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In the last rainforests of Asia and Africa, the few remaining populations of great apes are threatened on all sides — shot by poachers, hounded by deforestation, snared in false havens and dying of new diseases which human settlers bring. Our wood-thirsty world demands cheap lumber without a thought for its origins: so ancient forests are torn apart to feed the global market, and all those they sheltered are driven out and decimated. This is how we allow our closest kindred to be treated: orangutans, bonobos, chimpanzees and gorillas — individuals every bit as perceptive as ourselves, with whom we share our blood and deepest history. But these days of coexistence are almost lost to us, and with them our final bonds to our greater family. And there are those who understand this, those who try to help — who burn their life's breath fighting to forestall this unspoken tragedy. But an effective defense requires precise information, and this is not always easily found; it is a challenge simply to understand where the great apes still survive, and the many issues surrounding them — civil war, refugee migration, bushmeat poaching and mass deforestation — are too vast and complex to solve with raw compassion alone. Information must be shared, quickly and reliably; programs must be evaluated, and strengthened to do their best. This skein of cause and effect cannot be wished away — only carefully navigated by experienced and dedicated professionals. The Primate Specialist Group created its Section on Great Apes to help researchers and conservationists understand the issues affecting the lives of great apes and those who work on their behalf. Comprised of the world’s leading great ape specialists, the SGA facilitates the exchange of critical information, provides guidelines for research and conservation, produces regional and species action plans, and advises governments on effective conservation strategies. All this makes for an extraordinary set of challenges, and the SGA has an extraordinary group of people to draw upon: pioneering primatologists like John Oates, Cristophe Boesch and Richard Wrangham; internationally recognized conservationists such as Jane Goodall, Russell Mittermeier and Birute Galdikas; and in-country primate experts like Jatna Supriatna, Suci Utami and Mwanza Ndunda. Together the membership of the SGA deals with the technical, social and ethical aspects of great ape conservation, providing a unique and comprehensive perspective on great apes through Action Plans, regional surveys and up-to-date status assessments. No other group includes so many of the world’s top experts on great apes — and no other group has the potential to make such a difference. For an overview of the SGA and its activities, download the SGA fact sheet in PDF format. (Also available in French.) To learn more about the mission and programmatic approach of the SGA, read the in-depth summary of the SGA. To access in-depth reports on the current status and future prospects for the remaining great apes, download our Action Plans and Regional Surveys.
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