Michael "Nick" Nichols. Orphan Chimps.

Caretaker Ludovic Rabasa doubles as a surrogate parent to more than 50
orphaned chimpanzees at Tchimpounga Sanctuary in Congo. Every day, he plays with these infants, helping them develop the social skills they would normally learn from their mothers and family in the wild. These chimpanzees can live for over fifty years and cannot be safely released into areas with humans or other wild chimps. The work Ludovic and the sanctuary do is essential—not just to give these chimps a safe
and nurturing life, but to preserve their well-being and teach them
the social foundations they need to thrive.

Michael “Nick” Nichols captured these quiet, unforgettable moments. For Nichols, storytelling is epic in scale: his subjects range from lions and elephants to tigers and chimpanzees, but the human conservationists who dedicate themselves to these animals—Jane Goodall, J. Michael Fay, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Craig Packer—are just
as central to his narrative. His long friendship with Goodall has given him unparalleled access to her world, allowing him to capture her brilliance, compassion, and tireless devotion to the chimpanzees of Gombe. Raised in the woods of Alabama, Nichols’ joined National Geographic in 1996 and became Editor-at-Large for Photography in 2008, transforming every assignment into a story that is as visually
breathtaking as it is emotionally resonant.

Follow Michael on Instagram @michaelnicknichols.

The Jane Goodall Institute does not endorse handling or close proximity to wildlife. This represents a historical/sanctuary context.

60 % of the proceeds from this print will support the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots and Shoots program.