Dr. Rebeca Atencia, a veterinarian and primatologist from Ferrol (Spain), has spent over two decades dedicated to the rehabilitation and reintroduction of chimpanzees in the Congo jungle.
Her work at the helm of the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center (CRCT) of the Jane Goodall Institute has made her one of the most influential figures in the conservation of these endangered primates.
The challenge of saving chimpanzees
The chimpanzee faces multiple threats that vary by country:
- Diseases affecting wild and captive populations.
- Deforestation that destroys their natural habitat.
- Poaching and illegal trafficking, which capture young and decimate entire communities.
Rebeca Atencia has dedicated her life to combating these threats, rescuing, raising, and returning hundreds of chimpanzees to the jungle.
A decisive encounter with Jane Goodall
In 2005, after collaborating with the NGO Help Congo in the reintroduction of orphaned chimpanzees in the Conkouati Douli National Park, Rebeca met Dr. Jane Goodall, who was impressed by her work and offered her the position of directing the CRCT.
Since then, Atencia has been in charge of the rehabilitation and welfare of more than 140 rescued chimpanzees, mainly victims of illegal trafficking and poaching. She also promoted citizen awareness projects and technical support to local authorities.
“Rebeca reminded me of myself at that age, she was chasing her dream. She was not afraid to work hard and could live without the basic comforts of life. In the jungle, she felt completely at home,” expressed Jane Goodall.
The director of the Jane Goodall Institute in Congo
For over a decade, Rebeca Atencia has been the director of the Jane Goodall Institute in Congo and the veterinary director of the CRCT, the largest chimpanzee rehabilitation center in Africa.
Her work combines:
- Veterinary and scientific management to improve knowledge about chimpanzees.
- Education and awareness of local communities.
- Support to authorities in enforcing laws against trafficking and poaching.
This triangular approach has allowed significant advances in the protection and survival of chimpanzees.
Stories of rescue and hope
Atencia’s work is not limited to chimpanzees. She has also rescued grey parrots, gorillas, mandrills, and other cercopithecids. Among her most notable interventions is the case of Wounda, a female chimpanzee who received the first chimpanzee-to-chimpanzee blood transfusion in Africa, saving her life before being released into the jungle.
The emotional video of her release, in which Wounda hugs Jane Goodall and Rebeca before venturing into the jungle, became a symbol of the bond between humans and primates.
International recognitions
Rebeca Atencia’s career has been recognized with multiple awards:
- National Award of the Spanish Geographical Society (2020).
- March 8th Award from the City Council of Ferrol (2019).
- Animal Welfare Award from the College of Veterinarians of Madrid (2017).
- Named one of the 20 women of the future by Newsweek magazine (2018).
Rebeca Atencia represents the continuity of Jane Goodall’s legacy and the strength of a vocation that has transformed human and animal lives. Her work in the Congo demonstrates that conservation requires science, commitment, and sensitivity, and that each rescued chimpanzee is a victory against extinction.
