Drills are relatively unknown apes. Zoo visitors often confuse hem with baboons or their next relatives, the mandrills. The drills are mainly living on the ground, and only exist in Cameroon, Nigeria and the island Bioko. In the nature drills do not have many enemies – in the first instance they are hunted by leopards, also birds of prey can be dangerous for juveniles. Yet only between 3.000 and 5.000 animals of this kind are living in the nature. Reason for this is the human being by various actions. Mainly it is the direct hunt for bushmeat, but also the exploitation of their habitat for tropical woods and agriculture. Drills are listed as endangered by IUCN.
Pandrillus Foundation takes care of drills since 1991. They take care of confiscated and orphaned animals, raise them and get them together in groups to return them to the wild on the long run. About 550 animals – more than 10% of the existing population – are taken care of by Pandrillus, whose German affiliate is called „Rettet den Drill“ (Rescue the Drill). The Pandrillus Foundation was partially financed by the Nigerian government. With the last change in government this support was cut, parallel to this development the main sponsor has died. This resulted in 6.000 Euro per month, which are missing for Pandrillus, the drill and 35 employees to survive. Our project „Primates 2018“ hopefully helps a little bit to raise money.