There are less than 4 thousand tigers in the wild in the world, according to recent report by organization TRAFFIC. This is an evidence of treat to extinction and it is dramatic. At the same time, only in United States there are, according to the same report, 5 thousand tigers in captivity – and this is the number registered. As long as nine North-American states do not demand any official license for a person to have a tiger at home as a pet, this number can be higher.
Several animal protection organizations demand that North-America Government begin to monitor the population of tigers that live with private people and prohibit their reproduction, because in the end the new tigers are sacrificed so that their body parts are sold on market, especially in Asia. Since 2000, Convention CITES (that protects endangered species of extinction) firmed a resolution that obliges the 174 countries that sign the convention to monitor each individual that lives in their territory. But United States, the country that has more tigers in captivity than the number of the animals in the wild in the world, do not sign CITES agreement.
Bonobos are capable of pretend play, just like human children
Children love to play pretend, holding imaginary tea parties, educating classrooms of teddies or running their own grocery stores. Now, a new study suggests that such make-believe play is not a uniquely human talent, but a skill that great apes also possess.
An unprecedented finding on brain lateralization from fieldwork with residents of the Great Apes Sanctuary of Sorocaba suggests a new approach to chimpanzee welfare in captivity. Discover the first results of the research by veterinarian Juliana Kihara, who worked at the Sanctuary for 12 years.
Chimpanzees change their minds based on evidence, demonstrating, like us, rational thinking
New study shows that chimpanzees have the ability to change their minds and make new choices according to the evidence experienced. This ability is the basis of what we can call rational thinking – which until now was classified as a distinctive characteristic of human beings.
It is incomprehensible, and at the same time revealing, that in the 21st century—when science has proven beyond any doubt the genetic, cognitive and emotional closeness we share with the great apes—we still relegate them to the silence of forgetfulness.
Today we are faced with the sad news of the passing of British primatologist Jane Goodall, one of the greatest global references in the study of chimpanzee behavior and sociality. She also helped encourage the creation of the Great Apes Project - GAP, signing a chapter in the book that gave rise to the international…
The social integration process of #chimpYoko has advanced!
After a little more than seven months since his arrival and ongoing observation of his general condition and behavior, the team at the Great Apes Sanctuary of Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil, successfully carried out an internal transfer to a new…
He arrived at the Sanctuary after an unprecedented operation involving several organizations that mobilized to make his transfer possible. Yoko was the last remaining captive chimpanzee in Colombia.
Chimpanzee Jeber was castrated and had all his teeth pulled out in the circus where he lived. Because of this, he developed an unusual way of eating certain things. For example, to eat coconut, he uses his fingers to pull…
He arrived at the sanctuary in 2008, along with his companion Tyson, when IBAMA (Brazilian Environmental Institute) confiscated all animals from Le Cirque Circus, in Brasília.
Chimps Caco and Jully are inseparable companions and an inspiring example of the transformative potential of socialization in a Sanctuary. Twenty three years ago, They found each other, complemented one another, and discovered their balance to live the peace and…