GREAT APES

THE HOLLER OF THEIR EXTINCTION

An announced genocide

 

by Pedro Pozas Terrados

                

The great apes had been walking beside us for thousand years the same path of evolution, we also share an ancester in common , we have been sharing the same habitat and get through the same dangerous, changing and unknowing Earth, in which several times our bloodlines had been throuh the same path of knowledge among history.

 

The Homo sapiens sapiens was made through the conquer of the animal kingdom and later on colonized every ecosystem that our planet offered for living , also dominated inhabitable landscapes while our brothers the great apes continue evolving in a slow way on their original tropical ecosystems without a hurry for chasing the other now evolved big ape, which got out of his original environment to conquer the world fulfilling his.propouse on a record time.

 

But this superior being has doing nothing but making mistakes over and over and his ego has also making him to have no respect for his own species.

 

We are responsible for starting the worst extinction of species since human beings colonized the Earth .

 

On top of that we are extinguish the ecosystems that balance our own lives, starting a climatic change that has never seen before in our   civilization history.

 

In our killing steps we also have been erasing other family members as the Neanderthals living us only beside the Great Apes which are less advanced than us.

Nevertheless, with all this anxiety of taking the whole natural resources for the benefit of just a few ones. The time has come for the Great Apes , time to erase them too  just as if we get angry to the fact that they are still members of our evolutive family  and one day they can take away our big crown of hate and unreasonable Lack of empathy  as if we don’t want to have  witnesses  of. our erratic society.

 

2003, a desperated call

 

The United Environment Program ( PNUMA in Spanish)  and The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)  called an emergency meeting in attend to save the Great Apes in Paris on November of 2013 in which were needed 25 million dollars in order to disappear the extinction of  the next relatives of the human specie : The Great Apes , the organization committee  of UNESCO and PNUMA explained that they need that amount of money not only to reduce the risk of the extinction of gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans that are left in the planet but also to create save environments where these Great Apes can establish and increase their specie.

 

Klaus Toepfer, PNUMA’s executive director had declared  “ 25 million dollars represents  minimum amount demanded to give to these animal species as the equivalent of bread and water that  a human being needs when is just about to die.” He also said “ we are in the last fatal minute , talking about the hour of the extinction of the Great Apes, animals that has i 96% to 99% of DNA  in common with human beings , and if we lost any of these species we are going to destroy the missing link that connect us with our origins ,also  we will lost part of our own humanity “

 

The UNESCO’s General Director , Koichiro Matsuura said “ The Great Apes are an exceptional element to the natural universe. The forest where these species live build a vital resource for human beings worldwide and for the local people , represent an essential resources of food, water, medicines, also the forests are places with an underestimated spiritual, cultural, and economic value. By saving the Great Apes and their ecosystems is not just a natural heritage but an important action of fighting against poverty.”

 

This words seem to be forgotten cause it hasn’t been an effort to preserve and protect the natural habitats of the Great Apes and also there is no effort of stopping the advance of multinationals that are taking away all  the natural resources and have been quickly destroy tropical forests and ecosystems that are essential for the survival not only of the Great Apes but for many other primates and other animals and indigenous communities.

 

Since that emergency meeting announcing that all species of Great Ape s are in danger of extinction, in a future that is no longer far from now let’s say not far from the next 50 years , Samy Mankoto an ecologist specialist from UNESCO  that was working on the biosphere reserves in Africa where several Great Apes population live said “ The research performed , showed that chimpanzees have disappeared in 3 countries Benin, Gambia, and Togo”.Now a days, after 13 years of the UNESO’S meeting in which the emergency call only stayed in some of the covers of special media without doing anything on behalf of the Great Apes population the results we have are a serious issue.

 

On  2003, according to some surveys conducted, in Senegal only remained between 200 to 400  chimpanzees. In Ghana between 300 to 500. In Guinea-Bissau in less than 200. There are 23 countries in Africa and Asia, where there are populations of great apes, all of them are shrinking at an alarming rate. The bonobo, which only lives in the Centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the middle of a war continuing for control of the diamond and coltan, their populations have been reduced and there is a real census that makes us have a rough idea of its current state. However for contacts that the great ape project holds with some organizations that are doing small projects in the area of bonobos, the situation is tragic and reaffirms the most terrible confirmations for this singular, peaceful species and whose leadership of the group is matriarchal, solving their problems with caressing and sexual favors.

 

Samy Mankoto, said at the time that: "the observance of the law is an essential element of all conservation activity. We cannot limit ourselves to install fences to try to separate the apes of the human population. [...] Great apes play a fundamental role in good condition and maintenance of the diversity of forests tropical, so necessary for human beings. Indeed, they disperse the seeds through the forests and open up gaps in forest cover, through which passes the light that facilitates the growth of young plants and the renovation of the ecosystems"." 

UNESCO has a network of over 400 biosphere reserves spread across more than 90 countries. Many of these reserves possess considerable populations of great apes and some of those places  are  declared world heritage. For this reason the  great ape project has launched an international campaign so  the great apes will be consider as a world heritage, with the propouse to get an important  tool to protect them and because they are part of the history of mankind and therefore extinction will be the prelude to our own self-destruction. Great apes can even give us many keys of our own evolution, and since we had extinguish the rest of hominids, those who are still members of our family, should be protected for the sake of our own existence.

 

A devastating report

 

Another report edited by the Doctor Christian Nellemann of the center Grid-Arendal of the UNEP, located in Norway, and the Doctor Adrian Newton of the Center World of surveillance of the conservation (WCMC) of the UNEP, with headquarters in Cambridge (United Kingdom), examined thoroughly them four species of great apes and is evaluated them habitats current remaining and relatively little altered in appearance, in order provide help to their populations. Based on that assessment, the experts have described the possible impact of the current rate of development of infrastructure in the areas of habitat and the portion of those who remain still "intact" in 2030:

Gorillas 
The report estimates that 28% approximately of the 204.900 km2 of the current world habitat of gorillas can be classified in the category of "relatively little altered". If the infrastructure development continues at its current pace, expected that by 2030 will be only 69.900 km2, i.e. just a 10% of the surface that has the habitat today. This represents a loss of annual area of 4,500 km2% (2.1%) of the slightly altered habitat of gorillas in countries like Nigeria, Gabon, Rwanda, and Uganda.

 
Chimpanzees 
The report estimates that a 26 per cent of the 390.840 km2 of the current habitat of chimpanzees can be considered "relatively little altered". If infrastructure growth continues at the same pace that to date, expected that by 2030 will be only 118.618 km2, i.e. an 8% of the surface of the current habitat. This represents a loss of annual area of 9.070 km2 (2.3%) of the habitat little altered of the chimpanzees in countries like Guinea, coast of ivory and Gabon. 

Bonobos 
The report estimates that a 23 per cent of the 96.483 km2 of the current habitat of bonobos can be classified as "relatively little altered". If the infrastructure development continues at the present rate, expected that in 2030 will be only 17.750 km2, is a 4% of the current area of the habitat. This represents a loss of annual area of 2.624 km2 (2.8%) of the slightly altered habitat of bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the only country in the world where there is this species.

 

Orangutans 
The report estimates that a 36 per cent of the 92.332 km2 of remaining orangutan habitat can be considered "relatively little altered". If the rate of growth of infrastructure is maintained, it is estimated that in2030 will be only 424 km2, i.e. less than 1% of the surface of its current habitat. This represents a loss of annual area of 4.697 km2 (5%) of the slightly altered habitat of orangutans on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Kalimantan in Indonesia and Sarawak and Sabah of Malaysia.

 

Ivory Coast. The populations of chimpanzees on the downside

 

According to data provided by members of the great ape project in Ivory coast, the situation of the population of chimpanzees in the different protected areas, it is equally chaotic and serious and concern as what is happening in the rest of the countries.

Tai National Park: 470 chimpanzees in 2006, having been recorded on 2013 about 294.

D¨Azagny National Park on 1995 there were 57 chimpanzees. There is currently no data confirming their presence.they  are extinguished.

 

Jungle - Forêt Claee de Dassioko. In 2006 the sporadic presence of chimpanzees is observed. There is currently no data of their presence. It gives extinguished.

Park National Bank. In 1995 it was missing the kind of chimpanzees in the Park near the capital Abdijan. In 2007 there were about 10

      

Comoé National Park. Occupies the fourth part of the belt of forests in the country and is the largest surfaces protected in Africa. It is World Heritage since 1983. However since 2003, there has been on the list of endangered due to the civil war in Ivory Coast, poaching, forest fires caused by poachers and the absence of an effective mechanism of management, makes it very vulnerable. In 1995, it was estimated a population of 470 chimpanzees.The preliminary results of a study specific done by the Univerdsidad of Würzburg (Germany) in 2014, in the South-West of the Park, shown some signs of presence of chimpanzees, but without having so far the number that remain unknown

 

There is a clear disappearance of populations of chimpanzees observed, more than half are found in unprotected areas and therefore at risk of their extermination.

 

According to our expert in Côte d'Ivoire and President of the delegation of the great ape project in Côte d'Ivoire, Serge Soiret, chimpanzees show an alarming situation that requires a major effort to ensure the survival of the species. The significant destruction of the habitat of chimpanzees included deforestation by multinational and a strong hunting pressure, has severely reduced the populations of chimpanzees in recent years. From the Ivory Coast, Serge makes us a desperate appeal, since this country is between the next that will give a farewell to chimpanzees, in the National Park of Tai, significant populations of chimpanzees used the culture of hulling walnuts with hammers and anvils of stone or wood, being described by many scientific experts and anthropologists , these populations found in the age of stone, a period that human beings already spent thousands of years ago and that we can show how we evolve with simple tools and giving keys to our own history of mankind.

 

Cameroon - Nigeria. The forgotten great apes

 

Great ape project has been collaborating for so many years  with Limbe Wildlife Centre, a centre located  in Cameroon in the midst of two subspecies of great apes in serious danger of extinction: Cross River gorilla and the chimpanzee of Nigeria-camerun. The situation in Cameroon of these forgotten subspecies, is increasingly desperate and chaotic.

 

From great ape project has already launched serious extinction warnings without nobody in the international community or conservation specialists, take note to avoid this announced death.

 

Of the four subspecies of Chimpanzees (West Africa, Nigeria-camerun, central chimpanzee and chimpanzee Eastern chimpanzee), located between Nigeria and western Cameroon (Pan troglodytes vellerosus, not confirmed until 1997) is the most endangered with only about 1,500 individuals, having suffered a fall in its alarming population.

 

At the Limbe Wildlife Centre, with which great ape project works, currently cared for 34 Nigeria-camerun chimpanzees  rescued. This subspecies of chimpanzee is only in the area of Cross-Sanaga, North of the Sanaga River, in the Guinean Forests of West Africa biodiversity hotspot. 25 primate species live in this area and it is also one of the world's most threatened forest systems, since only a 14' 4% of its forest cover by commercial logging, slash and burn agriculture, palm plantations and mining.

 

Nigeria-camerun chimpanzees are also threatened by commercial hunting for meat, the loss of habitat and by diseases that Ebola has joined. They are classified as threatened in the red list of the IUCN. There are currently only two long-term studies on the wild population: the National Park of Gashaka-Gumti in Nigeria, which is known that he keeps the largest population of this subspecies, and Ebo Forest in Cameroon.

 

It is relatively little known of the ecology of this threatened subspecies of chimpanzee, behavior, culture, and State of conservation compared to other subspecies of chimpanzees. Therefore, you have to put all efforts for its preservation by the authorities of the countries concerned as well as of the international community, always counting on the participation and active protection of native human populations.

 

In terms of the Cross River Gorilla the situation of this subspecies of gorilla is dramatic. Their populations are to the limit and increasingly their habitat disintegrates because of the advance of the human population. Only live in a space very small of Cameroon and Nigeria. Many of the groups are already isolated without possibility of survival. Limbe Wildlife Centre is making enormous efforts for their conservation.  There are only less than 200 individuals divided into 9 areas with an area of 12,000 square kilometers between Cameroon and Nigeria, five of whom them are unprotected without any monitoring or conservation.

 

The great ape project,  that works directly with Limbe Wildlife Centre (LWC) in various conservation projects, supports his constant efforts work performed in the  sanctuary to protect wildlife in Cameroon, trying as he did Dyan Fossey mountain gorillas, provide alternative means of life to the people of the place on the hunting and sale of meat from wild animals (including gorillas meat ) and providing education for their conservation. Already in 2005, the census in the Atlas of great apes published by United Nations, estimated the population between 250 and 280 species . The situation since then has worsened ,  what great ape project fears is the stocks are even lower to 200 individuals with serious problems that face to survive.

 

Deforestation and fragmentation

 

In Cameroon, forest areas are lost by commercial logging, the development of monoculture plantations such as palm oil, shifting cultivation, fuelwood collection and forest fires. In 2000, 76% of the country's forests had registered or assigned to logging concessions, and this number has continued to rise. Logging is a direct cause of the fragmentation of the forest habitat, which in turn blocks access of animals to food sources and prevents the natural transfer between groups, making them stress and disruption of social interactions a common issue. The creation of logging trails open easy access for hunters to inaccessible areas, and these roads offer not only a local market among the workers of the timber companies, but also to reduce the cost of the transport of trade meat to cities for commercial sale. Once the logging commercial  has completed, by humans, the plantations and farms are prone to enter in the area, that now has with some patches of forest native and therefore, few or no species endemic. By reducing their habitat, species face an increased risk of being hunted, frequent contact with humans and are vulnerable to human diseases.

 

Illegal trade in animals

 

The illegal trade in animals is widespread, and includes trading meat, the sale of animal parts for black magic and  pet trade. Historically, wild animals have been an important resource, especially in small communities that depend on the forest for protein animals, however, the pressures of commercial factors have created a demand in increasingly unsustainable quantities. A growing human population, was associated with better access to forest areas, forest roads that decrease the cost of meat transport in cities, and marketing  encourage people to hunt animals in the forest for a profit. In addition, parts of the body of primates are valued for a variety of traditional activities, including medicine and black magic. In West and central Africa, 3 million tons of meat from wild animals are marketed each year, a level that has proved to be unsustainable, even for species that breed faster and are smaller, like antelopes. Although the laws of legislation for the protection of wild fauna are present, they are often difficult to implement.

 

When family groups of primates are sought, the babies, which are too small to have value as a source of meat, are often present. These individuals have more value in the marketsold like pets , where, after witnessing the death of his family, are illegally sold in the markets. It is estimated that only 1 of every 10 individuals is lucky to get to the sanctuary, where they will receive adequate care after facing a severe physical and psychological trauma. Others, if they survive, they usually be kept in deplorable conditions, in solitary confined in small cages, chained in the villages or restaurants, with little hope of having the freedom or see another Member of its own species.

 

Disease

 

Like the closely related animals, primates are susceptible to many human diseases and parasites, and there is a growing recognition that problems of diseases can deeply affect the viability of wild primate populations. With an increase in development and human population, more people live in and around forests, which means that diseases are contracted more frequently. As humans are more mobile and come into contact with a variety of pathogens, they are more likely to introduce these pathogens to populations of wild primates. In addition, livestock carrier of diseases likely to be found near wooded areas and it can act as a source of outbreak in the wild.

 

From these lines, we launched an international alert to United Nations, FAO, UNESCO and countries of Nigeria and Cameroon, as well as international organizations working in the defense of the species and its habitat, to take urgent measures to protect the subspecies of gorilla and chimpanzees of the Cross River, which are on the verge of extinction. Existing groups are separated and are threatened by many dangers that gradually narrowed the margin of freedom. Along with the bonobo, the Cross River Gorilla, its neighbor the chimpanzee and orangutans, are the most endangered species of great apes and their loss in a few years will give a hard blow to the evolution of our own species and that of our fellow evolutionary, as well as being a grave irresponsibility by our own species that has a duty and an obligation to conserve their habitat and protect their lives.

 

Population s disappear under the silent gaze of the world

 

«Atlas of great apes and their conservation», published in 2005 by the United NATIONS, already warned that if it continued degradation of the environment, in less than three decades will be destroyed more than 90% of their habitats, which would lead them to their demise. The situation each it is important to emphasize that measures taken must be accompanied by an education to the towns in the area, helps in its changes of habits and participation in the protection of the gorillas and chimpanzees, seat area for you to see them as a great natural richness that should be retained for their benefit.

 

Guillaume Le Flohic, Director of Limbe Wildlife Centre (LWC), advises that "the populations " wild from Cameroon and Nigeria and the chimpanzees,  Cross River Gorilla, are quite limited. The Cross River Gorilla would more or less 200 individuals distributed among the fragmented populations. Industrial agriculture, logging and other human activities like poaching continue reducing their population.There isa little hope for this species in Cameroon. Nigeria registers are even worse. The lack of involvement of the Government and of strategies, the lack of effectiveness of NGOS on the ground, of technical expertise and lack of community participation (while the population increases) are the reasons for the lack of success in the protection of these species. The chimpanzee from Cameroon and Nigeria, with about 3,000-3,500 copies in nature, has an area of distribution very similar to the Cross River gorilla and, therefore, faces the same threats. Trade in bushmeat is also still very present in this region, since certain parts of the populations used for eating. At this point, what is needed is a strong application of the Act and zero tolerance in protected areas, the participation of the community through local projects (like the Green project at the LWC) to reduce poverty, good governance, strong political strategy with regard to population movements and birth rates, fighting corruption and education (program long term at school (, public awareness and training of students as in LWC)" "

 

Day is more clear in regard to  free great ape populations. At present there are no reliable censuses that may give us a real state of populations of great apes, but alarms that are coming from different places, and also presage a near extinction.

 

In the same report, published as a book, the UN itself warned that If deforestation, poaching, the construction of infrastructure, the encroachment of their habitats by humans, the wars, the mining, trade in live and dead animals, and up to the ebola virus, continue at the current rate, in less than three decades is there will be destroyed more than 90% of their habitats, which could lead to the extinction of some species. Of this form, for the year 2030 them gorillas only can live freely in the 10% of its territory current, the chimpanzees in the 8%, them bonobos in the 4% and them orangutans in the 1%.Likewise warned that 19 of the 23 countries in Africa and Asia are living in freedom anthropoids primates, are among the poorest on the planet. Therefore, to save the great apes and their ecosystems, rather than an act of conservation becomes a fight against poverty, since if the inhabitants of those areas do not have other options to survive, they are forced to preying on their environment.

 

This chilling conclusion had no echo among the international community nor in multinationals, which continue to this day, extracting natural resources of these countries, with the consent of many times of corrupt governments or unscrupulous that allow that his own people die of hunger impoverished while they enjoy wealth and numerous benefits granted by their concessions of destruction.

 

It's been 16 years of this dramatic report while there has been no positive movement by which indicated a recovery of tropical ecosystems inhabited by great apes. On the contrary. Farms, deforestation, war and poverty are emphasized and the censuses of their populations become increasingly difficult. There are fourteen years for the predictions of this report are met. It is not doing anything except some specific developments in specific places that do not serve to stop the extreme situation in which our evolutionary brothers, members of our own lineage as hominid populations as a whole.

 

All this should add that in West Africa Ecuadorian, gorillas and chimpanzees are also affected by the ebola virus, although scientists can not ensure the percentage of infected, believe possible that entire populations have disappeared.

 

Species traffic continues as escape poverty. Poachers kill all adults in a group and stay with babies or small children to be able to sell to organized networks of species threatened today they thrive in Africa and Asia. Chimpanzee, giraffe, snake or bird meat is still served in some restaurants.

 

Bonobos, a farewell final

 

It was in 1927, when scientifically this species also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee, own less body coverage, be somewhat smaller, having very black face and hair tousled head, was declared a species different from the chimpanzee.

 

It only lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in the Centre of the country, in a small area surrounded by constant clashes and internal armed conflicts of this African country. As a result, the permanence of researchers in the area has been limited and the news reaching us not illuminate good light in hope for the survival of bonobos. There are fewer nests in trees, many of them abandoned and it is not known with certainty the number remaining of this last hominid discovered and one of the first that will disappear in a scant decade.

 

Lilungu, the last hope

 

Lilungu is a natural sanctuary for the bonobos population and is located on the banks of the Rio Tshuapa, in the heart of the DRC. The population of the area, which belongs to the clan or tribe Bakela, maintains the tradition of honor and respect for bonobos and they are key actors for the protection of their habitat. Is also an area key to the conservation of bonobos due to its geographical location. To the North it borders the Kokolopori Bonobos reserve and South bordered by the Sankuru nature reserve, which allows it to function as a key corridor for the population of bonobos and the biodiversity of the area. Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI), with the support of its counterpart Congolese Centre de Recherche en écologie et Forestrie (CREF), has implemented a program of monitoring biological and working with local communities in Lilungu since 2005. This program has included the monitoring of populations of bonobos and the establishment of agreements of cooperation for conservation and community development.

 

Great ape (PGS) project, has joined BCI to collaborate jointly in the Lilungu project, with financial support, outreach and personal effort in all areas is needed. Also the PGS considers this project as homage to Jordi Sabater Pi, the great primatologist Spanish, insufficiently recognized and President of honour of the PGS Spain. Today it reminds you with respect and admiration, although several years that has left us forever.

 

History of conservation of bonobos in the area

Scientists at the University of Barcelona, Jordi Sabater and Magdalena Bermejo, forged the first efforts to establish Lilungu as site of study between 1989-1990. Unfortunately, their efforts were interrupted due to political instability and the internal war in the Congo. Scientists feared that the populations of bonobos would be exterminated by the presence of such a war, but between 2005 and 2006 BCI discovered that there are remnants of this population at Lilungu and that the local population still protects them, values and preserves. This work was done thanks to the financial support of the Great Api Conservation Fund program of the USFWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Margot Marsh Foundation.

 

Since then is has been working with the collaboration of local communities to establish a comprehensive conservation program. Today there are 3 groups of bonobos accustomed to humans, which are monitored daily by teams of monitoring locations which are supported by BCI.

 

Progress toward a long-term conservation program

A program of support financial of the Great Ape Conservation Fund allowed achieve the following:

 

         Identify priority areas of conservation

         Document the presence of bonobos and 8 additional endangered species.

         Confirm that the threats to bonobos in the region near Lilungu are consistent and are increased. Populations of bonobos previously observed in the North have disappeared.

         Create a local Association to establish an official natural reserve at Lilungu.

         Lilungu residents have opted to choose to participate in conservation efforts instead of lucrative diamond-mining activities, which validates the importance of our work.

 

Traditions are  powerful

 

Work at Lilungu area is a good example of how information exchange programmes must be implemented. Community Bakela presents nowadays taboos about why it's not good to hunt bonobos, even when they are in the situation that is most needed. When you ask them why not hunt bonobos, they respond that they consider that bonobos are their ancestors. They feel a special affection towards what is called "the people of the forest". However, not all the communities in the area, share the same thought; some traditions have been diluted or replaced by new ones, during the war, immigration and the movement of people. The consumption and trade of bushmeat is also a major threat. The BCI and the PGS conduct research to show that the populations of bonobos are declining where the old taboos have disappeared.

 

"Often worry about how the human population is reducing the bonobo habitat, but sometimes the situation encourages them." Has been occasions in which the bonobos have stolen or hidden pots of kitchen, to the women of the area; so, the women of the cooperative Merci Bonobo developed plantations of crops for these apes. These crops serve as buffer between humans and bonobos, allowing that they have food and do not steal things or consume crops in the community. Reported a significant improvement since beginning the use of such crops", said one of the representatives of the BCI to the great ape project.

 

 Creation of the Natural Reserve of Lilungu

 

Since Lilungu residents recognize the importance of the conservation of bonobos, have signed community agreements for the creation of a nature reserve as part of the forest of peace of the Bonobos. Such efforts would not be possible without the help and participation of communities, which also need your support to continue this work.

 

Great ape project is working to provide more helpful and to urgently finance a cartography to delimit Lilungu of Bonobos reserve and thus can be turned over to the authorities so that the area of maximum protection for bonobos is declared and delimit the reserve as well as help the population to continue with continued support in the area in collaboration with CBI protection. A hope so at least in this reserve the Bonobo may be protected.

 

Death and desolation in the jungles of Indonesia

 

In 2009, I had the honour of presenting at the FNAC of Callao (Madrid), the book written by Willie Smits entitled "the thinkers of the jungle. Present and future of the orangutans'. Smits studied at the agricultural University of Wageningen (Netherlands) where earned a doctorate in tropical forestry. Since you are doing an excellent job in defense of the jungles and in favor of orangutans. In 1994 he founded the Balikpapan Orangutan Society (BOS) that starting from 2005 step to called is Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. In 1999 he created a second Center for orangutans in Palangkaraya, the capital of Kilimantans Central (Borneo). Hundreds of orangutans have been rescued by Willie and later have been reintroduced in safe areas of the jungle. In addition, deserts forest devastated by fire has been able to be reborn again the jungle and believed possible to recover what was lost is political will to do so. He has been threatened with death with an assassination attempt, but continues today in front of their foundations saving orangutans from forests that are being destroyed in a chaotic way in Indonesia.

 

The problem is the oil palm, that its fruits are mainly used for cosmetics, food but especially for Biodiesel, fuel that destroys life and her monoculture has become a crime against humanity, since in addition to the destruction of the rainforests is driven out to indigenous people even to murder , expelling to the atmosphere abundant CO2, one of them gases causing of the change climate together with the destruction of the forests tropical.

 

Despite all this, the European Union has opted for Biodiesel, a grave mistake. Not only do disappearing animals, orang-utans and indigenous peoples, but makes also jeopardize basic food, since monoculture oil palm plantations are spreading all included tropical forests which are located in Latin America.

 

Willie Smits, Gerd Shuster and Jay Ullal which are the authors of "Thinkers of the jungle", shown in his work what is happening perfectly with orangutans and the jungles of indonesia.

 

The last census and data provided by the centres for the conservation of orangutans in Indonesia indicate that so there are only in the country about 5,000 specimens of the species between 15,000 and 20,000 of the Borneo and Sumatra, a figure well below the 60,000 collecting the last official census drawn up at the end of the 1990s. Karmele plain, Spanish veterinary working in Indonesia in the conservation of these and other primates and that for several years was a member of the great ape project supporting its activities in the area said that "is considered as the orangutan it will be genetically dead inside of between five and ten years." That means that they won't be enough animals to make the species viable genetically"." After that period, still some orangutans will remain but will be "viable populations", will cause inbreeding, increase mortality and animals will suffer new diseases that will kill them or impede their lives in freedom.

 

In my talks with Smits before the presentation of his book in Madrid, told me that the destruction is rampant reached a pace so outrageous that it is difficult to write at the same speed that orangutans disappear and many of the details are already obsolete when printing starts to roll. Ignoring the problem, consuming countries become accomplices. Also palm oil by having to travel long distances, should be heated during its storage up to 50 degrees centigrade to stay liquid and solidify not using a huge amount of energy.

 

The men know that they are cutting off the branch on which sit says Will Smith, but they have no choice that destroy the last rainforest in Exchange for sustenance. They live a day and do not have money to buy jeans or looking for work.

           

From great ape project we have spent years denouncing the plantations and monocultures of oil palm that only crimes against life. We have traveled there to be able to film what is happening and have several mounted videos which we exhibit at conferences or meetings to give publicity of the failed bet on biodiesel to be the future fuel of humanity.

 

Meanwhile the populations of orang-utans disappear abruptly without anyone do anything to avoid it. System rushes to the Asian great ape extinction and misdirected alongside multinationals progress not repaired in killing living things and only look for the material benefit of those who play with the world after the armchairs, obliterating the beauty of our planet.

 

Ten, fifteen years... maybe less... orangutans, the thinkers of the jungle as calls them Smits, only will be in small protected strips where just persist in extinction that never should have reached. Humans are destroying ecosystems as no one has ever done and its consequences will be very serious and will have an impact on human beings with evolution boomerang effect. Biruté Galdikas told me recently that many populations of orang-utans in Borneo and Sumatra are completely isolated without possibility to survive before the harassment of massive deforestation. Numbers that can never be reliable, decrease of frightening form and possibly in a short time if things are still the same as before, man will witness the disappearance of the last living hominids of our family and we will be responsible to future generations of one of the big mistakes genocidal which we have been committing against other species.

 

The Grauer gorilla, another one on the blacklist

 

According to the last count of this subspecies of gorilla that lives in the East of the Republic of the Congo, their populations have been reduced by 78% since 1995. There are only around 3,800 copies of the 1700, although as I have said on previous occasions, these figures should be taken with caution because the reality behind each census is much more dramatic.

 

The mining of Coltan, a mineral very significant and necessary for the technological development of the world, organize hunting parties to eat without have to interrupt the work of extraction of coltan which exploit children and slaves for their extraction.  Gorilla meat is the most easy-to-obtain and highly quoted by its large size and are easy to hunt and track while moving in groups around a narrow corridor. Deforestation is also another reason why its extinction is imminent.

 

Great Apes: world heritage of humanity

 

Great apes (bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas) are in imminent danger of extinction as we have already noticed throughout this urgent study to denounce the genocide that humans are committing against some hominids remaining living excluding us. Their populations are being decimated by numerous causes and among them the most important, by the massive deforestation of tropical forests where they live. This destruction without preceding in the history of our planet, is doing also that increase of form alarming the change climate and the emission of CO2 to the disappearing them large reservoirs of this gas that are retained by them forests tropical. In addition to this great loss of ecosystems fundamental to the life of the Earth, great apes are included within the family of hominids and shared with human beings in addition to a same common ancestor, numerous cognitive abilities equal to ours.

 

Many scientists already consider non-human persons to those beings who have overcome more than the definition officially established by our philosophers. according to the concept of person, Years ago, Joseph Fletcher (1905-1991), one of the founders of the modern bioethics, offered a comprehensive and well-known set of fifteen attributes to define the human personality: minimal intelligence, self-awareness, self-control, sense of time and sense of the future, sense of the past, ability to interact with others, concern and care for the other, communication, control of existence, curiosity, change and capacity for change , balance of reason and feelings, idiosyncrasy and activity of the neocortex. Today we know that all the great apes, and not only humans, possess these fifteen attributes of personality (although to a different degree).

           

There is a recent landmark judgment in Argentina, where a judge in the judicial field, recognizes that an orangutan called Sandra and captive is located in the Buenos Aires Zoo, have rights to own and therefore the qualifier of "non-human person" should not forget that the term Chimp or human is biological and may never change, but the term "person" is philosophical and as such , if they comply with official definitions, can perfectly demonstrate that qualifying another species different from ours, although great apes and we are not so different, since only separate us between 1 and 3% of all genes.

 

Continuously, numerous reports scientific us speak on the conduct of our brothers evolutionary and as them human have numerous patterns of behavior equal to them yours, by not talk of it use of tools for different activities (eat termites, use sticks to measure the depth of a river by security, creation of sponges for drinking water, manufacturing of Spears between them chimpanzees for use them in the hunting of monkeys small) use stone or wooden hammer and an anvil to crack nuts, live in caves to escape the stress of the heat and the mosquitoes...), where already many scientists consider that the Chimp and the bonobo, closest to humans only of genetic difference in % A1, have entered its period of the stone age-live. See them in the Tai National Park crack nuts sitting on the floor and with an anvil and stone hammer hitting hulling walnuts, is to see our ancestors in the same circumstance, back millions of years and we see ourselves as we were and with what intensity was lived and struggled to survive and evolve.

           

Therefore, the great ape project organization has launched at the international level, a campaign of collecting signatures and support of relevant of the different branches of science, to ask the United Nations education, scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), declaring to the great apes such as living heritage.

           

Recognize that the term "Living" within UNESCO is not covered, but there is no greater monument and more beautiful, that nature itself and its inhabitants, by which this international agency must include the aforementioned concept at the request of the companies human. A city, a monument, a place may be heritage. With more reason beings so special that they have shared with us a same evolutionary path and are included within the own lineage of the hominids.

           

This recently launched, has already in Spain with the support of numerous scholars, scientists, writers, associations, journalists and professionals in different branches of science and the world of work.Has opened a blog where is Iran introduced news and follow-ups of this campaign in favor of the great apes and all those innovations that occur around this international petition and which can be found at http://grandes-simios-patrimonio-humanidad.blogspot.com.es/

           

Consider heritage alive, does not mean to be "owner", "having our service" or "which are for our needs"; It means protecting them precisely human possession and which are heritage of Earth, of life, of the universe in which we live. Is by this that have a great responsibility for with all them beings living and ecosystems that exist in our planet and course for our brothers evolutionary, a obligation to them continue with its road and avoid that are captive or abused. It means that their fundamental rights be granted them and launch an appeal to the United Nations to be enacted a declaration of the rights of great apes

           

The benefits that could affect the great apes should be declared heritage of mankind, among the following:

•          Protection of populations of great apes that are living in freedom.
•          Protection of their habitat and therefore of the tropical jungles inhabited by putting an end to the exploitation of natural resources and deforestation.
•          Protection of local and indigenous populations living in areas where are also commonplace in great apes.
•          Support to indigenous and local populations for the preservation and protection of the great apes.
•          Better and more worthy for all those great apes who are in captivity.
•          Indispensable support to formulate protection and laws of great apes, unless they can be archived by the politicians.
•          Encourage the construction of sanctuaries where they can be carried captives and may live in peace, without which no human influence in their lives until the end of its existence.
•          End of the experimentation with great apes in all nations of the world and total ban on circus shows or circuses where are used against their will for the amusement of humans.
•          End of them transfers continued to which are subject them great apes in all them Zoological grating even in some occasions holdings sexual of them same to the object of have babies that are born between bars.
•          End of programs of species in danger of extinction with the great apes in zoos already that ever has it been re-introduced to none of them or only move by not very clear interests. Where action must be taken to avoid its extinction is in the protection of populations in freedom "in situ".
•          An indispensable tool so the United Nations can make a declaration of the rights of great apes.

 

Therefore, the Declaration of great apes as heritage, would be a powerful tool to conserve populations existing in freedom and recognize once and for all, that they and we have a same common ancestor, a same trunk, we were born of the same be and we embarked on ways parallel but always together. UNESCO has the obligation to respect for life and the history of mankind, protect them and give them the support that they deserve for their survival.

 

Already told Kofi Annan, who was Secretary-General of the United NATIONS: "Great apes are our relatives. Like us, they are transmitted knowledge, have social life, and manufactured tools and medicines. Communicating with people and are recognized.  However, we have not treated them with the respect they deserve".

           

Richard Leakey, world famous anthropologist has declared that "We should extend our brothers the chimps, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos, basic rights to close the gap that should never have existed"

           

Some renowned geneticists Richars Goodman the father of genetics which has already left us, as already stated in 2003, that these species of great apes (chimpanzee and bonobo) should be framed within the own genus homo.

             

José María Bermúdez de Castro, prize Prince of Asturias and Co-Director of the Atapuerca whose sites are among the most important of the world declared world heritage and place of outstanding Universal value by UNESCO says the author of this study that: " " Information that offer us hominids, our closest living relatives in phylogenetic terms, is invaluable. They are a reference and an essential model in all studies carried out on human beings. Only by this fact, we should protect their natural habitat and respect its life. The genetic differences that separate us with current hominids are very small.We share with them a common several million years of evolutionary history why do disappear, without scruples, few species of our own evolutionary family? Should recognize the great apes as members of our own genealogy".

           

For years, within the great ape project, we have been denouncing the destruction of millions of hectares in many tropical countries because of massive oil palm plantations, destined for the so-called biofuel but with direct impact on indigenous peoples, peasants, great apes and other living beings. Indonesia is ablaze with thousands of reported fires, burning past wild orangutan sanctuaries and putting at risk the security of our planet. Indigenous peoples are expelled from their lands and the multinationals continue destroying life and forests with the silence and complicity of the international community.

 

This is one indication more of that great apes in ten years will have disappeared and their depleted populations as did in his day with other similar hominid and are doing it with thousands of species today and hundreds of indigenous peoples, an endangered without precedent in the history of the Earth.

 

Therefore, it is essential to find a special catalogue of protection for our brothers evolutionary and what less recourse to UNESCO, cradle of culture and peace. They deserve it and ours is the responsibility for evolutionarily continue their way on the path of life.

 

Already are 235,000 collected signatures and 1,000 letters of academics and people of various branches of science behind this request that no doubt would protect great apes-free populations.

 

The first step had already been taken

 

 He 8 of July of 2016, which writes this study, is has gathered in the headquarters of the Commission national Spanish of cooperation with  UNESCO site in Avenue de los reyes Catholic 4 of Madrid, with Federico Palomera that holds the charge of Secretary General of it UNESCO in Spain, to deliver you some letters directed to its person of different groups environmental , foundations, scientists, academics and journalists that the great apes are declared by the UNESCO World Heritage and expose the campaign initiated by great ape project so that this initiative is taken to the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris.

           

I set out the reasons for which you initiated this international petition that is being welcomed by citizens and persons relevant to the science and letters. Communicated to Federico Palomera populations of great apes were being exterminated in a fast way and that is urgently needed international support, a tool that could serve in the struggle for the conservation of the populations of great apes and that in turn would serve for the preservation of numerous animals, tropical ecosystems and indigenous peoples.

 

The Secretary General of UNESCO in Spain remained attentive to my explanations and promised me that he would immediately move request to the headquarters of Paris along with letters delivered and directed at his person.

 

It is important to communicate to society the imperative need that great apes that are framed within our own family of hominids and share a same common ancestor, are protected immediately as patrimony of the humanity. His disappearance is the sign and decline of the human species. If we are not able to protect some evolutionary species who have shared with us a difficult path up to our days, full of difficulties and in which human being evolved more than any other being to do with control of the land... What can be expected to save our own lineage?.

 

" " Jordi Sabater Pi, primatologist and scientist Spanish, who for many years studied the behavior of primates and several years left us forever, said: "that for them, great apes, this subtle boundary between men and not men is very tenuous and their conduct sister, somehow, with us '"grotesque displays of these animals masquerading as human not should be tolerated , or its commercial exploitation regardless of which or use in laboratories of experimentation and even it would be necessary to reconsider convenience of displaying them in Zoos. "No doubt that within some years will be judged very severely by this conduct that is possible is intends to compared, in some way, with it dispensed makes 200 years, by them white to their brothers black that, as slaves, sold, as if of animals is were, to them planters American".

 

Director Ejecutivo del Proyecto Gran Simio (GAP/PGS-España)

Presidente Internacional del Great Ape Project

nautilusmar@yahoo.es

www.proyectogransimio.org

Informe redactado septiembre 2016

 

Great Ape Project

 

* D. José María Bermúdez de Castro, Codirector de los Yacimientos de Atapuerca (Burgos), Premio Príncipe de Asturias de Investigación Científica y Técnica en 1997 y Profesor de Investigación del CSIC.

* Asociación Parlamentaria en Defensa de los Animales (APDDA), en la que figuran diputados y senadores.

* D. Mario Rodríguez Vargas, Director Ejecutivo de Greenpeace España.

* D. Theo Oberhuder, Coordinador  de Campañas de Ecologistas en Acción.

* Doctor D. Pedro A. Ynteria, Secretario General del Proyecto Gran Simio Internacional.

* Doña Carmen Méndez, Presidenta de la Asociación para la Defensa de los Derechos Animales (ADDA).

* D. Manuel Cases, Presidente de la Federación Española para el Bienestar Animal (FEBA).

* D. Félix Balboa Lezaun, Presidente de la Fundación phi.

* D. José Pablo Gadea Pérez, Presidente de la Fundació Medioambiental de Valencia.

* D. Luis Miguel Domínguez, Director del Gabinete de Historia Natural.

* Doña Consuelo Ramón Chornet, Catedrática de derecho Internacional Público, del Instituto de derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Valencia.

* D. Jorge Riechmann, escritor y Profesor de Filosofía de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

* Doña Rosa Quintana, Presentadora de Televisión y periodista.

* Doña María José López Fuster, catedrática del Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales. Facultad de Biología. Universidad de Barcelona.

* Doctora Sonia Colantonio, catedrática de la Universidad  de Córdoba y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Técnicas (CONICET) de Argentina.

* Doña Paula Casal, profesora  de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra – Barcelona.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

http://www.unesco.org/mab/grasp/prepIGM.htm   (2003)

 

http://portal.unesco.org/es/ev.php-URL_ID=17343&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

 

http://www.un-grasp.org/videos-resources/publications/

 

http://www.unesco.org/mab

 

Informe The Great Apes – the road ahead   http://www.globio.info 

 

Serge Soiret, Ecólogo, Doctor y Presidente del PGS en Costa de Marfil. soiret_serge@yahoo.fr

 

http://proyectogransimio.org/mundo/congo/congo-lilungu

 

World Atlas of Great Apes And Their Conservation. Edited by Julian Caldecott and Lera Miles. Foreword by Kofi A.Annan. University of California Press. Berkeley. Los Angeles. London.

 

“Los pensadores de la jungla. Presente y futuro de los orangutanes”. Autores: Gerd Schuster, Willie Smits y Jay Ullal. Editorial h.f.ullman.

 

Fotografías:  Jeff McCurry/Proyecto Gran Simio

 

http://www.sosvox.org/es/petition/firma-para-que-los-simios-sean-patrimonio-vivo-de-la-humanidad.html

 

https://www.salvalaselva.org/peticion/1033/los-grandes-simios-patrimonio-de-la-humanidad?t=358

 

https://www.change.org/p/irina-bokoba-directora-general-de-la-unesco-reconozcan-a-los-grandes-simios-como-patrimonios-vivos-de-la-humanidad