ARUSHA, Tanzania, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- A global conservation organization, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), on Sunday announced the construction of a chimpanzee museum in Arusha, Tanzania's safari capital.
The museum is being built near the Cultural Heritage Center along the Arusha-Babati highway, a few kilometers from Arusha central business district.
Speaking at the event to lay the foundation stone, the renowned environmental activist Jane Goodall said the construction of the museum aims at providing an opportunity for Tanzanians and tourists to visit and learn more about chimps' lives and ecology at large.
"The museum will not be staged only for researchers, scientists and students, but also for various clubs and groups inside and outside the country," Goodall said. "It will act as a center for other organizations to demonstrate their works in the conservation sector."
The museum is being built to the tune of 1 billion Tanzanian shillings (427,620 U.S. dollars) and its construction is scheduled to end next year.
James Lembeli, co-chair of JGI, encouraged the youth to utilize well the foundation's resources by embarking on environment researches to protect nature.
He urged the government to support the museum to enhance its wider impact, benefiting the present and future generations.
"Apart from this museum, JGI also has various conservation projects across the country, especially in natural forests, chimpanzee habitats and better use of land," Lembeli told the gathering.
Antony Tonny, a researcher at JGI, said Tanzania is estimated to have between 1,700 and 2,300 chimpanzees.
