Saving Chimpanzees From Being Maimed or Killed—Event at the Oakland Zoo

OAKLAND, CA — An even in Oakland this week will make a difference on the other side of the world.

The Oakland Zoo will welcome the public to an evening celebrating primates on Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 6:30pm to 9:00pm,.

Highlights will include a silent auction that includes exclusive, behind-the-scenes experiences at Oakland Zoo, food and wine, and a presentation by primate expert Rosamira Guillen, Executive Director of Proyecto Titi in Columbia.

All proceeds from this annual event will be donated to the Budongo Snare Removal Project in Uganda, co-founded by the Jane Goodall Institute in 2001. The project focuses on saving chimpanzees of the Budongo forest by removing deadly snares set by poachers that maim or kill thousands of chimpanzees.

Oakland Zoo has served as sole-funder of the Budongo Snare Removal Project since it’s creation and has donated more than $200,000 to support its efforts.

Funds are used to provide salaries for four field assistants, two educators, two eco-guards, transportation, necessary gear, and livestock as a source of alternative income for former poachers.

“We are so proud of the work of the Budongo Snare Removal Project. Their innovative approach to conservation ensures a future that is healthy for humans, the environment and chimpanzees,” said Amy Gotliffe, Conservation Director at Oakland Zoo.

According to the Zoo, conservationists claim that chimpanzees are endangered worldwide: There was a time when more than one million chimpanzees lived in the forests of at least twenty-five countries in Africa. Since the 1960s, the figure has dropped to as low as 150,000 residing in only six countries, making chimpanzees an endangered species per the IUCN.

“Thank you to all of you over there in Oakland and the Bay Area,” said Vernon Reynolds, Founder of the Budongo Field Station. “You do so much each year; you work so hard to help our project and the snare removal scheme we run every single day of the year. We remove snares from the forest and by supporting us, you save the lives of our chimps, and stop them getting serious injuries to hands and feet. That is so worthwhile! You also support our goat scheme, which is a bargain between us and the hunters – we give them goats and they stop putting snares in the forest. This truly helps the people of this region and offers them a livelihood they can be proud of. Again, you are saving our chimps from a life of misery, and helping people, as well. That is real conservation.”

The evening will also feature a presentation about the critically endangered Cotton-top tamarin, one of the world’s smallest primates. Guest speaker Rosamira Guillen is a primate expert and Executive Director of Proyecto Titi, a Colombian based conservation organization dedicated to the Cotton-top tamarin.

Because of their critically endangered status, two of four resident Cotton-top tamarins at Oakland Zoo are part of the SSP (Species Survival Program), in hopes they reproduce to help ensure the survival of their species in AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) accredited zoos.

TICKETS

Tickets to the event are $12 – 20.

For additional information contact Kyla Balfour, Conservation Specialist at kbalfour@oaklandzoo.org

Image by Thomas Lersch via Wikimedia Commons (creative commons license 3.0)