Synopsis
In the order of the Primates, the family of the great apes, Hominidae (the human family) occupies a special status, because it is the taxon to which we belong ourselves. Its nonhuman members, therefore, have a very special significance. They comprise the orangutan from Sumatra and Borneo and the gorilla, chimpanzee and bonobo from Africa.
The great apes clearly stand apart from the other primates in many ways, the most important being the development of such mental characteristics as the capacity for symbolic thought and self-recognition and the related characteristics of higher intelligence and cultural development.
Whereas the human species numbers in the billions and is expanding at an alarming rate, the opposite is true for the other great ape species. These are counted in tens of thousands or at the most a hundred thousand individuals. Their numbers have decreased dramatically during the past few decades. And there is no indication that the rate of decline is decreasing. On the contrary! Continuing habitat destruction by logging and forest conversion, the partitioning of remaining habitats into fragments that are too
small to support sustainable populations, and poaching have brought the remaining populations to the brink of extinction. Poaching has become an increasingly severe threat, as it practised not only by locals but also by loggers and roaming military factions. Traders ruthlessly try to capture trophies and young individuals for the pet trade and - especially in Africa - to obtain bushmeat. In many of the habitat countries, these problems are aggravated by political instability and social unrest.
Analyses show that the great apes will become extinct in the wild within this century if we do not take vigorous actions. Therefore, humankind has the moral obligation to prevent this tragedy before it is too late and some of the most interesting creatures on the planet, our nearest relatives, vanish forever from their natural environment.
There is an urgent need for a global conservation strategy to maintain great ape populations within their dynamic and evolving natural eco-systems. Currently, conservation efforts are being made in a piecemeal fashion, where opportunities present themselves and resources are available. Such efforts would have a greater impact if they were part of a systematic approach to a global problem, while still taking local needs and development objectives into account.
The Global Strategy must provide cohesion to the existing work of many agencies, organizations and individuals; this will allow resources to be used more effectively. Such an approach would help us identify what needs to be done in each Great Ape Range State to ensure the survival of those ape populations.
The Global Strategy proposes to coordinate efforts to halt the dramatic world-wide decline in Great Ape populations and to save all great apes in their natural habitats.
To achieve this aim, the following steps must be taken to implement a United Nations Global Conservation Strategy for the Great Apes:
- Formulate the concept of the World Heritage Species, apply the concept to the great apes, and officially accept global responsibility for their conservation.
- Appoint a Special Envoy (SEGA) and National Ambassadors (NAGA) for the Great Apes. The SEGA is responsible for the formulation and implementation of the Global Great Ape Conservation Plan. SEGA will liaise with, and coordinate efforts between, Range States, other inter-governmental bodies (e.g. CITES, CBD, ITTO, FAO) aid agencies, donor countries, and NGOs. SEGA will achieve this by hosting regular meetings of the NAGAs, other conservation specialists, and scientists to integrate information from all of the range countries and monitor the progress of conservation activities. SEGA will reside in the capital of one of the Range States. In its initial work, a task of the utmost priority is to investigate the role of foreign companies in the bushmeat trade and to act to prevent future illegal involvement.
The NAGA, an experienced supervisor for conservation residing in each habitat country or area, should help to establish the national Great Ape Survival Plan (GASP) and monitor the implementation of GASP.
GASP should include law enforcement, strict prohibition of hunting, eating and trading apes, establishing sanctuaries to accomodate apes confiscated from poachers, monitoring the current situation of the great apes including land use in their habitat such as firewood collection and agriculture, advice on how to reduce damage by subsistence activities, technical advice on sustainable exploitation of the forest, and alternative economic plans, such as eco-tourism and use of non-timber forest resources. In particuar, there is the need for countries to commit to dissuading their people from eating great apes. The UNEP has shown a leadership in this line by having announced GRASP (the GReat Ape Survival Project) in May 2001. GASP and GRASP could be integrated smoothly since the purpose of both parties is the same.
This will need to be done with a reasonable budget supported by the international community. The budget expected from the United Nations should cover the following major elements of the action plan:
1. The Office of the Special Envoy for Great Apes, to be established in the capital city of one of the African range states, at an annual cost of USD 135,000.
2. The Offices of the National Ambassadors: At least 10 ambassadors should be appointed to be stationed in the major Range States. NAGA might be an honorary title bestowed on prominent primatologists/conservationists resident or active in the country/region. The annual running cost of each NAGA would be USD 10,000.
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