Stolen Apes Counts Illegal Trade Toll

The illegal trade that sees almost 3,000 live great apes lost from the forests of Africa and Southeast Asia each year is increasingly impacting wild populations as links to organized crime grow stronger.

Stolen Apes: The Illicit Trade in Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Bonobos and Orangutans [PDF] is the first report to analyze the scale and scope of the illegal trade and highlights the growing links to sophisticated trans-boundary crime networks, which law enforcement networks are struggling to contain.

Stolen Apes, which was produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) through GRASP, estimates that a minimum of 22,218 great apes have been lost from the wild since 2005 – either sold, killed during the hunt, or dying in captivity – with chimpanzees comprising 64 per cent of that number.

The report examines confiscation records, international trade databases, law enforcement reports, and arrival rates from sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers between 2005 and 2011.

Stolen Apes: The Illicit Trade in Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Bonobos and Orangutans(Download)

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Ape Summit to Confront Issues

The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, the United Nations’ Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the Arcus Foundation will join to convene the Great Apes Summit, an international symposium that will tackle major issues that threaten the long-term survival of gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans in Africa and Asia.

The Great Apes Summit will be held Sept. 21- 24, and will complement the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival’s biennial media industry conference through a high-profile series of public events and private conference sessions.

Great ape advocates, public policy experts, media professionals, range state leaders and program funders will take part in topic-driven meetings to highlight areas of concern, and propose solutions to ensure a future for these endangered species. Emphasis will be placed upon agreements or activities that will have significant impact.

Sessions will be grouped under three themes: 1.) Consumption, 2.) Ethics, and 3.) Going Forward.

GRASP Promotes Trans-Boundary Process in W. Africa

A trans-boundary process to promote wildlife and habitat conservation in the Tai-Sapo Forest Complex between Libera and Cote d’Ivoire is back on track following a two-day steering committee meeting that was held March 20-21 in Abdijan.

The Tai-Sapo Forest Complex is home to numerous endangered species, including the Western chimpanzee, which numbers less than 1,000 in that landscape.

Delegates crafted a vision statement that emphasized “conservation of biodiversity and participatory sustainable management of natural resources” while ensuring the “well-being” of local communities.

GRASP Ian Redmond Award Targets National Commitment

The Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) today launched the GRASP – Ian Redmond Conservation Award, seeking to inspire a new wave of Africans and Asians dedicated to the long-term survival of great apes and their habitat.

The award was introduced at the CITES XVI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.

The GRASP-Ian Redmond Conservation Award is designed to encourage innovation, inspire leadership, and offer hope in the field of great ape conservation in Africa and Asia. One winner from each continent will be chosen on a biennial basis, and each will receive USD 11,000 and a plaque.

The current deadline for applications is September 1, 2013.