I just finished reading an article entitled "A Planet Without Apes" in the December 12th issue of Upfront magazine. The article was written by John C. Mitani, an anthropology professor at the University of Michigan.
The article discussed the very real possibility that all of the world's ape populations will soon be extinct. Of the 40 types of apes that inhabited the world millions of years ago, only five now remain: the gorilla, bonobo, chimpanzee, orangutan, and gibbon. Habitat destruction, hunting, and deadly diseases are taking their toll on the remaining gorilla populations. In 2000, Congress authorized the Great Ape Conservation Act, which authorized spending $5 million of public money annually to help protect gorillas. This money was matched with private money to fund gorilla-saving projects in Asia and Africa. Although the act was reauthorized in 2005, concerns over the deficit might keep it from being reauthorized by Congress again.
I sometimes hear people say that protecting species of animals is not important. These folks say that people are more important than animals, and we need to continue to move forward and make progress. I disagree. The world and all the inhabitants in it are inextricably tied together. When our actions lead to the destruction of our natural environment and the extinction of animal species, humanity will suffer. The "progress" that we continue to move toward will eventually come back to bite us, and, unfortunately, gorillas may not be around by the time we realize how our actions have harmed our planet.
It is my hope that we will recognize the importance of all living creatures and work to save them before it's too late.
