Learn about primate conservation

What's the issue?

• Currently, over 500 species of primates are recognized and nearly 50% are in danger of going extinct. In some regions, the situation is even more dire. In Asia, more than 70% of primates are classified as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

• Many species (about 15%), are considered Data Deficient, meaning we simply lack sufficient information to determine their threat category. Many of these species are likely to also be threatened.

• Some species are limited to only a few hundred individuals in the wild.

• Generally, the primary threats to primates are habitat destruction, particularly burning and clearing of tropical forests, and hunting for food and the illegal wildlife trade.

Habitat Loss, Illegal Trade, and Hunting

• These causes of primate population decline are inextricably linked together. While clearing forests, logging companies build roads which provide easy access to previously undisturbed forest areas. Poachers hired by criminal trafficking networks and even employees of logging companies use these networks to access, hunt, or collect primates for the live trade. This activity is often either undetected or protected by bribes to local law enforcement or corrupt customs and national CITES officials.

  • • The bushmeat and live animal trades fuel demand for one another. Hunters can gain added profits by collecting infants from adults they kill. Inversely, poachers capturing live infants for trade opportunistically kill adults for bushmeat.

• It is important to note the difference between subsistence hunting and the commercial bushmeat trade. Communities living alongside primate populations have hunted local wildlife for centuries. In impoverished areas, bushmeat may be one of few resources available to meet nutritional protein requirements or to earn much-needed income. The major threat to wildlife comes from commercial hunters who opportunistically hunt whatever wildlife they encounter. The goal of this commercial trade is not subsistence, but profiting from the distribution of bushmeat both locally and across the globe.

• Even when primates are not the target of hunting or collection efforts, they can become trapped in or injured by snares set for other animals. Snares are often called the “silent killer” of wildlife as they impact any animal that encounters them. At best, snares cause minor injuries to animals that are able to escape or receive assistance. At worst, snares can lead to death in a number of ways:

  • • When animals get trapped in a snare, they are generally unable to obtain food and water.

    • Injuries from snares, or even self-inflicted injuries that occur while an animal is trying to escape, can lead to bacterial infection.

    • An animal previously injured by an encounter with a snare may experience difficulty foraging for food and is more likely to be targeted by predators.

• The impact of the trade in live primates reaches far beyond the animals who end up as pets or props in the tourism industry. A single individual who survives transport may represent up to 15 individuals killed, depending on the species. The effects are generally worse for species that live in larger social groups.

Exploitation

• Primates continue to be exploited by the entertainment and advertising industries. Primates used in live stage shows, film productions, advertisements, circuses, etc., are often infants and juveniles who have been separated from their mothers prematurely. This practice is problematic in many ways.

  • • When any animal is separated from its natural social group and raised by humans, they are robbed of the opportunity to learn how to socialize with their own species. Separation causes significant emotional and psychological distress for both parents and offspring. Often, the mother is killed to obtain her infant.

    • “Trainers” typically use fear and physical discipline (i.e. punishment) to teach desired behaviors. As apes grow, the degree of force required for this discipline increases. Even when you see the “No Animals Were Harmed…”® tag from the American Humane Association (AHA), this only refers to conditions during filming. The AHA has no jurisdiction over how animals are treated when they are not “working” on-set.

    • These practices perpetuate the false narrative that primates make good pets. These intelligent, often long-lived animals have complex needs that require professional care and management. Many families are not able to provide the care necessary for primates to thrive, which is detrimental to both the physical and psychological well-being of the animal.

    • Additionally, if people regularly see these animals in movies and on TV, they are less likely to think they are members of an endangered species that requires protection to prevent extinction.

Primates as Pets

• Many species of primates are impacted by the exotic pet trade at both the population and individual level. As social animals, primates generally need to live with other members of their species, but ex-pets are difficult to integrate into existing social groups due to their unique history. Additionally, some primates (e.g. apes) require specialized living spaces to safely house them. Even the best zoos may not be able to build a new facility to house solitary primates who cannot be introduced to existing social groups.

• Many families do not want to give up their pet, even when it becomes too large or destructive to live in the home with the family. Even if they’re able to build a safe enclosure on their property, primates are intelligent animals and can be traumatized by a sudden transition from living with a family inside the home to living alone in a cage outside.

Impacts on Human Communities

• Primates support a wide variety of plant and animal life in their forest habitats by acting as seed dispersers. Local human communities rely on these forests for vital resources. When these forests are destroyed, it not only affects local communities – it releases carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.

• As primates are some of our closest animal relatives, there is a high risk of pathogen exchange when humans are in close contact with primates. Bushmeat hunters (who may be part of an organized criminal network or local residents in need of income) are at the highest risk as they may come into contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of primates. Disease can also be transmitted through the consumption of processed meat.

What can you do to help?

• Share this information with anyone you know who might desire a primate as a pet – they most likely have not thoroughly researched the needs of these animals and are unlikely to provide the best care possible.

• Do not share social media posts that anthropomorphize non-human primates (e.g. wearing clothing, riding bicycles, etc.) or depict them as pets. Viral social media posts can have detrimental effects on wildlife.

• Help stop primate habitat loss by purchasing sustainably produced paper products and shopping for locally grown produce.

• When travelling, research any animal-related facilities you plan to visit to ensure they follow safe, ethical, and sustainable animal care practices.

Recommended resources for additional information

• Ape Taxon Advisory Group (TAG)

• Great Apes Survival Partnership

• IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group

• Primate Info Net

Updated May 2020