Illegal Wildlife Trafficking’s Tiny Ape Victims
After delays and postponements finally putting together concrete flights, plans and assignment for returning to Cameroon and an extended stay at Mefou Primate Park run compassionately by Rachel Hogan and her staff of Ape Action Africa. Illegal wildlife trafficking, and poaching, are at the foundation of the crisis. As part of my continuing research on the work at with Ape Action Africa I wanted to share this video. It’s four minutes, initially painful, eventually hopeful, finally sobering. Find a quiet moment to watch. In four minutes it says so much about the real-world ongoing battle to save great apes — in this case tiny Shufai in March 2010.
“Shufai is a young, western lowland gorilla, one of the many victims of the illegal bushmeat trade, [a core issue in the overall illegal wildlife trafficking crisis] in Cameroon. He was so badly injured and traumatised when he arrived at Ape Action Africa that no-one expected him to survive. Our vet team and experienced carers, led by our Director Rachel Hogan, worked round the clock to fight for his survival.”
More about Ape Action Africa on their website.