
Stany Nyandwi's rescued chimps helped him through conflict and loneliness during Burundi's civil war.
As a young boy Stany made money selling sugarcane and worked as a 'houseboy' for families in Burundi's capital city Bujumbura. But later, a job with rescued chimpanzees became about more than just money. He began to learn their ways, and grew to love being around them. When ethnic conflict in Burundi escalated into civil war in 1994, Stany fled to safety with the chimps who, with histories of their own, gave him companionship and a ticket to a future without war. This programme was first broadcast in 2023.
Stany has co-written a book called The Chimpanzee Whisperer: A Life of Love and Loss, Compassion and Conservation.
Stany is a chimp specialist and his interactions with these animals should not be copied or emulated in any way.
Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: May Cameron
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Stany Nyandwi and a chimpanzee. Credit: Barbara Hollweg
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