EU Taxpayers Contributing to Wildlife Slaughter & Bushmeat Trade

EU taxpayers may be inadvertantly contributing to the slaughter of wildlife and the bushmeat trade (You could be unknowingly contributing!) The EU recently funded the upgrade of a road in Cameroon that runs from the rainforest into the towns. Before, this road was not easy to travel, however now it provides poachers with an easy route into the rich inner forest.

The Tools of Illegal Trade

It has to be acknowledged that hunting for bushmeat is a long-standing tradition in Africa. However, it used be a staple for men to feed their families, now it has expanded to an organised commercial trade to accommodate large scale workforces (usually of timber logging companies!) and communities in town and cities that choose to eat bushmeat for its apparent value and prestige, even when other food is abundantly available. No great ape species can withstand this huge population decimation for much longer, especially with massive swathes of their habitat being destroyed daily by these same logging companies.

Killing Fields: Palm Oil Farming

Even though there is thousands of acres of abandoned farm land capable of reaping crops, Palm Oil farmers always prefer to use already live forests to grow plantations. This is because Palm Oil takes at least 5 years to begin producing, and the farmers use the profit from the timber sales to fund the first few years of operation.

Loss of the forests results however, in the loss of capability to absorb CO2 and convert it into oxygen, which is nature’s way of balancing all other beings carbon dioxide emissions. As well as this, the peat swamps in which the forests grow are disturbed, releasing massive amounts of CO2, alongside the air pollution and even more CO2 released during the burning part of the ‘Slash and Burn’.

Orangutan Slash & Burn

Economic crisis and human abuse of the forest has pushed the existence of the Orangutan closer to the brink than ever. They have lost no less than 80% of their habitat over the past 20 years through slash and burn methods to clear land for large Palm Oil plantations and logging.

The illegal pet trade also thrives, as many poachers kidnap baby Orangutans (killing the mother to do so) and sell to people for their entertainment and amusement. However, the babies do not stay cute for long and soon become too large and uncontrollable to stay domesticated. At this point the people will either kill them, cage them in awful conditions, or release them. Even if back in the wild, these Orangutan’s have learnt no skills to fend for themselves or forage for food, and soon end up dead.

Refugees: Stripping Gorilla Habitat

Poaching isn’t the only problem facing the Gorillas in Zaire. Thousands of Rwandan refugees have been living in camps near the National Park, some of them responsible for killing rebel gunmen.

Zairan soldiers tried to force them back into Rwanda, but they only succeeded in driving them into the mountains of the Park, where they have subsequently settled. Here they have already destroyed 18 km2 of the Gorillas forest habitat by cutting down trees for firewood and to build huts etc.

This dangerous political unrest has also caused the number of tourists visiting the Park to decline dramatically, more than halving the income used for the upkeep of the Park such as rangers wages. This could very soon lead to loss of protection for these gentle beasts, and poachers will be free to kill as they please.

Corrupt Ranger shoots Silverback

The Gorillas conservation issue not only rages on in the Congo, but also in Zaire, where earlier this year 2 adults, including the groups Silverback, were shot dead.

The shots came from a corrupt park ranger who had been paid by an illegal collector to capture a young male to sell on the black market. However, the ranger had underestimated the ferocity with which Gorillas will protect their groups, and his stupidity and greed forced the killing of another two individuals in the process. Fortunately the baby was rescued from a truck on the Ugandan border, but losing 2 breeding adult Gorillas, especially a Silverback, is enough to cause a damaging dent in the group.

Humanising Matthew

Animal rights activists in Austria have been campaigning to get a 26 year-old Chimp legally declared a person, but had their hopes dashed when the court judge threw the case out recently.

The shelter which has been housing the Chimp – called Matthew Hiasl Pan – is to be closed down due to lack of funds. Donors have offered financial aid to help, but there’s a catch – under Austrian law only A PERSON can receive monetary gifts, and as the individuals running the shelter have been declared bankrupt they are unable to receive gifts on Matthew’s behalf.

World Bank: Funding Forest Protection Scheme

The President of the World Bank has announced a new Forest Carbon Protection scheme, aimed at preserving forests and reducing global warming.

A $4 million fund has been set up to pay countries and/or companies that are currently logging to abandon their initiatives – a kind of compensation if you will. Not only will this help preserve biodiversity, but it will contribute to the greenhouse gas initiative as part of the Kyoto Protocol, as currently deforestation accounts for 20% of the total emissions.

Two Year-Old Ape: Found Rotting in Congo

Congolese park rangers have arrested 2 gang members suspected of Gorilla trafficking – advertising each individual for a sale of £8,000. However, they were too late to save a young ape found rotting in the forest, a female – probably the baby of one of those killed – thought to have been taken from the local National Park, a supposed conservational area.

150 park rangers have been killed by poachers and rebel armed forces whilst trying to protect the area’s endangered species! Earlier this month the rebels raided the ranger station, seizing their weapons and supplies and forcing them and their families to flee.

Chimp Aggression: Sierra Leone

Thirty-one Chimps escaped from their enclosure in a sanctuary in Sierra Leone and tragically malled one man to death and attacked four others. This is pertinent reminder to all of us that Chimps and other primates are wild animals and should remain that way.

The reason for their aggressive behaviour towards humans, is because the only contact they had before reaching the sanctuary is years of abuse at the hands of humans. It has only just been made illegal in Sierra Leone to hunt or capture Chimpanzees, and they have suffered terribly at our hands. It was human hunters that butchered their families and sold them as pets, and their human keepers that forced hurrendous things upon them such as drinking alcohol to perform, smashing their teeth out and locking them in tiny cages. No wonder they are angry, I would be.

News Headlines:
+ [25.07.07] CNN: Sierra Leone passes tough law to protect chimps.
+ [26.07.07] Sierra Leone Bans Capture, Killing of Chimps.

George Bush: Absent from Emergency Climate Meeting

On the 25th September 2007, the UN General Secretary called an emergency Climate Change meeting after reports were released of an increase in gas emissions and melting Arctic ice caps. 150 world delegates were invited and all attended – EXCEPT George Bush. He did, however, find time to attend the social dinner afterwards.

Al Gore Calls for More Climate Talks

The former vice-president of the USA has announced he wants the World’s top leaders to meet every 3 months until a concrete plan is drawn up and agreed on to reduce dangerous the emissions causing global warming. At the moment leaders attend UN Climate Change talks, but Gore wants to see intermediate meetings as the issue is now more pressing than ever.

Butchered Monkeys Found in Suitcase: USA

In 2003, a large suitcase containing the remains of 26 butchered monkeys was confiscated at a Boston Airport USA, on its way from Ghana. The 300lbs of raw meat was destined to be served as the main course at a wedding in New Hampshire!! “It was oozing out of its container” said Tom Healy of the US/Wildlife Service.

News Headlines:
+ ABC News
+ EVANA USA

The Deforestation – Climate Change Link

Greenhouse gases may be having more of an impact on primates than originally thought. The push to swap from fossil fuels to biofuels has promtped huge desforestation of ecologically precious rainforests, also home to many endangered species, to make way for massive Palm Oil plantations. Not only is this an unrestrained destruction of thousands of species only habitat, but alot of the time to the point where the species becomes unsustainable. This vast natural loss is also set to disrupt the Earth’s oxygen/CO2 balance and promote the rise of harmful emissions even further.

Baby Bonobo Rescued

A new born baby Bonobo was rescued from poachers in a particularly troublesome spot in the Congo. BOTH parents had been killed for bushmeat, and they were trying to sell the baby as a pet.

Bonobo’s are only found in one part of the Congo – NOWHERE else in the world. They have become so rare that one scientist, who recently attempted to track them, reported not seeing any during the whole period of their trek. Bonobo’s are our closest living relatives, even closer than Chimpanzees. They may soon be out of reach.

Human Greenhouse Damage

American climatologist Michael Mann reported that the human race is spewing out greenhouse gases at a faster rate than ever, which is causing ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctic to melt at the quickest rate ever. If not tackled, these extreme temperatures and melting rates will cause seas to rise to dangerous levels and trigger mass extinction – even humans won’t be immune.

The Congo Catch 22

The Congo has become a main area of conservational importance, as it comprises one quarter of the world’s rainforest, 70% of Africa’s rainforest and half of Africa’s wildlife species. However, this also means it attracts large numbers of bushmeat rebels.

From here, approximately:

• 15,000 bushmeat carcasses pass through in a year, 293 of which are chimps
• 6,450 animals passed through the Congolese markets, 13 of which were protected species.

Population Hazard

Human activity has altered one third of the worlds surface, and a species is lost every 20 minutes – totalling 27,000 a year. However, more humans are born each day than total numbers of great apes on the planet.

Monkey Talk!

Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Bonobos are capable of intellectual performances once thought exclusive to humans due to their strikingly similar brains and nervous system.

These include obvious theory of mind in decision making (i.e. the understanding of other individuals train of thought), sophisticated group co-operation, and tool making and use. Some captive individuals have also been taught American sign language and can communicate in up to 300 signs. it has also been proved that Chimps are capable of symbolic representation and concept of self (recognising themselves in the mirror).

Dramatic cut in Chimp numbers

In 1900, Chimpanzee numbers were estimated at 1-2 million. Now, due to bushmeat hunting, habitat loss and illegal logging, the numbers have dropped to only 15,000 – that’s a loss of over 9,000 Chimps A YEAR. No population can withstand that sort of decimation, and if we do not act soon on the causes of this loss, we will sacrifice yet another species to unnecessary human rapacity.

Chimps are found in 21 African countries, mainly across the rainforest belt. However, now only fragmented areas of the belt remain after unyielding forest clearance, and they have been driven to the more dangerous woodland areas where they are more exposed to poachers.

Rare Mountain Gorillas shot dead by rebel fighters

The political turmoil in the Democratic Republic of Congo has proved to be fatal for more than the people of this war torn country. The Congo is home to Virunga National Park, which is supposed to be a safe haven for 340 of the remaining 700 Mountain Gorillas on Earth (the other 360 residing in the Bwindi National Park, Uganda).

After fresh civil clashes in July, rebel troops seized half the park and proceeded to shoot and kill 4 of these precious animals for sale on the bushmeat market.

Sierra Leone tackles illegal Chimpanzee trade?

From July 2007, it was declared illegal to capture and/or kill Chimpanzees in Sierra Leone by their Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Marine Rescources. One month’s grace has been given to current captive chimp owners to surrender them voluntarily before legal action is taken.

Sierra Leone has been a major exporter of Chimpanzees since the 1960s, and unfortunately this carried on unchecked under the black market well after they were declared an Endangered Species in the 1970s. So will this new law be enforced enough to make a difference? Or is it just another lipservice move by another corrupt goverment regime?

Biological Diversity goal a long way off

In 2002, the 188 countries that were party to the Convention of Biological Diversity established the following goal, which now after the release of the updated Red List, seems to be further off than ever:

To achieve by 2010, a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss on global, regional and national levels.

Russell Mittermeier, the President of Conservation International was quoted saying: “The situation is down to the wire as far as these species are concerned.” This situation has occurred through the ignorance and greed of people, and we are the only ones who have the power to put it right.

+ Conservation International
+ Convention of Biological Diversity

IUCN Red List

The World Conservation Union [IUCN], releases a Red List of threatened and endangered species every 5 years. The data is gathered and evaluated by accredited organisations, and gives information on species numbers, distribution and conservation status, i.e. relative risk of extinction.

The up-to-date list was released last week, and has revealed 17 different species of Great Ape as threatened; 11 species of Gibbon, 2 species of Orangutan, 2 species of Gorilla, the Bonobo and the Chimpanzee. Out of these, 4 are critically endangered, 6 are endangered, 3 are low risk and 3 are vulnerable. The main factors in these species decline has been habitat loss due to human intervention, and over-exploitation such as the illegal pet and bushmeat trades.

The Jane Goodall Institute

Founded by the famous Primatologist, The Jane Goodall Institute reaches and contributes to many areas including ongoing educational projects, endangered animal sanctuaries, and African community projects.

Primates in Peril

According to a report released by the Primate Specialist Group of IUCN – The World Conservation Union’s Species Survival Commission (SSC) and the International Primatological Society (IPS), in collaboration with Conservation International (CI):

“Antananarivo, Madagascar (April 7, 2005) – Mankind’s closest living relatives – the world’s apes, monkeys, lemurs and other primates – face increasing peril from humans and some could soon disappear forever.

Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates-2004-2006 reveals that 25 percent-or one in four-of the 625 primate species and subspecies are at risk of extinction. The report compiled by more than 50 experts from 16 countries cites deforestation, commercial bushmeat hunting, and the illegal animal trade as the primary threats, and warns that failure to respond will bring the first primate extinctions in more than a century.

Source: Conservation International
Date: 26 April 2005
Via: Primates.com

Our Prime Concern

Prime Concern is dedicated to raising awareness of Endangered Primate Species. This blog has been set up to profile the founding and project development of awareness campaign and research initiative PrimeConcern. We hope to gather a collective interest from a global audience of scientists, animal behavioural experts, zoologists, researchers and social designers. Prime Concern will primarily act to raise awareness and secondly encourage feedback, participation and collaboration.

Founded in 2007, by MSc and PGD Student Julia Quick, currently studying Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Belfast’s Queen’s University and Socially Conscious Communications Designer Kate Andrews. The diverse collaboration between scientist and designer gives PrimeConcern two platforms of expertise and experience: a body of knowledge focused toward the endangerment of Primate Species, and understanding of how Communication Design can assist and embellish the awareness of global, environmental and social issues.

2007. Julia Quick & Kate Andrews.