November 17, 2003. Copyright, 2003, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Time running out for great apes
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, November 17, Graphic News:  Time is running out for the worldÕs great apes, who face imminent extinction unless radical steps are taken to restrict the practices by which man is killing off his closest relatives.

In an effort to turn back the clock, the United Nations Environment Programme and Unesco are to host an emergency meeting of representatives from more than 21 African and two south-east Asian states in Paris at the end of the month to devise a strategy to save the apes. 

ÒThe clock is standing at one minute to midnight for the great apes,Ó said Dr Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the Unep, whose Great Apes Survival Project (Grasp) aims to protect the last communities of apes, including chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas.

But the obstacles facing projects such as Grasp are myriad and continue to grow: the worst threat comes from road construction to extract timber, oil and minerals, which forces the creatures into ever-shrinking habitats where they are easy prey for hunters seeking pets or bushmeat. By devastating their homes, man is tearing a hole in the ecology of the planet.

Recent estimates say Malaysian and Indonesian orangutans lose up to five percent of their remaining habitat each year. AfricaÕs great apes fair slightly better in terms of annual loss, but they are likely to have just 10 percent of their remaining habitat left by 2030. Some species, such as the Bwindi, cross-river and mountain gorillas are already perilously close to being wiped out.

What is particularly alarming for UnepÕs scientists is that new threats continue to emerge. The recent discovery of the valuable mineral tantalite, or coltan, in the Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo bodes ill for apes who block the path of incoming miners.

Similarly, great apes, particularly chimpanzees, are the latest victims of a burgeoning trade in bushmeat. In the sparsely populated border area between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo chimpanzees are routinely killed to provide meat that was once supplied by elephants or buffalo and is transported, unchecked, around the globe. 

As usual, the true culprit is poverty and apathy. But Unep scientists are seeking to educate people that by saving the apes they are saving themselves. The apes occupy a unique place in the ecosystem and perform a vital function in clearing woodland, pruning trees and dispersing seeds, effectively helping those whose lives depend on the forest. 

Not only that -- man owes a special debt to the great apes. Some species share up to 98 percent of their DNA with humans, and the creatures are essential to medical research. Experts have pointed out that the animals show a capacity for altruism, which surely means that we have a moral responsibility to ensure they survive. 

The 11th-hour conference, which takes place from November 26-28, will call for a plan to reverse the decline of populations of great apes in 96 percent of their natural habitats. Ultimately, manÕs success in protecting them will be the measure of his ability to promote a more sustainable future.
/ENDS