Comments On: IPPL News Vol. 26 NO. 2

IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 1
MESSAGE FROM SHIRLEY McGREAL
We hope you will find this issue of IPPL News interesting. We are delighted that several Japanese groups are working on the case of four baby orangutans recently confiscated from an Osaka exotic pet shop. Our long-time Japanese Representative, Dr. Akira Suzuki, is part of the coalition working to tighten up Japanese wildlife trade laws and get them enforced.
We hope you'll enjoy Jane Dewar's article about Limbe Wildlife Center. Pitchou, a baby gorilla rescued in 1998, is now a full member of the Limbe gorilla group! All the progress Jane describes was made possible by generous donations from IPPL members.
Here in South Carolina we are enduring our long hot summer and hoping that we don't get hit by a hurricane this year - forecasters think 1999 will be a bad season. We still have nightmare memories of getting hit by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989.
Thanks to a generous bequest from Swan and Mary Henningson and a donation from a friendly foundation, IPPL is building a cottage ("Swan and Mary's Cottage ) which will serve as an education center and provide accommodation for short-term volunteers.
We hope some of you will also consider including IPPL in your estate planing so that we can continue our compassionate work for all primates great and small.
IPPL 2000 CALENDAR Thanks to IPPL's friend Michael Turco, you will be able to enjoy a lovely IPPL calendar for the year 2000.
Michael is a famous nature photographer who travels the world taking photos. He frequently donates photos for IPPL News.
Every year you will find several different Michael Turco calendars in US stores; some of frogs; some of insects; and some of great apes.
This year there will be a monkey calendar. You don t often see monkey calendars in the US. Due to the public preference for great apes.
Please refer to page 35 of this issue of IPPL News to see how the calendar cover will look and learn how to order your copy. Don't miss this one!
Page 35 minus pictures
NEW GIFT ITEMS
GREAT PRIMATE BOOK!
Award-winning wildlife photographer Art Wolfe takes wonderful photos and Barbara Sleeper is a first-class writer. Together they created Primates-sub-titled The Amazing World of Lemurs, Monkeys and Apes. This book is a delight to read and suitable for people of all ages. It contains hundreds of the most spectacular and colorful primate photos you'll will ever see. The book costs $20, plus $4 shipping and handling (US), or $10 (overseas). You can use your credit card to place your order. Contact IPPL, POB 766, Summerville, SC 29484, USA.
GIBBON PENDANTS
Ann Wilson, an old friend of IPPL, makes lovely gibbon pendants by hand. Each ceramic pendant is made to order. The cost is $60 (US), plus $5 shipping and handling for US orders ($10 overseas). Ann will donate $10 to IPPL for each pendant sold. To place an order, contact Ann Wilson, 8360 Eckhert Road #14, San Antonio, TX 78240, USA. Ann also makes pendants of elephants, chimps, pigs, horses, and many other animals.
MONKEY CALENDAR
For the very first time, there will be an IPPL calendar on sale in bookstores, thanks to photographer Michael Turco. The calendar features monkey photographs. It is produced by Browntrout Calendars and is available directly from IPPL. The calendar costs US $11.50. For US orders, add $4 for postage and handling, for overseas orders add US $7 (airmail) US $3 (surface). Reserve your IPPL calendar now.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 2
ORANGUTANS CONFISCATED FROM JAPANESE PET SHOP
On the morning of 24 May 1999, Japanese police confiscated four orangutans and several other primates; one siamang gibbon, three talapoin monkeys, one greater white-nosed guenon, and two patas monkeys, from the Wan Wan Land pet shop in Osaka, Japan. "Wan Wan" is Japanese for "Bow Wow! "
That same evening, a TV documentary program featured the crackdown as a headline story. It was also publicized in the newspaper Yomiuri's Kansai Regional Edition.
Pet shop's ad
The pet shop had taken a full-page ad in a Japanese exotic animal magazine. Many endangered species, including orangutans, siamangs, and gibbons were offered for sale. If you looked carefully you will even see poor little prairie dogs kidnaped from their homes on the prairies of the Western United States for sale as household pets in Japan, a very sad fate for these wonderful sociable animals!
Impunity
Until May 1999, the Japanese pet shops had operated with apparent impunity.
When in Kyoto for a 1992 wildlife conference, I was taken by a student group animals were kept in filth, heat, and noise: some of the cages lined the street. Some animals were dead in their cages.
Many marmosets flown in from South America were on sale. I was told by the young people that the stores were run by gangsters and that everyone in and out of government was afraid of challenging them.
Students forced to apologize
At that time during the CITES meeting, the student group handed out a critique of the pet shops to those present, but very few people bothered to go and look at them. Later, the students were forced to hand out a withdrawal of their criticisms, along with an apology (for telling the truth) to the dealers who, they later said, had been threatening them.
Fearless opponents
Fortunately, the animal dealers have now met with fearless and formidable opponents and the confiscated animals are reportedly receiving good care.
A hearing was held in Osaka on 2 July. Many members of IPPL's E-Mail alert list were able to fax the prosecutor expressing their approval of the confiscation of the animals and requesting that the case against Wan Wan Land be vigorously prosecuted.
Action gets results
IPPL received news about the hearing from our friends at ALIVE, a Japanese animal protection organization.
ALIVE's comments
Thanks to all the letters sent from all over the world, the Osaka District Prosecutors Office, especially Mr. Kano, the Chief Prosecutor, were fully aware of the importance of this case when they prepared the indictment for the formal prosecution on Monday.
The pet shop owner and the manager have now formally been charged with the violation of "Law of Protection of Species Preservation" as the purchasers of the species protected by CITES.
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 3
Also the Osaka Police have obtained an arrest warrant for another person (obviously those two didn't keep their mouths shut!) and are going to submit a request to the Interpol to take action for the search of this Japanese man, who lives in Jakarta, for the violation of the same law as the seller. This man allegedly administered some kind of drug to the orangutans to make them unconscious and then put them in a big suitcase and smuggled them into Japan.
Nobody has been charged with the violation of "LPSP " in Japan before, nor have the Japanese police contacted the lnterpol for an international search.
This IS unprecedented.
Some people have expressed concern, or rather doubts, about the effectiveness of writing letters. This case is proof that each of us CAN make a difference with just one letter.
Still more to do
We have come to the "Phase 11" of our campaign. Three organizations - the Japanese Wildlife Conservation Society (JWCS), ALIVE, and the Orangutan Protection Research Committee, which is run by Dr. Akira Suzaki, IPPL's Japanese representative (with the support of TRAFFlC-Japan), are involved.
Joint statement
We have released a joint statement, in which we request:
that the Ministry of the International Trade and Industry (MITI), and the Environmental Agency (EA) will establish a system to enable provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to be effective in this country and any illegally imported animals be returned to their native countries.
that the National Police agency (NPA) and the Public Prosecutors Office (PPO) will seek a way to put stricter control over Public awareness campaign illegal wildlife trade and charge an offender with a severe penalty for a preventive purpose.
that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and EA will make efforts to revise the existing law, so a dealer involved in import/export/sale of wildlife, including endangered species, will be required to obtain a license for the business, as well as enabling the authorities to enter private property for inspections and to revoke licenses if necessary.
that PMO, EA, and the Ministry of Public Welfare (MPW) will promote public education on protection of endangered wildlife and on the danger of transmissible diseases between human and animals to discourage the public from selling/purchasing/keeping of wildlife as pets.
that MITI, EA, MOFA, NPA, and MF (the Ministry of Finance) will make efforts to establish international systems to exchange information and to cooperate between countries to prevent illegal wildlife trade in the future.
Public awareness campaign
We have sent the above to the media as well as to MlTI, EA, and MOFA.
We have also launched a public fund-raising campaign here for the rehabilitation of the orangutans and conservation of their natural habitat; we do not expect to be able to raise enough money to cover all the expenses but it is a good way to promote the public awareness.
STOP PRESS NEWS:
The Japanese resident of Jakarta allegedly involved in supplying the orangutans has turned himself in to Osaka prosecutors.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 4
PROBOSCIS MONKEY DEMONSTRATION
On 6 April 1999, the Indonesian group KSBK (Animal Conservation for Life), which works closely with IPPL, held a protest outside Surabaya Zoo, which had been involved in the capture of proboscis monkeys ("bekantan" in the Indonesian language) from the Pulau Kaget Nature Reserve in Indonesia.
Many monkeys had died during capture and at the zoo.
The protestors were expressing their concern at the deaths of so many monkeys and their opposition to plans to breed this species in captivity. They held a meeting with zoo officials, including director Stany Subakir. Zoo officials blamed the Indonesian Forestry Department for the fiasco.
KSBK also organized a worldwide petition drive against plans to breed proboscis monkeys in captivity. This petition was signed by over 1,700 people and 30 organizations.
Proboscis monkeys live only on the island of Borneo. The Indonesian part of Borneo is Kalimantan. Conservation groups based in South Kalimantan, the province where Pulau Kaget is located, held a "Solidarity for Proboscis Monkeys" Preservation Forum, at which the groups made a statement opposing the captive breeding plans.
In April 1999, a coalition of Kalimantan groups held a "Love proboscis monkey" demonstration and went to the South Kalimantan Governor's office to express their concern about the monkey deaths at Surabaya.
Coalition leader Muhammed Saleh of LPMA urged that the surviving animals be rehabilitated. Syamsuri from Mapala Yustitia suspected the motives behind the capture of the monkeys and demanded an investigation.
Dr. Armain Djanit, Chief of Conservation of the South Kalimantan Regional Development Agency, agreed with the protestors that those responsible for removing the monkeys from South Kalimantan should be prosecuted.
Also in April 1999, Gusti Hasan Aman, Governor of South Kalimantan, demanded that all surviving proboscis monkeys be returned to South Kalimantan.
Canadians oppose Toronto plan
A consortium of Canadian animal protection groups is opposing plans by Toronto Zoo to import ten proboscis monkeys from Surabaya Zoo. Among the coalition members are Zoo Check, IPPL, WSPA and the Animal Alliance as well as Canadian primatologists Drs. Frances Burton and Ann Russon.
Although the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) bans commercial trade in Appendix I species like proboscis monkeys, zoos have always enjoyed a special status, as if they are not commercial entities.
In a Toronto Zoo internal memorandum dated 24 March 1999, zoo officials were surprisingly candid in admitting the zoo's desire to make money off proboscis monkeys, stating:
The proboscis monkey is a large, sexually dimorphic, leaf eating primate the outstanding feature of this species is the protruding nose, which becomes large and pendulous in old males...
The proboscis monkeys have qualities that make them a special attraction at the Zoo. Not only are they rare in the wild but they are extremely rare in captivity (only 3 at one zoo, outside of the newly captured animals in Indonesia). They have never been displayed in Canada and have a physical characteristic that any marketing firm would exploit to attract visitors. Proboscis monkeys will be the zoo's featured exhibit for 1999.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 5
At the time of this memo, Toronto Zoo vas holding a permit issued by the Canadian Government for import of ten proboscis monkeys. However, the permit expired before any animals could be obtained and now the zoo has to decide whether to apply again.
Bronx Zoo's application
In early 1999, the Wildlife Conservation Park, New York, USA (formerly known as the Bronx Zoo) applied to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to import 10 proboscis monkeys (4 males and 6 females) from Indonesia. IPPL obtained a copy of the application and sent detailed comments to USFWS. Extracts from IPPL's comments follow:
Although the application weighs a pound, it is short on substantive information about 1) the wild population of proboscis monkeys, 2) the background of the individual animals to be imported, 3) the capture operations in Indonesia, and 4) the reasons for the decline and of fall the zoo population in North America and Europe....
IPPL has been informed of alleged circumstances associated with the capture which we believe should be investigated by OMA, as removal of monkeys from the wild appears to have been conducted in a disastrous manner, with heavy losses of animals at the capture site and at Surabaya Zoo...
A table prepared by Dr. Anne Russon of York University shows that only three proboscis monkeys survive in Western zoos at the present time.
Groups at San Diego, Dallas, Milwaukee, the National Zoo (USA), Berlin and Stuttgart (Germany), Basel (Switzerland), and Twycross (UK) no longer exist I one accepts a conservative estimate of 5 proboscis monkeys dying for each one successfully brought into overseas captivity, for the 1975 zoo population of 54 animals, over 300 animals would have been lost from the wild.

Therefore the current world zoo population should number 300+ animals not THREE...
The Bronx Zoo claims to have had 26 captive births since 1970. Where are all these animals now? Where is the next generation ?
After considering information provided by KSBK, IPPL and other organizations' the Bronx Zoo withdrew its application 3 to import proboscis monkeys.
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 6 A VISIT WITH WASHOE AND FAMILY
by IPPL memebers Gene and Sandy Prosnitz
In March 1999, we joined a team of Earthwatch volunteers and went to the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington.
The CHCI is home for Washoe and her family, consisting of two young adult females, Tatu and Moja, and two young adult males, Dar and Loulis. Loulis is Washoe's adopted son.
All of the chimpanzees speak American Sign Language. Loulis learned sign language from Washoe, he is the only known non-human primate to learn sign language from another non-human primate.
The next highest ranking primates at the CHCI, after Washoe, Loulis, Dar, Tatu, and Moja, are Roger and Debbie Fouts.
Roger and Debbie have created a wonderful place. The chimpanzees have a large 5000 square foot outdoor enclosure, with two adjacent indoor enclosures. There is plenty of vertical climbing space, with many nets, ropes, hammocks, and tree type structures. In contrast to zoos, which create exhibits which look "natural," in these enclosures the emphasis is on what is most fun for the chimps (even if the trees don't look real).
We were really impressed by the atmosphere at CHCI. The chimpanzees definitely come first, and Roger and Debbie and all of the graduate students work for their welfare first. That was the spirit at CHCI, it was not mostly about getting research grants or PhD degrees.
Research projects consist of observing the chimps' behavior to learn what will make life better for other chimps in captivity. The chimpanzees are not forced to do anything.
In our project, first we had to pass tests to make sure that we could identify each chimpanzee and each different type of protec behavior.
Then we got started. At the beginning move of each day, while the chimpanzees were still in their night area, we put 50 objects in the chimpanzees' daytime enclosures. These were toys, clothes, containers, tubes, and grooming objects. During the day, we observed which objects the chimpanzees played with, and what they did with each object, and recorded the results in a computerized data bank. During each observation session, each volunteer would follow and observe one chimp for 15 minutes. Sometimes this would mean running back and forth from the indoor to the outdoor area. Each chimpanzee has its own personal likes and dislikes. Moja likes to dress up in all sorts of clothes. Tatu wears many different face masks.
Loulis is the mischievous young prince, coming up to the glass window to talk to us. When we were in the night cage area, Loulis spit a mouthful of water on Gene and on Chris, the other male volunteer, making sure that we knew who was the dominant male. After he had educated us, he became very friendly.
Dar is the strong silent type.
Washoe is very much the matriarch, protecting her farnily. If we went too close to the window of the enclosure, she would move up to the window and start displaying and pounding the window, telling us to move back.
Earthwatch volunteers have gone on to do other important work. Gloria Grow, director of the Fauna Foundation, started out as an Earthwatch volunteer at CHCI. The Fauna Foundation is a chimpanzee sanctuary based in Carignan, Quebec, Canada.
For more information, please feel free to contact Gene and Sandy Prosnitz, 2600 Netherland Ave, Riverdale, NY 10463.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 7
INVESTIGATORS FIND PRIMATES ON BIRD MARKETS
The 1998 KSBK study of Indonesia's wildlife markets was repeated in 1999 in order to see whether changes in trading patterns were observed. Unfortunately, KSBK found that things are getting worse for the unfortunate animals traded at these hot and noisy markets.
Extracts from KSBK's new report follow. Please contact IPPL if you would like a copy of the complete report. The title of the English-language version is "Monitoring of Primate Trade At Supermarkets and Bird Markets in East Java." The Bahasa title is "Monitoring Perdagangan Primata di Supermarket dan Pasar Burung di Jawa Timur."
Introduction
In the last four years, KSBK has been continually monitoring wildlife trade at bird markets in Java and Bali. The result of this monitoring shows the species, the numbers traded, prices, etc. The information is very valuable for the arrangement of wildlife conservation strategy and preservation campaign.
Many people are not aware that the activity of wildlife traders threatens wildlife preservation in nature. But, collection of accurate data about the wildlife trade will diminish the reason for not paying serious attention to this activity. The government should have given more serious attention toward wildlife trade practices.
The centers of wildlife trade center in Java and Bali are the "bird markets" which are found in many places. In Java there are about 10-20 big bird markets (each with more than 20 stalls) and hundreds of small bird markets. Although the name is bird market, these markets also sell other wildlife species, including primates (KSBK, 1998).
In the last three years, there is a tendency towards increased primate trade. This has not only occurred in traditional bird markets, but now is also seen at supermarkets or shopping malls. This is seen in the big cities of Java, such as Jakarta and Surabaya.
Wildlife trade activity in supermarkets is a growing threat to wildlife preservation in nature. Most of the visitors to supermarkets come from wealthy levels of society, people with a high ability to purchase.
Therefore KSBK with IPPL's support conducted primate trade monitoring in some supermarkets in East Java. Monitoring was also conducted at the three biggest bird markets in East Java (the biggest are Pramuka in Jakarta, Bratang in Surabaya, and Malang Market).
Time of study
The continued investigation was conducted once a week from January-May 1999. Data gathered included species, number of animals, prices, and origin of the primate species traded. Additional data about another wildlife species was also collected.
Supermarkets, a new place for primate trading
Along with the advance of economic and industrial development in Java, a lot of luxury supermarkets appear, especially in big cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung. These supermarkets provide all kinds of necessities. Supermarkets become the center of business in big cities and people from the middle and upper classes prefer shopping in supermarkets over traditional markets.
In the last three years, wildlife trade in and around supermarkets is increasing both in the formal stalls within the supermarket, and in front of the supermarket entrance. In the past most animals sold in supermarkets were cats, fish, and dogs. But more recently one sees various kinds of endangered and protected animals.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 8
Since most of the supermarket patrons are well-off, trade in endangered species at and around supermarkets can be a serious threat to wildlife preservation.
Tunjungan Plaza
This plaza is located at J1. Jendral Basuki Rahmat 2-12 Surabaya.
Three species of primates were observed here the slow loris, the ebony langur, and the long-tailed macaque.
The trader in Tunjungan Plaza claims he can fill orders for protected primate species, such as the slow loris or gibbon, easily--we just leave our telephone number and the trader will call us.
In front of the supermarket entry, we can see many primates being sold, such as the slow loris, the ebony langur, and the long-tailed macaque. These traders (who trade outside Tunjungan Plaza) actively offer these animals to the visitors. Most primates which were on sale were still babies.
Surabaya Plaza
This plaza is located at J1. Pemuda 31-37 Surabaya.
Primate trading in Surabaya Plaza is divided between two locations. First location is inside Surabaya Plaza. The second location is outside Surabaya Plaza. Inside the plaza, all primates traded were stuffed specimens, including ebony langurs and red langurs.
Outside Surabaya Plaza many live primates were sold. During January-May 1999, we noted 47 monkeys and 10 slow lorises.
Surabaya Mall Business Center
This mall is located at J1. Kusuma Bnagsa 116-118 Surabaya.
The animals sold inside Surabaya Mall were all stuffed animals, including leopard cats and water monitors. During January-May, we saw no primates? alive or stuffed, at this mall.
Sinar Fontana Surabaya
This is located at Jl. Raya Margorejo Indah Surabaya.
At Sinar Fontana we saw mainly pets, but also some endangered or protected species such as the black napped lory and palm cockatoo. During January-May 1999, the investigator did not find any primates traded.
Bird Markets not just birds!
The three biggest bird markets of Java are Pramuka, Jakarta; Bratang, Surabaya; and the Malang bird market. Bird markets, contrary to their name, not only sell birds but also other species of wildlife, especially primates, reptiles, and fishes. In March 1999, we b started monitoring Kupang bird market in Surabaya which we had not previously studied.
Malang Bird Market
This market is located at Jl. Mojopahit, Malang.
Malang bird market is a very large bird market. There are about 80 legally permitted stalls, but there were many illegal stalls, so the total number of traders was around 299. Some stalls sold primates.
One primate trader is Mr. Sutikno (his stall name is Morodadi 66). He often sells protected wildlife. Some other traders often sell primates, especially the slow loris. In addition to Mr. Sutikno, the trader whose stall is located in front of the Malang bird market entrance also sells primates.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 9
Most of primates traded at Malang are long-tailed Macaques (we saw 95) and slow loris (we saw 38). We also saw one grizzled leaf monkey and one siamang.
Three orangutans were traded at Malang during our study. They were still babies. Buyers interested in buying orangutans have to make advance payment. According to the trader, it would be better to make the transaction at his home or else he can send the orangutan directly to the buyer's home.
The trader's name is Mr. Sadikin, lives on J1. Selat Sunda D1 No.40 Malang. Sadikin said he could also provide permits to keep orangutans for RP 100.000,00 per animal (US $15). However by law only the Indonesian President can issue permits to keep orangutans. If anyone had a permit to keep orangutan, it can be concluded that this permit is illegal or a fake.
At Malang bird market, slow lorises were traded quite often. In 1998, KSBK built a big information board illustrating the slow loris with a warning message saying that the slow loris is protected by law and that the activity of selling, buying, and trading the species could result in a prison sentence or a fine up to 100 million rupiahs (US $15,000), based act. no. 5 1990.
Ironically, slow loris traders often sell his animal right under the information board. One of the slow loris traders interviewed by KSBK's undercover investigator posing as a buyer said, "Please don't worry about buying slow loris, it is not protected yet and there are still plenty in nature. The billboard is untrue. There is no fine at all..."
The "cut-tail monkey"
Another primate species traded at Malang bird market is the pig-tail macaque. The pig-tail macaque comes from the island of Sumatra. Pigtail macaques cost more. Maybe this is why many of the long-tailed macaques' tails are amputated. The trader who usually sells the "cut-tail monkey" is Mr. Sutikno.
Bratang Bird Market
This market is located in Surabaya next to Bratang Bus Station.
Bratang bird market is the largest bird market in Surabaya. 151 primates were sold in this bird market during January-May 1999. The most commonly traded primates are the long-tailed macaque (76) and the slow loris (42). We have also seen a silvery (Javan) gibbon, a highly endangered species, and some ebony langurs, pig-tail macaques, and Borneo gibbon.
Kupang Bird Market
Located in Kupang, Surabaya, this small bird market has about 10 stalls, two of which specialize in primates. The primate species mostly sold in Kupar bird market are ebony langurs (133), long-tailed macaques (97) and Borneo gibbons (7).
One Kupang trader supplies primates to the other bird markets and super markets (Mr. Urip J1. Banyu Urip Wetan III/9 Surabaya). According to him, he some- times delivers primates to buyers in Middle Java and also Jakarta.
Many rare animals can be found at Mr. Urip's home. The endangered animals are hidden on purpose; they are not displayed in public to avoid official attention from the BKSDA (Department of Forestry) officer. People interested in buying protected animals will be brought to his home.
Most of the primates sold at bird markets are still babies. They are kept in small cages. The apes and orangutans are chained by the neck. Prices are highest for the rarest species such as orangutans and gibbons.
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 10
Number of primates traded
The total amount of primates traded at the bird markets and some of the supermarkets in East Java during January-May 1999, is estimated at 632 animals. The place which trades the largest number of primates is Kupang bird market, which sold 234 animals.
The most commonly traded species is the long tail macaque (264) followed by the black ebony langur (222), the slow loris (109) and the pig tail macaque (24).
The economic crisis and the primate trade
From February-July 1998, KSBK, supported by IPPL, conducted weekly monitoring of primate trade at Malang and Bratang bird markets. The same monitoring method was used in 1999. Unfortunately, a significant increase in the number of primates traded was observed.
The increase in the number of primates traded may be linked to the economic crisis in Indonesia. Increasing unemployment and higher prices for basic necessities stimulates the vast exploitation of natural resources, with no consideration to the great loss in the future. This situation is aggravated by the weak enforcement of Indonesia's wildlife protection laws.
Report on Denpasar, Bali
On five occasions during the period January-May 1999, KSBK surveyed the Satria bird market, Denpasar, the biggest bird market in Bali. There were three species of primates sold: long-tail macaques (25), ebony langurs, and pig-tail macaques.
The Titiles Sausage Company, Bali
Bali is the major tourist attraction in Indonesia. This has increased the economic level of the Balinese people and the newcomers who work in Bali. Many wealthy and well-known people in Bali like to keep various kinds of endangered or protected animals. Titiles company is one example. The company address is Titiles, J1. Diponegoro 7/6, Denpasar, Bali.
Many Indonesians and tourists send letters to KSBK asking why Titiles keeps so many endangered animals.
Therefore KSBK conducted an investigation of the animals at Titiles to check if they were being held by the owner or sold.
The KSBK observers found orangutans, Sumatran tigers, a lion, a sun bear, a water monitor, and various reptiles and bird species.
Most of the animals kept by Titiles Company are protected by law. These animals are put in cages in front of show room of the Titiles company. The company sells sausages, ham, and jerked meat. People buying sausages at Titiles see the animals.
We concluded that the animals at Titiles company are not for sale. They are kept as pets. According to neighbors, Titiles company never sold animals. The three orangutans are often taken for walks by the owner.
Titiles Raided - orangutans seized
In April 1999, a team from Wanariset-East Borneo and BKSDA/ Bali Forestry Department confiscated the three orangutans kept by Titiles. The three orangutans would enter an orangutan rehabilitation program in Wanariset, East Borneo.
Unfortunately, other protected species such as the Sumatran tiger and sun bear were not included in the confiscation, only the orangutans.
KSBK RECOMMENDATIONS
1) Trade in protected animals at supermarkets and bird markets should be stopped. The PKA (Forestry Department) officers should take stricter action against traders in protected animals.
2) The government should restrict or ban domestic trade in protected primate species since the primate trade is increasing from year to year.
3) The ebony langur should be declared a protected species. This species lives only on Java and Bali and is found only in the small remaining forest areas of Java. Many ebony langurs are traded and the trade goes on openly. This poses a serious threat to the survival of the ebony langur in nature.
KSBK (Animal Conservation for Life) thanks IPPL, USA, for the funding support and good cooperation and also KSBK's members and investigators.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 11
In 1989, IPPL was hit hard by Hurricane Hugo. We took a direct hit from this terrible storm that caused severe damage in the Caribbean and along the South Carolina coast. The result was tens of thousands of dollars of property damages to IPPL but, fortunately, no loss of animal life.
In 1998, two hurricanes narrowly missed Summerville, veering northwards at the last minute. Weather forecasters have predicted a severe hurricane season in 1999, with larger numbers of storms, and the storms more likely to be destructive.
The IPPL gibbon sanctuary has 30 resident gibbons on our ten-acre premises. We are already working on strengthening our gibbon houses. As well as outdoor enclosures, all gibbons have indoor houses where they stay at night and during severe weather.
Thanks to a generous $5,000 grant from the Chicago-based National Anti-Vivisection Society's Sanctuary Support Fund, all gibbon housing units are being strengthened.
IPPL extends its sincere thanks to the NAVS Board of Directors and NAVS members for their generous help Among the IPPL resident gibbons are eight retired laboratory animals: Arun Rangsi arrived at IPPL on 9 August 1981, his second birthday. He was born at a California cancer laboratory, abandoned by his mother at birth, and reared with an artificial mother made of wire. On arrival he banged his head constantly.
Helen was 2 years old on arrival in 1983 from the now-defunct Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) of New York University Medical Center. Helen was born at the same California laboratory as Arun Rangsi and was sent to New York when this lab closed down.
Peppy was 2 years old on arrival in 1983 from LEMSIP. Peppy was also born at the California laboratory. He was unsuccessfully inoculated with a fatal cancer virus. Peppy is a friendly gibbon and still sucks his thumb.
Shanti was 2 years old when she reached IPPL in 1983 from LEMSIP, where she was born. Shanti arrived with bald patches on her arms, legs and belly. Her coat grew back and she is a beautiful gibbon. Shanti is Arun Rangsi's companion.
Blackie is Shanti's dad. He reached IPPL in 1984 from LEMSIP, where he had lived for 25 years. Blackie reportedly reached LEMSIP as an adult, so he is well over 40 years old now.
Penny, Shanti's mom and Blackie's long-time companion. She came to IPPL from LEMSIP with her long-time mate Blackie and newborn baby. Penny is in her late 40s.
E.T., Blackie and Penny's daughter, came to IPPL as a new born baby. E.T. was raised lovingly by her parents, and is now grown up.
Igor came to IPPL in 1987 from LEMSIP where he had lived for 21 years. He had reached LEMSIP after several years at another lab. Igor would self-mutilate whenever he saw another gibbon so his cage was covered by black plexiglass. He lives in a remote corner of IPPL's property. Igor loves human and canine companionship and watching sports on his TV.
All these retired research gibbons are still alive and well. They were among the first -if not the first - primates retired from research laboratories to sanctuaries.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 12
MONKEYS REHABILITATED IN VENEZUELA by Lucy Wolfensohn of APROA
The Venezuelan environmental organization APROA has been operating a "Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release Center" since the end of 1995. It has released ten mammals (eight of them primates), 54 tortoises and turtles, one iguana, and 32 birds (parrots, falcons, buteos and others).
APROA is a non-profit organization dealing with animal protection since 1983. It is located in Caracas, Venezuela.
On August 1, 1998, APROA released 5 wedge-capped capuchin monkeys (scientific name Cebus olivacea). They had been our guests for periods ranging from several weeks to over a year, being prepared for release in the Venezuelan central plains (Llanos Centrales), where our Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release Center is located.
These animals, four males and one female, were turned in by their owners, once they became mature and started to be a burden for their "adoptive parents." The fifth was confiscated by the police from his owner, who had been mistreating him.
After the compulsory quarantine, they were put in three big inter-connected cages with local fruit trees inside, where climbing was a new experience for some of them. Chained or caged had been their usual living conditions.
Rehabilitation involves a monkey learning locomotion skills, what to eat, and how to socialize. Getting to know the fruits, buds, leaves and insects that nature has provided for them and eating them, was easily reached. Sociability was more difficult, since their companions had been humans. The quarantine holding cage was always first placed inside the rehabilitation cage for one or two days, in order for the older inmates to accept the newcomer. This procedure has proved excellent, since there were no fights among them.
Then the long-anticipated day arrived. They were put into two kennels and were transported to Monkey Island on a tractor. Since it was in the midst of the rainy season, no other vehicle could get there. A float locally built served the purpose of taking us from the land to the island, both on a private farm where the Rescue Center is located. The rehabilitator and the person in charge of the feeding had the privilege of accompanying the monkeys.
One of the kennels was opened and Domingo, the mistreated male, walked out first. He looked around, but undertook no initiative.
Afterwards, the rest followed, climbing immediately into the trees. Instinct made them start working on the bark and eating little insects, mainly termites. Buds and leaves came next, a whole new experience.
Food has also been provided on a limited basis so that the change in diet would not affect their health. Soon they climbed on different trees and said good-bye to us for the day.
The fact that the Rescue Center is located in the midst of their natural habitat is very important, since the animals do not have to adjust to new climates and surroundings.
Our friends will be staying on this island for several months, until waters recede during the dry season and the land disappears.
Then they will be free to choose their way of life, either staying together or joining other groups. The area houses several groups of wedge-capped capuchins and red howlers, who do not interfere with each other since they live at different altitudes and have different diets.
Due to the efforts of APROA's staff, these five primates are now enjoying freedom.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 13
MY SUNDAY VISITOR by Shirley McGreal
It was a lovely sunny Sunday in March when a car drove up to IPPL Headquarters. Inside were a man, a woman, their two young children and a baby in diapers.
But the baby wasn't a human baby. It was a tiny African green (grivet) monkey just three weeks old. The couple had been directed to IPPL for advice on primate care.
The story that emerged was a sad one and I hear it all too often. The husband and wife said they had always dreamed of owning a pet monkey. So they searched the Internet and located an animal dealer in Missouri who was offering captive-born baby monkeys for sale. They paid $2,700 for their baby monkey.
The monkey, then weighing just six ounces, was shipped to South Carolina by "airline dash" service a week before the couple's visit. At the time she was shipped, the baby was, according to the owners, JUST TWO WEEKS OLD.
Can you imagine her terror at being stuffed into a shipping crate and placed in the noisy hold of a jet plane?
The "owners" gave the baby monkey the lovely name "Jasmine."
Why do I put the word "owners" in quotation marks? The reason is that there is another owner--this one the REAL owner of baby Jasmine--her monkey mother, from whom her baby had no doubt been "pulled" and whom Jasmine would never see again.
The bond between a baby monkey and his/her mother (and often the bond between the entire monkey social group) is very strong from birth. In nature it would not be broken till the monkey reached the age of 4-5 years.
Monkey mothers who lose babies in nature often carry the bodies around for several days, desperately trying to bring them back to life.
Baby monkeys are born with the ability to cling, and they hang on to their mothers round the clock. Her owners said that at night the artificially-orphaned monkey Jasmine slept in a crate.
Jasmine was garbed in preemie baby diapers (with a hole cut for her tail) and a yellow knitted sweater.
I discussed with the owners how baby monkeys are kidnaped from their mothers by animal dealers, and how Jasmine might well live 30 years. People who buy pet monkeys don't seem to think in the time-frame of a monkey's entire life-time.
Things will have changed in their lives decades down the line. An adult monkey with a mind of his/her own may I not fit in.
Unfortunately, thanks to the Internet - and publications catering to exotic animal fanciers, there are plenty of baby monkeys available to meet the growing demand.
Television programs like Friends and The Chimp Channel and movies like Dunston Checks In (about an orangutan wrecking a hotel) have added glamor and fun to the idea of owning pet monkeys and apes.
A "reality check" would show that there is very little real "glamor" to monkey ownership.
Monkeys can carry diseases that can make humans sick or, at worse, can kill them. More than 50% of macaque monkeys carry the Herpes B virus, which does not harm them but can and does kill humans. In December 1997, a young animal caregiver at Yerkes Primate Center outside Atlanta died a horrifying death after being infected with Herpes B by fluid splashed into her eye - it seemed so minor at the time that the victim did not even report the incident.
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 14
MY SUNDAY VISITOR by Shirley McGreal
Monkeys cannot be toilet-trained and can wreck a home.
Monkeys can catch most human diseases, and it is very difficult to find a veterinarian willing or able to care for them.
Monkeys can and do bite. They grow long canine teeth. They will inevitably bite their owners. Worse, they can bite friends and children. Many monkey owners use their pets as "status symbols" and like to show them off. The result can be injured friends or family members who run first to their doctors, then to their lawyers!
Most monkey owners keep just one monkey. Living solely with humans is an unnatural way of life for an animal as sociable as a primate. The result is a psychologically aberrant animal with no future as a "near-human" or as a member of his/her own species. I know of no zoo that will accept cast-off primates they are considered too "neurotic" for life in a group.
Many pet primates die before the age of two years so their long-term future may not be a problem for the owner. But this is tragic for all concerned - the only beneficiary is the animal dealer who lives off the human and animal tragedies most of his dealings cause.
Only a minority of the lucky survivors will get lifelong care from their human caregivers. Often, when pet monkeys reach the biting stage, the owners look for a new home. Because of the glut of primates on the exotic pet market, the number of unwanted primates in need of homes is staggering. Sadly, those sanctuaries that accept castoff pets are full.
The couple clearly adored their new family member. One of the children was scared. When they were about to leave, their car would not start. Once we got them going, they left for their home in a mobile home community.
I was left saddened by this experience--these people clearly meant well but were not well-informed on primate care. They had spent precious money that could have been used for their family on a very perishable commodity--Baby Jasmine. What will the future hold for her?
NOTE: the US Centers for Disease Control has banned import of monkeys for the pet trade since 1975, and sale as pets of monkeys born to animals im ported since 1975 is also banned. However CDC has no enforcement powers.
Some monkeys are smuggled into the United States for sale as pets, especially South American species smuggled across the Mexican border. Unfortunately, many of the primate breeders are obtaining their stock from US zoos.
The San Jose Mercury News recently ran a brilliant series by investigative reporter Linda Goldston on how many of the nation's zoos (including the famous San Diego Zoo) are allowing surplus primates and hoof stock to fall into the hands of animal dealers and canned hunts. If you didn't already, check out the Mercury News web site: http://www.mercurycenter.com/nation/zoo
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 15
FIVE GORILLAS HELD BY KANO BUSINESSMAN
IPPL has learned that a Lebanese businessman in Kano, Nigeria, is in possession of five young gorillas. The origin of these gorillas is likely to have been Cameroon. Kano, a city in the north of Nigeria, has long been a center for illegal wildlife trafficking of animals smuggled across the border from Cameroon.
In the past, gorillas, including the "Manila Gorilla," have been exported from Kano on fraudulent documents. One gorilla named "Gorio" was shipped from Kano to Manila by Pakistani smugglers, via Karachi, along with two drills and a variety of monkeys.
IPPL is still investigating this situation. We would like to see these gorillas confiscated and transferred to a sanctuary in Cameroon or Nigeria.
BULLET AND BEANIE MAKE FRIENDS
The April 1999 issue of IPPL News introduced readers to Bullet a blind mixed-breed dog who is the newest member of the IPPL family.
In November 1998, Bullet was found by IPPL staff members Patou and Ivy, our Great Pyrenees dogs, started barking. He lying against our back fence, whimpering. The young dog was starved, dehydrated, and covered with ticks. He had a gaping wound on his left side.
His eyes were red and he could not see.
After picking off over 100 ticks, we took our new dog to the vet's who treated him for a variety of parasites. He had a shotgun pellet lodged m his abdomen. An eye vet determined that he was blind.
IPPL has a blind gibbon named Beanie. Beanie was born at the Lubee Foundation in Florida on 22 August 1989. His tenth birth is this month.
When he was just a year old, Beanie was bitten by a mosquito and developed encephalitis. Sadly, this left him permanently blind he was sent to IPPL for life-long care.
We are happy to report that Bullet and Beanie have developed a close bond of affection. They love to romp together.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 16
REMEMBER THE BABY MONKEYS!
CASE MAY BE "BURIED"--MORE ACTION NEEDED
In late May 1997, IPPL received a tipoff from an eye-witness that a large shipment of hundreds of crab-eating macaques from Indonesia had passed through Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris, on its way to O'Hare Airport, Chicago, USA, and that the shipment contained many pathetic baby monkeys. Air France carried the animals.
Shipment of baby monkeys would be in clear violation of 50 CFR Sec. 14.105 Title 50 Ch. 1, Subchapter B, Part 14, Subpart J. This US regulation, which implements the Lacey Act, a US wildlife law, states that:
A nursing mother with young, an unweaned mammal unaccompanied by its mother...shall be transported only if the primary purpose is for needed medical treatment and upon certification by the examining veterinarian that the treatment is necessary and the animal is able to withstand the normal rigors of transport.
Such an unweaned mammal...shall not be transported to the United States for medical treatment
unless it is accompanied at all times and completely accessible to a veterinary attendant.
Following the tip-off, IPPL submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the US Fish and Wildlife Service ~SEWS) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) seeking documents pertaining to 1997 crab-eating macaque importations.
We received documents confirming that at least two shipments containing baby monkeys, both shipped by the Indonesian animal dealing firm Inquatex, had been shipped to the US importer LABS, a firm with animal facilities in Yemassee, South Carolina, in April and May 1997.
April 10,1997 shipment
This shipment consisted of 253 monkeys, of whom 20 were babies shipped with their nursing mothers. This was a clear violation of US regulations and International Air Transport Association (IATA) Guidelines. Some of the babies were just 4 weeks old. Nineteen monkeys were pregnant.
Monkeys as old as 16 years formed part of this shipment, despite Indonesia's ban on export of wild-caught monkeys and the extreme unlikelihood of hundreds of monkeys being born in captivity at the exporter's facility prior to 1994, the year Indonesia's ban on export of wild-caught monkeys was instituted.
May 30,1997 shipment
This shipment consisted of 255 monkeys when it left Jakarta. There were 19 babies with their mothers and 6 pregnant monkeys. One baby was just three weeks old, several four weeks old.
One nursing mother monkey was dead on arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris. Her baby was killed. Another monkey escaped. The sub-standard crates were covered in extra chicken wire at Paris to prevent further escapes.
A Centers for Disease Control inspector named Sena Blumensaadt checked the crates at Chicago and commented:
These crates were a MESS. Many of them had sections as large as 4 inch circles chewed out by the NHPs. They were made of 1/4 inch plywood with ends that barely met at the corners.
The windows were meshed with 3 layers of chicken wire. The handles were black heavy metal on each side and were the only item I can describe as being free of sharp projections!
In France, someone also nailed another layer of chicken wire around the entire cage (not the top or bottom but around the sides).
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 17
REMEMBER THE BABY MONKEYS!
CASE MAY BE "BURIED"--MORE ACTION NEEDED
Unfortunately, Ms. Blumensaadt did not inform the Fish and Wildlife Service about the presence of the babies or the sub-standard crates. In IPPL's opinion Ms Blumensaadt showed a serious absence of professionalism.
CDC appears to have a frivolous, uncompassionate, approach to the monkey trade. Documents obtained by IPPL show that Tom De Marcus, head of the CDC inspection program, signed an E-mail as "The Monkey Man! "
Further, CDC experiments on monkeys itself and is obviously totally supportive of the international monkey trade.
The agency's only interest in monkey shipments seems to be to prevent diseased monkeys entering the United States.
Flagrant violations meet official inertia
These two shipments violated US humane shipment regulations banning shipment of infant animals. They also violated the International Air Transport Association standards for crate construction and the organization's guidelines against shipping infants and pregnant animals.
IPPL requested the Division of Law Enforcement of USFWS to conduct an investigation and take action against any parties responsible criminally or civilly for the shipments. We thought it would be a simple and straightforward case, against shipping infants and pregnant animals.
Two years later
Since 1997, IPPL has conducted along term letter-writing and postcard campaign requesting action in the case. Two years later, USFWS still claims that ongoing investigation. Unfortunately, IPPL feels little confidence in this agency.
IPPL believes that the US government needs to be made aware that the baby monkeys have not been forgotten by US and international animal-lover and that we want action in this case.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 18
LIMBE WILDLIFE CENTER THE PEOPLE AND THE GORILLAS by Jane Dewar
Long-time IPPL member Jane Dewar, who has a special interest in gorillas, is the founder of Gorilla Haven, a nonprofit organization which is establishing a sanctuary for surplus captive gorillas in the United States.
Before I left for Cameroon, West Africa, I was strongly advised: "Don't spend all your time with just the gorillas! There are other wonderful animals there, like the drills and lovely guenon and mangabey monkeys!"
Well, I took heed of this advice and visited all the Limbe animals at least twice daily, often with treats of raisins, granola and sunflower seeds.
But my main reason to travel to Cameroon was to get to know the gorillas at Limbe. As is the case with all the animals at Limbe, the 7 gorillas started life as victims of the bushmeat trade, survivors of massacres that killed their families. Such survivals are rare, making their stories even more special.
Gorilla Haven (see our website at www.gorilla-haven.org for more information) is designed to help captive gorillas lead more enriched lives. It makes sense that we also be actively involved in helping gorillas in their native Africa, where gorillas are extremely rare in captivity, and where their numbers in the wild are dwindling fast, due to deforestation, human population encroachment and the bushmeat trade.
Unlike chimps or monkeys, gorillas seem to give up and die rather than endure the hellish lives captive primates often face in Africa and elsewhere.
The goal of Limbe is to release all animals back to the wild, if and as possible, but with great apes this is problematic, if not impossible, since hand-reared or captive animals cannot survive in the wild. Hopefully, if funds are raised, Limbe will be able to release these gorillas (as well as their other animals) to a large, free-living preserve, where the animals can be protected from hunters and provisioned, but left alone to live a life as free as possible.
A little money goes a long way
Gorilla Haven has supported Limbe through IPPL for several years and I wanted to see first hand just how and if our money was being put to good use. This was immediately confirmed when I met the people and animals at Limbe, and saw how much could be done with relatively little money.
Zoos spend millions of dollars on fancy exhibits, which is a great way to inspire and educate the public about the plight of animals in their native habitats, as well as to provide a better life for their captive charges. However, if a mere fraction of such spending could be sent to help Limbe, the effects could/would be astounding.
For $50,000 a year, Limbe can operate.
For $100,000 a year, Limbe can build larger, better enclosures.
For $250,000 a year, Limbe can thrive and also expand its unique and effective education program, the Limbe Wildlife Center Nature Club, into other parts of Cameroon, including the bush where hunting endangered animals is unfortunately still an accepted way of life. Alas, currently Limbe has trouble raising operating costs and each day is a struggle for survival.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 19
In good hands
Limbe's staff is remarkable. Linda Percy and Tony Chasar, two American volunteers, work
tirelessly, assisting and training a staff of wonderful Cameroonians.
Gorilla keepers Wilson, Bama and Jonathan are loving, eager and intelligent men anxious to
learn more. Jonathan went to the Wildlife Training Program at Jersey Zoo in the United
Kingdom for some training. No one at Limbe, except Jonathan, has ever seen a silverback
gorilla!
Andreas, Johnson, Abraham, Mr. Abang, Jacob, Evelyn, Simon and Stephen are the chimp,
monkey, baboon, mandrill and drill keepers, who have the same keen sense of pride and
eagerness to learn. Abel heads the Nature Club, where school children from all over can come to
the zoo (free of charge) to learn about the animals and the environment.
Many of the Limbe staff started working there as volunteers.
The concept of volunteering is usually a concept of wealthier nations, where each day isn't spent just trying to survive. Since Limbe, like so many people in Africa, struggles to get by with the bare necessities (food, shelter, health care, etc.), the idea that someone with the same struggles would offer their time to work with no monetary reward in return is truly remarkable. But remarkable people is why Limbe is so unique.
Stephen's story is classic. Raised in a hunting village, where bushmeat and killing gorillas and ch mps was routine, Stephen caught a viper (snake) one day and
brought it to the zoo in the hopes of selling it. The zoo had no money, but they said they'd take the snake and Stephen agreed to come back later when they had money to give him.
He kept returning to the zoo for money that was never there, but in the process he started to talk to the staff and observe the animals. Then he started volunteering, helping around the zoo and before he knew it, he had a job working with the drills.
Today Stephen is a converted conservationist, who doesn't eat meat and who returns home to his village to tell his father and the village elders why bushmeat is not a good thing! His brother, Johnson, is now a chimp keeper, so perhaps there will be at least one less village hunting bushmeat!
The pride in their positions as animal caregivers is apparent, whenever groups come to the zoo. Usually, a staff member will escort groups or interested parties around the zoo, teaching them a bit about the animals in their care, as well as how they came to be there.
Lessons for a lifetime
A group of school children were being shown around by Abel and their teacher as I watched and listened. Abel explainec how gorillas, like monkeys, chimps anc other endangered animals, were bein hunted as bushmeat, which people bough in markets in towns.
Then he asked the children to count the fingers on the gorillas' hands. In unison the children chanted, "One, two, three, four FIVE!" looking down at their own hands and seeing the amazing similarity. Abel explained how gorillas were just like them and so they should go home to tell their parents NOT to eat bushmeat, since that would be like eating their own family!
One teacher asked how they could tell if it was gorilla or chimp they were buying, when buying bushmeat. Abel explained how all bushmeat is smoked and cut in strips and pieces, so that it was difficult to differentiate between species, so it was best to simply not buy any bushmeat to stop the slaughter!
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 20
Then Abel introduced me, as a gorilla lover who'd traveled all the way from America to visit Cameroon. All eyes were upon me, as I explained to the children - how lucky they were to have such wonderful animals living in their own country. I said while America was thought to be a rich country, we didn't have any gorillas or chimpanzees or monkeys living there in the wild, like Cameroon, and I stressed how blessed they all were to live in a place where these wonderful animals lived free.
I also said I hoped they would recognize how fortunate they were and grow up to care for and protect their wildlife heritage and environment, which I had to travel so very far to come and see.
I pointed to one little girl and then another on the other side of the group, saying I thought they must be the same child both had dark skin, brown eyes, were about the same height, etc. The kids giggled at my suggestion they were the same. I then pointed to Benito and Emma two small gorillas watching behind me and said:
Just like you two little girls are very different, unique and wonderful in your own way, so are these two gorillas-who have their own likes and dislikes and personalities.
A soft wave of "ooohs" went across the group of kids and their teachers, as they watched as I pointed out the differences between Emma, whose long face and sad eyes made her look different than Benito's rounder face and eyes. And while Emma sat quietly as Benito rough-housed with Chella, even the differences in their personalities became apparent. The kids could see the differences! And so, unlike herd animals, gorillas started to be seen as unique personalities like people ....! Spreading the word
Later I was interviewed for the Yaounde Herald, one of Cameroon's main (if not only?) major newspapers. A reporter for the paper was visiting Limbe on Sunday with his wife and two small daughters. He couldn't believe a woman from America would travel so far just to sit by some gorillas all day for days at a time, so we struck up a conversation.
The next day, he brought a photographer back to the zoo and interviewed me for about an hour, asking me what I thought about Cameroon. I took the opportunity to reiterate what I had said to the school children - about how lucky they were to have such a wealth of wildlife, and how proud they should be.
And I stressed how the government should take advantage of their heritage to preserve and protect it, by limiting logging, which fuels the bushmeat crisis and enforcing laws in place to protect endangered species. Linda Percy has seen a copy of the article (I have not seen it yet) and said it was very good publicity for Limbe, so I'm glad I could help.
But the gorillas were my main reason for going. Reading in IPPL News about Pitchou's struggle to survive, I wanted to see her for myself. I will confess I fought I back tears several times during my 7 day stay at Limbe, but they were all tears of joy tinged with the sadness that such stories of survival were so rare. Pitchou was . everything and more than I thought she'd be. But so were the others, to whom we assigned nicknames on our last day.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 21
Nyango, "The Queen"
Nyango, a female gorilla, was born around 1990.
The oldest at 9 years old, Nyango is the queen and she knows it. Raised by missionaries the first 3 or 4 years of her life, she ate meals at a table with a fork and spoon and still has difficulty understanding why she's shut inside an enclosure with other gorillas, instead of wandering around the rest of the zoo with her loyal subjects, the people who are there to admire and love her.
Nyango adores her Cameroonian keepers. And she's wonderful with the six younger gorillas now sharing her royal abode. As a gorilla singer, Nyango's up there with the best, humming a high pitched song of delight when served special treats like roasted corn on the cob or mangoes.
Towards the end of my visit, Nyango Pitchou couldn't decide if she loved or hated me, and so she gave me a royal order: "Feed me treats or leave."
Since I limited the treats to avoid tummy troubles for everyone and I refused to leave, the Queen got perturbed at times, throwing small stones my way, but hitting someone else each time. I'm not convinced this wasn't deliberate either.
Nyango saw me as another dominant female and possibly a threat to her, so I reassured her constantly, purring and rumbling, bowing my head to reflect my royal regard for her superiority, and this would calm her down. She was never too far from me, knowing full well, that was where the action was!
On the day we left, Nyango had just been given a whole coconut, which she transported the entire length of the enclosure (about 120 feet or so), to bring it to the keeper door area, which has a cement stoop.
With all 6 babies watching her every move, Nyango smashed the coconut on the only really hard surface in the exhibit, humming and singing her excitement. After a few close calls as she whacked the coconut as baby gorilla heads peered perilously close to get a better look, Nyango succeeded in cracking the coconut slightly, so the sweet milk started to drip out all over her hands and arms.
The babies started licking up the milk from the stoop and off of Nyango's hands, as she sucked the juices and sang louder. It was a lovely farewell image to have of the Queen.
Pitchou, "The Princess"
Pitchou, a female gorilla, was born around 1997.
As the youngest gorilla at Limbe, Pitchou is also the one who seems to know she's a gorilla the best, teaching the others tricks of the gorilla trade. After watching the keepers the first day or so, I noticed they'd hand feed or place all the food in one spot, creating a gorilla buffet.
I suggested they spread things out a bit, to make the gorillas forage, like they'd do in the wild. At first, Nyango was shocked: "Why on earth are my servants not handing me food??" she seemed to be thinking. But then she noticed little Pitchou, quickly and efficiently finding all sorts of goodies buried between the blades of grass in the enclosure, and soon caught on. Even so, hours later, Pitchou would re-visit the scene of the goodyfest and discover more treats, whereas Nyango maintained more or an "out of sight means it doesn't exist" attitude.
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 22
Pitchou simply melts my heart, and not I just because her survival is so miraculous. It's the feisty will to survive against all odds, combined with a confidence and sweetness that makes her so special. At one moment, she'd pout and whimper when milk wasn't given to her quickly enough or go to Nyango or Chella for reassurance or a ride, just like the baby she still is.
The next moment, she'd cough a warning at Nyango or any other gorilla who got in her way, and if treated too roughly, she'd attack the aggressor to give them a piece of her mind, instead of being a victim.
In reviewing my video, there's a snippet of film where Pitchou is visiting everyone, at the end of the day when the keepers go in for a final play and cuddle session, before everyone is put in their night quarters. Pitchou is strolling bipedally, swinging her arms to and fro, her head tilted and her lips pouting ever so slightly as she strides towards Linda for a hug. ...She reminded me of little Shirley Temple and I swear when I see this footage I can hear her singing "On The Good Ship Lollipop!"
Chella, the "Robin Williams" of gorillas
Chella, a male gorilla, was born around 1994.
The actor/comedian Robin Williams uses his quick wit and facial expressions to create hysteria and uncontrollable laughter for all around him, and Chella, the oldest (I'd guess he was closer to 6 years old) male at Limbe is his gorilla reincarnation.
I've never seen so many silly play faces and goofy gestures combined with a gentle, sweet nature in any other gorilla. Chella would smile then swipe his hands over his face in a "Three Stooges" nyah-nyah-nyah gesture, before rolling into a backwards somersault.
When I put up a mirror, Chella chest-beat to it, stuck his tongue out, smiled, twirled and basically did a show for his reflection, making my sides hurt from laughter.
Like many comedians, their humor borne of tragedy, Chella's beginnings in life are horrific. He arrived at a logging camp, clinging terrified to the dead body of his mother, killed with the rest of his family for bushmeat. They couldn't pry him off his mother and when they finally did, his Limbe keepers held and cared for him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for months, before he was able to slowly accept his new lot in life.
Most gorillas simply give up, after this kind of a trauma, and I'm convinced if the Limbe staff hadn't spent the time and efforts, holding and reassuring this young baby gorilla, Chella wouldn't be here. And a world without Chella would be a crime. I can't wait to see Chella as a silverback.
Chella's good natured sweetness made him the favorite of the other gorillas too. Once, when Nyango was playing too roughly with Pitchou, Chella, Evindi and Benito (the 3 boys), all ran over to hit Nyango or push her away from Pitchou. But Chella took Pitchou and carried her on his back reassuring and comforting her until she was ready to go off again to play.
While I've seen other male gorillas pay this kind of maternal care towards youngsters, it always thrills and amazes me. After playing the "Mr. Sensitive- In-Touch-With-His-Feminine-Side" role, Chella was rough-housing with Nyango--almost as if he was reminding her in play that he's still the stronger one and the boss.
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 23
Chella's full name is Rambo Chella after the Italian logger who brought him to Limbe. Its his combination of sweetness and strength that makes him so special.
Emma, "Miss Demure"
Emma, a female gorilla, was born around 1996. Emma's life also began with the trauma of her capture, and medical woes have seen her several times on deaths door, with IV drips and just the determination and love of the Limbe staff and prayers keeping her alive.
She seemed depressed to me, and would often sit sucking the hair on her arm while the other gorillas played around her. But other times shed climb and laugh and play like the others. Her status is likely to be low-ranking by virtue of her quiet yet extremely sweet personality.
Sometimes, Emma would play and invent her own silly games, hanging upside down from a tree and chest beating half-heartedly with an open play face, as if she had an imaginary friend with her.
In the morning, we'd order sandwiches from our hotel to bring to the zoo for lunch, which we'd then eat on a bench across from the gorilla enclosure. Wed try to be subtle, but inevitably, Emma would know we were there and would stand bipedally looking over at us as if to ask, "Is any of that for me ? "
Often, we simply couldn't finish all the tomato or bread in the sandwich and sure enough, there'd be something to share, if the keeper said OK.
During the milk breaks, little Emma would patiently wait as the 6 other gorillas usually got their milk cups first, tolerating the spilling or dripping milk over her until her milk arrived. It was heart-rending to watch how Emma accepted her role and still maintained her dignity. Sometimes the keeper would give Emma milk after Nyango and Chella got theirs, which seemed to give her a little boost of morale, or maybe that was just my wishful thinking.
Emma's sad eyes haunt me, but I'm comforted in seeing her and Pitchou or Benito cuddling and playing together and knowing there's hope.
Evindi, a.k.a. "Romeo"
Evindi, a male gorilla, was born around 1994.
If Emma's eyes were sad, Evindi's eyes could melt the coldest heart. He's smaller than Chella, but a lover boy who would follow us around with his eyes wherever we went, and come to sit near us, just to be close. Evindi might decide to be dominant if he and Chella mature together, but the jury's still out on that one.
Evindi, like so many young male gorillas I've observed, would alternate between strutting around like a big boy and then act childish, pushing away other gorillas getting too much attention (in Evindi's mind), as his jealousy took over. At the moment, he's very focused on human females, but hopefully with time this will change.
In reviewing all my photographs, Evindi seems to be in almost every one--he was in love with Michele, the lady with whom I traveled to Limbe, and so wherever we went, so did he.
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 24
Jumbo, "The Little Mermaid"
Jumbo, a female gorilla, was born around 1996.
The enclosure at Limbe has a small wading pool as well as a water fountain that the gorillas can operate by pressing down, starting a stream of water. Jumbo spent a lot of her time sitting on top of the water fountain, washing her toys, food, self, etc, or playing in the pool. And Jumbo was always in the thick of things when food or games were involved, a very confident and curious young heroine, like Ariel, of Disney's "Little Mermaid story--hence her nickname.
"Jumbala Bumbala," as her keepers affectionately call her, does a little dance, shaking her arms from her shoulders down, whenever she's excited--the arrival of food or milk, for example.
I blew bubbles in the enclosure and Jumbo was the first to try to catch them, doing the Jumbo-dance when she caught one in her mouth, startled and thrilled when it popped. She danced and twirled, telling me, "More bubbles, faster, faster! and I accommodated her until I nearly hyperventilated from blowing and laughing.
Benito, the "Gary Cooper" of Gorillas
Benito, a male gorilla, was born around April 1996.
Like the movie actor of yesterday, Benito is a classic, handsome, strong and silent type--a man's man... uh, I mean a gorilla's gorilla. The youngest of the three males, Benito arrived at Limbe with Emma, and spent his first months there in the constant care of his human caregivers, who selflessly gave him 24 hour care and attention.
Again, I'm convinced this is the secret to his survival. Whether rough-housing with Chella, Emma or Evindi or playing by himself, Benito doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, uh, arm like the other gorillas at Limbe. He remains a mystery to me. But an incredibly handsome mystery.
I'd traveled to Africa at least a dozen times, to southern and eastern African countries. This was my first time to West/Central Africa and I was amazed at the potential of Cameroon's people, the country and the wildlife. The setting is magical, with Mt. Cameroon looming over Limbe, a coastal village where the Atlantic Ocean gently laps against the shores and Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea silhouettes the sunsets each night. That such a magical place is also the setting for the slaughter of so many animals and the destruction of so much diversity, so forests can be logged to meet the supply of ignorant or selfish western countries is heart breaking. But ignorance doesn't have to have fatal consequences. The problems of Africa are huge and often I hear people sighing that it's too much for one person to handle. But one person CAN make a difference. I saw the difference my money made at Limbe, in the smiles of the staff and the well adjusted behaviors of gorillas, who should be basket-cases or dead, given their unfortunate histories. Even a small donation $5 to $50--goes much further in Cameroon than it might in a western country.
The mere thought of Pitchou brings a smile to my heart and the money we sent to help her more than a year ago remains the best investment we've ever made.
Brad and Trouble
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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 25
LATE NEWS - US PRIMATE POLICY
On 15 July 1999, the US Federal Register published a "Draft Policy in Environment Enhancement for Nonhuman Primates" along with a lengthy background document.
The US Animal Welfare Act requires that dealers, exhibitors and research facilities holding nonhuman primates takes steps "to promote the psychological well-being" of the animals in their care.
Readers with Internet access may find the draft policy at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/ee.html
and the full background report at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/eejulyl5.html
The regulations on psychological well-being have been in effect since 1991. Due to pressure from primate users, the initial regulations set what was called "performance standards," under which an outcome - psychological well-being - was identified. Each facility was allowed to write its own plan which it was to maintain at its own site, making it impossible for people concerned about the suffering of captive primates to review a facility's plan.
During the 1991 comment period, IPPL expressed its opposition to the concept of "performance standards," preferring instead standards that were specific and enforceable.
Now, eight years later, the USDA review panel that was established in 1996 has concluded that "performance standards" vary from location to location and that "dealers, exhibitors and research facilities did not necessarily understand how to prepare an environment enhancement plan that would adequately promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates." USDA inspectors reported that they had trouble judging facilities' compliance.
However, rather than replacing the "performance standards" with objective standards, USDA is trying to clarify the regulations.
The new policy addresses five areas:
Social grouping: the policy states that primates are "clearly social beings" and should preferably be housed in social groups. The policy states that this is especially important for chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons and siamangs.
Social needs of infants: the policy states the importance of infant primates being raised by their mothers until weaning age. Other methods of raising may lead to poor social and parenting skills when the infants grow up. The policy states:
Infants should not be permanently removed from the care-giving parent(s) before an age that approximates the age of infant independence in nature, except where necessary for the health and well-being of the infant or mother.
Structure and substrate: the policy emphasizes the need for elevated resting structure for primates. Primates with long tails (these include crab-eating, vervet and squirrel monkeys) should have sufficient vertical space to permit tails to hang freely. This would require a major increase of the height specified in the minimum cage sizes, which the policy did not seek.
Foraging opportunities: because wild primates spend so much time foraging for food, primate facilities should provide a variety of food presented in interesting ways.
Manipulanda: facilities should provide toys so that primates can use their manual skills.
The public is invited to submit comments. The deadline is 13 September. We suggest you request that specific, enforceable standards applicable to all facilities should be prepared to replace the "performance standards."
Please express the importance of baby monkeys remaining with their mothers, at least until weaning. Request larger age sizes and express opposition to solitary housing of primates.
Please send your comments (USDA refers an original and 3 copies) to:
Docket No. 98-121-1
Regulatory Analysis and Development,
PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03
4700 River Road, Unit 118
Riverdale MD 20737-1238, USA
Brad and Trouble

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IPPL NEWS VOL.26 NO.2 PART 25
LATE NEWS - US PRIMATE POLICY
On 15 July 1999, the US Federal Register published a "Draft Policy in Environment Enhancement for Nonhuman Primates" along with a lengthy background document.
The US Animal Welfare Act requires that dealers, exhibitors and research facilities holding nonhuman primates takes steps "to promote the psychological well-being" of the animals in their care.
Readers with Internet access may find the draft policy at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/ee.html
and the full background report at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/eejulyl5.html
The regulations on psychological well-being have been in effect since 1991. Due to pressure from primate users, the initial regulations set what was called "performance standards," under which an outcome - psychological well-being - was identified. Each facility was allowed to write its own plan which it was to maintain at its own site, making it impossible for people concerned about the suffering of captive primates to review a facility's plan.
During the 1991 comment period, IPPL expressed its opposition to the concept of "performance standards," preferring instead standards that were specific and enforceable.
Now, eight years later, the USDA review panel that was established in 1996 has concluded that "performance standards" vary from location to location and that "dealers, exhibitors and research facilities did not necessarily understand how to prepare an environment enhancement plan that would adequately promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates." USDA inspectors reported that they had trouble judging facilities' compliance.
However, rather than replacing the "performance standards" with objective standards, USDA is trying to clarify the regulations.
The new policy addresses five areas:
Social grouping: the policy states that primates are "clearly social beings" and should preferably be housed in social groups. The policy states that this is especially important for chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons and siamangs.
Social needs of infants: the policy states the importance of infant primates being raised by their mothers until weaning age. Other methods of raising may lead to poor social and parenting skills when the infants grow up. The policy states:
Infants should not be permanently removed from the care-giving parent(s) before an age that approximates the age of infant independence in nature, except where necessary for the health and well-being of the infant or mother.
Structure and substrate: the policy emphasizes the need for elevated resting structure for primates. Primates with long tails (these include crab-eating, vervet and squirrel monkeys) should have sufficient vertical space to permit tails to hang freely. This would require a major increase of the height specified in the minimum cage sizes, which the policy did not seek.
Foraging opportunities: because wild primates spend so much time foraging for food, primate facilities should provide a variety of food presented in interesting ways.
Manipulanda: facilities should provide toys so that primates can use their manual skills.
The public is invited to submit comments. The deadline is 13 September. We suggest you request that specific, enforceable standards applicable to all facilities should be prepared to replace the "performance standards."
Please express the importance of baby monkeys remaining with their mothers, at least until weaning. Request larger age sizes and express opposition to solitary housing of primates.
Please send your comments (USDA refers an original and 3 copies) to:
Docket No. 98-121-1
Regulatory Analysis and Development,
PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03
4700 River Road, Unit 118
Riverdale MD 20737-1238, USA
Brad and Trouble

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Hi, my name is Monica and I live in Caracas, Venezuela. My love for animals is undescribable! I am surfing the Web to see if I can find info on how to become an animal volunteer here in my country. I looked up APROA and this page came up. Would you have any information?
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Hi, my name is Monica and I live in Caracas, Venezuela. My love for animals is undescribable! I am surfing the Web to see if I can find info on how to become an animal volunteer here in my country. I looked up APROA and this page came up. Would you have any information?
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i am a very resposible person when raising animals .i also give them alot of attention.i am loking to start with primates (for a pet).but i have no experience.i need ad vise from well experienced care takers.
i am try to discide what species to start with.i here really bad things about old world monkey (macques)due to herpies symplex B(from bites and scratches). is this carried in all old world monkeys? If not; which species has not show any contact with the virus?or should i stay away from all old world monkeys completly?i do have children and want to stay way from any B strand virus.if new world monkeys is my route witch species do i start with? should i start with lemurs(ring tails)?i am familiar with all species as to type but not as of personalities.i am looking for something intelligent ,hardy,and over all docil in manner.i am thankful for any advise given
Damian Shaheen
cajun@viaccess.net
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Where are the spectacular, colorful fotos of, let's say, the siamang gibbons? All I encountered were words, words and words.

ah
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