The Holtkamper Flyer was renamed the Folding Field Shelter (FFS) and equipped with, among other things, an operating table, mosquito netting, a refrigerator for medicine and even a specially designed mobile operating table. All for one purpose: to support the work of local veterinarians in treating and vaccinating wild chimpanzees, often deep in the African jungle.
In this video from 2009, Jelle Holtkamp explains how the Flyer was created and laid out. Jelle explains that there is also a refrigerator for vaccinations for local people, because by supporting local people, the Jane Goodall Foundation hopes that there will be less poaching as well. Jane Goodall herself explains why the folding trailer is going to make a huge difference in the jungle.
The idea came from Selina Holtkamp, daughter of founder Bert Holtkamp and herself a long-time volunteer at the Jane Goodall Institute. She managed to bring together her passion for camping and animal protection in a unique way. She personally delivered the FFS to Uganda, a journey that was anything but easy, due in part to challenges at customs. But eventually the folding trailer arrived at its destination and went into use immediately.
Does the Holtkamper FFS still have a role in the field?
Over 15 years later, we wonder: is the Flyer still in use? Is the mobile clinic still part of the Jane Goodall Institute’s important work in Uganda?
We have since contacted the institute to find out how the Holtkamper FFS has fared in recent years. As soon as we receive a response, we will of course share it with you.
To be continued…
