AN Ealing doctor is hoping his charity to protect 300-plus endangered chimpanzees living on unprotected land in Uganda will be short-listed for a major grant.

Dr Matthew McLennan, who lives at Argyle Road, founded the Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project after recognising a crisis.

Poverty-stricken families and farmers, reliant on forest produce to raise cash, were cutting down forests relentlessly.

It was having a devastating impact on the wild chimpanzee groups in the area while also affecting local climate and natural water.

The aim of BCCP is to conserve the natural forest by providing people with viable alternatives to cutting it down, investing in children’s education and helping to improve their quality of life.

It also works to promote greater understanding about chimpanzee behavior and conservation.

The project is shortlisted for a European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) environmental grant of up to £30,000.

He wants to increase the reach of his project and conserve additional chimpanzees and their habitat, including planting 600,000 trees and offering coffee as a ‘chimp-friendly’ cash crop.

People now have the chance to vote for the selected projects.

To support it, youshould visit: bit.ly/VoteForChimpConservation and vote for the chimpanzee conservation option.

Voting ends this Wednesday (18) at 11am.

BCCP relies on voluntary donations and funding to support its conservation work.

Born in Perivale, Dr McLennan is a Research Associate at Oxford Brookes University.  

His research concerns the inter-action between humans and wildlife and the challenges to conservation outside protected areas.

Since 2006, he has studied the lives of chimpanzees struggling to survive in agricultural landscapes in Uganda.

This Tuesday (17) is Giving Day for Apes, to raise awareness and individual support for more than 30 sanctuaries and rescue centres.