Outline and Aims
Seventeen year old male western chimpanzee at Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark. (Credit: David Trood)
Apes (the six species of great apes and 16 species of gibbons) are under threat from hunting, deforestation and disease. Without our support these beautiful and iconic animals will become extinct. All the apes are threatened and almost all are either endangered or critically endangered. For some species really urgent action is needed. The Hainan gibbon, for instance, is right on the brink of extinction with fewer than 20 surviving, while there are fewer than 400 Cross River gorillas left in the wild.
We need to ensure the apes survive and thrive not simply because they are iconic and we have a moral obligation to do so. Tropical forest ecosystems are essential to humans and apes play a vital role as keystone species in the ecosystems they inhabit. They help maintain the forest structure and are important seed dispersers for many plant species. Their conservation is not an easy task, but we do know that real strides can be made through focused attention applied to habitats and species.
The EAZA Ape Campaign focuses attention on the apes, the issues they face and the urgency with which we must act. Through the support of EAZA membership and the campaign partners we will work to improve their survival and leave a lasting legacy for ape conservation.
If we cannot save the apes and the ecosystems on which they depend, how can we save the rest of the natural world?
Campaign Aim: To make a significant and lasting contribution to the continued survival of apes and their habitats
Main Campaign Objectives:
- To increase habitat protection and reduce habitat loss
- To reduce hunting and trade of apes, both live and dead
- To change consumer behaviour to reduce pressure on apes and their habitats
- To raise €1 million to establish a lasting fund providing ongoing financial support to ape conservation
Gray gibbon at Paignton Zoo, UK. (Credit: Ray Wiltshire)
The Campaign covers all ape species; great apes and gibbons. It will achieve its objectives through raising awareness of the issues apes face, lobbying decision-makers and key influencers about these issues, and raising funds to support conservation projects. It will focus on the key issues of habitat loss and trade, both within range states and internationally, and control of diseases affecting wild apes.
Strategic partnerships will be developed with a range of organisations and projects, both to support the campaign itself, and to deliver the main campaign objectives.
The Campaign will run from 1st October 2010 to 30th September 2011.
