FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative, Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Zoo Invite All Organizations and Concerned Citizens to Join Forces in Raising Awareness about the Endangered Apes During the Month of November

Los Angeles, Calif.- October 17, 2005. With their numbers plummeting daily, an appeal is being made to all concerned organizations and people to focus attention on all species of apes: chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon and siamang during the month of November. Orangutan conservation organizations have consistently promoted International Orangutan Awareness Week (IOAW) over the past decade effectively drawing attention on the plight Asian great ape. But all apes are endangered. A gathering of conservationists and scientists in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in September concluded that the prospects for all the ape species remains bleak as bush meat, habitat destruction, and the illegal pet and curio trades erode habitat and decimate the species. More needs to be done to educate the public, particularly individuals and institutions in habitat countries.

On the continent of Africa, three species, chimpanzee, bonobo and gorilla are being victimized by the bushmeat trade which has become a major enterprise in communities that have no prohibition against eating primates. Located in dozens of impoverished and politically unstable countries across equatorial Africa, those great apes populations have declined precipitously over the past decade. Tragically, chimpanzees are now reported to be extinct in at least four of the 25 countries they once inhabited. Bonobos, located only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are particularly vulnerable to extinction due to their restricted range and the political turmoil in that country. Gorillas, too, are loosing habitat and are being killed for the bushmeat and curio trades.

The situation in Southeast Asia s also dire for the orangutan, gibbon and siamang. Forest habitat in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia is being logged or transformed into plantation estates at an alarming rate. Illegal logging continues to plague forests in Indonesia and Thailand. Orangutan and gibbon infants are still being sold illegally in back alley marketplaces in Indonesia. Fewer than 7,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in the fragmented forests in northern Sumatra.

While International Orangutan Awareness Week will continue to be held this year to inform the public about the plight of the orangutan (November 6-12, 2005 & November 13-19, 2005 in Indonesia), organizations are invited to help expand the scope of public awareness raising for all apes, great and small, during the entire month of November. Organizations that promote conservation of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, gibbon and siamang should consider holding outreach events during the month to strengthen the concept of Great Ape Awareness Month.

The Los Angeles Zoo is supporting this concept by holding Ape Awareness Day on November 5, 2005. Docents and conservation organizations will be educating visitors about the plight of the various species of great apes throughout the day. The San Diego Zoo will recognize Great Ape Awareness Week from Nov. 5 to 13 with special enrichment activities for orangutans, gorillas and bonobos, and keeper talks, and education displays at their exhibits to educate visitors about the plight of apes. Other zoological institutions are encouraged to plan similar events regarding the apes that they house.

IOAW-10 Coordinator and Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative Chairman, Dr. Gary Shapiro stated that, "Zoological institutions have a particular responsibility to highlight the special relationship we share with the great apes as well as educate the public about the current conservation status of all the species. In this way, zoos can provide a meaningful service to the cause of in-situ ape conservation."

Joining forces with other organizations will be essential to make a major impact on the individuals and communities that are directly affecting the survival of the apes.

Shapiro added, "We must act now and in unison to change the hearts and minds of world community while there still is time. The goal must be nothing short of maintaining the viability of wild populations in perpetuity."

Whether it is for a day, a week or a month, organizations and individuals are invited to participate to support the efforts to raise awareness locally and internationally. Other activities involving the community are also encouraged such as poster displays, information vending at an appropriate venue, and lectures to groups. A website listing other ideas can be found at www.ioaw.org.

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For more information contact:

Gary Shapiro

Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative

gary@orangutanrepublik.org