Post by Jeff on Jan 26, 2006 19:17:37 GMT -5
The main threats to their survival include war, the bushmeat trade, loss of habitat, and poaching for trophies and souvenirs.
Heather Eves, of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, one of the groups working with Unep, called for better education.
She said: "Where great ape tourism has been developed, for instance in Uganda's Bwindi and Kibale Forest national parks, the animals have become to local communities an important source of revenue worth more alive than dead.
But too few people are aware of the role gorillas play in regenerating woodlands by dispersing seeds and pruning trees. Along with elephants, the great apes are the gardeners of the African and South East Asian forests."
Other groups working with Grasp are the Ape Alliance, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Born Free Foundation, Fauna and Flora International, and WWF, the global environment campaign.
Ian Redmond, of the Ape Alliance, said: "During this year thousands more orang-utans have been killed or driven from their forests by illegal loggers. Thousands more gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos have been killed for bushmeat.
"Thousands of rangers and wardens have lacked the means to do their job to protect even those apes living in national parks.
Heather Eves, of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, one of the groups working with Unep, called for better education.
She said: "Where great ape tourism has been developed, for instance in Uganda's Bwindi and Kibale Forest national parks, the animals have become to local communities an important source of revenue worth more alive than dead.
But too few people are aware of the role gorillas play in regenerating woodlands by dispersing seeds and pruning trees. Along with elephants, the great apes are the gardeners of the African and South East Asian forests."
Other groups working with Grasp are the Ape Alliance, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Born Free Foundation, Fauna and Flora International, and WWF, the global environment campaign.
Ian Redmond, of the Ape Alliance, said: "During this year thousands more orang-utans have been killed or driven from their forests by illegal loggers. Thousands more gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos have been killed for bushmeat.
"Thousands of rangers and wardens have lacked the means to do their job to protect even those apes living in national parks.