With a combined global population estimated between 519,000 and 688,000, all non-human great ape species (gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and Asia’s orangutans) are either endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List and CITES Appendix 1, suggesting that there is a significant risk of extinction in the near future.
In Africa, in particular, they are facing severe threats of habitat destruction and poaching for bushmeat. According to a report published by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, great apes are also increasingly targeted to supply international demand for pets and zoo attractions in countries such as China, Pakistan, Libya, and the Gulf States.
Traffickers discreetly transport the animals from Africa, ingeniously camouflaging them amidst sanctioned shipments of monkeys or birds. Yet, an emerging pattern reveals these species are being redirected to authorised zoos, obtaining legal export permits under false pretences that they were bred in captivity.
The aggravating climate crisis and growing human population serve to deepen the problem even further, with studies showing that Africa’s great apes could lose 94% of their suitable living areas by 2050. Given the animals are poor at relocating compared with many other species, their risk of extinction is accelerated.
Up until now, this issue has largely escaped the attention of groups tasked with their protection. As such, all four of the continent’s great apes — chimpanzees, bonobos, and the two gorilla species — are in danger of disappearing within our lifetime despite being protected by both national and international laws.
Recent research proves that this is due to a lack of tracking of ape seizures making it difficult to know how serious a threat poaching for the live animal trade poses. While the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on endangered species, houses an expert group exclusively focused on great apes, illegal trade does not receive primary attention. Meanwhile, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), currently lacks a working group for great ape conservation.
Just recently, great apes were at least a topic of discussion again at the CITES Standing Committee’s 77th meeting in Geneva. Commenting on the outcome, Tusk’s Executive Director, Dan Bucknell said, ‘Having not been on the agenda for last year’s CITES conference — for the first time in 22 years — it was reassuring to see calls for greater measures to protect great apes at the Standing Committee meeting. These included re-galvanising the CITES African Great Apes Task Force, and for countries with great apes to develop national action plans to protect them. Although the proposed measures were not adopted during the week, it is hoped that they will be at subsequent meetings once they have been developed further.’
Preserving these species is crucial as they play a vital role in maintaining the ecological equilibrium of tropical forests and ecosystems, contributing to adaptation against climate change.
For over 30 years, Tusk has championed the conservation of great ape species and has worked closely with stakeholders on the ground to ensure economic sustainability goes hand in hand with conservation.
Over the summer, we hosted the Tusk Gorilla Trail where we displayed 15 life-size Gorilla sculptures designed by 15 internationally recognised artists at the bustling Covent Garden and Seven Dials. Each sculpture highlights the beauty of gorillas, the threats to their existence, and the people and solutions working for their survival — raising awareness for conservation efforts across the African continent.
As the culmination of a summer-long celebration of gorillas and the people who live alongside them, the sculptures were auctioned last night, raising an estimated £130,000 to protect gorillas and their habitat, as well as other threatened species across Africa.
In addition, this year’s Tusk Conservation Awards will also shine a spotlight on great ape conservation as we aim to continue to draw greater attention to the very mixed fortunes of the animals across Africa and raise much-needed funds to secure their future.
