Mighty, intelligent and gentle Western Lowland Gorillas are well-loved apes, they are #critically endangered by #deforestation and habitat loss for #palmoil, cocoa and mining along with disease and illegal poaching in #Congo #Nigeria #Cameroon Help them to survive every time you shop! Join the #Boycott4Wildlife
Mighty, intelligent and gentle Western Lowland Gorillas are well-loved apes, they are #critically endangered by #deforestation and habitat loss for #palmoil, cocoa and mining along with disease and illegal poaching in #Congo #Nigeria #Cameroon Help them to survive every time you shop! Join the #Boycott4Wildlife
Habitat loss is emerging as a major threat to Western Gorillas. Other threats include disease and poaching. As oil-palm plantations in Asia reach capacity, Africa is becoming the new frontier for this crop, offering excellent economic prospects in countries with appropriate rainfall, soil and temperatures (Rival and Lavang 2014). Unfortunately, such areas coincide with good Gorilla habitat: 73.8% of the Western Lowland Gorillaâs range is considered suitable for oil palm (Wich et al. 2014).
IUCN red list
Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorillaWestern Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorillaWestern Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorillaWestern Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorillaWestern Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla Western Lowland Gorillas are found in Angola (Cabinda enclave), Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), mainland Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Gabon, Nigeria and Republic of Congo. Until recently, the core population had an almost continuous distribution from southern CAR to the Congo River and west to the coast. Rivers are the primary geographic barrier for this taxon, followed by habitat fragmentation: the two subspecies are separated by a major river (the Sanaga), and Western Lowland Gorillas are divided into subpopulations by other major rivers in the region (Anthony et al. 2007, FĂŒnfstĂŒck et al. 2014, FĂŒnfstĂŒck and Vigilant 2015).
The northwestern limit of the western lowland subspecies distribution is the Sanaga River in Cameroon; the northern limit is the forest-savanna boundary to a maximum of roughly 6°N; the eastern limit is the Ubangi River; the Congo River south of its confluence with the Ubangi then becomes the southeastern and southern limits all the way to the coast. Small outlying populations of the Cross River subspecies remain on the Nigeria-Cameroon border at the headwaters of the Cross River and in the proposed Ebo National Park in Cameroon. Most Western Gorillas are found below 500 m asl, but those living on mountains occasionally reach elevations of 1,900 m asl.
Western Gorillas are diurnal and semi-terrestrial. They build nests to sleep in every night, usually on the ground but sometimes in trees. They are social and live in stable, cohesive groups composed of one âsilverbackâ adult male, several adult females and their offspring. Gorillas are not territorial and group ranges overlap extensively.
Western Lowland Gorillas occur in both swamp and lowland forests throughout Western Equatorial Africa. They are especially common where ground vegetation is dominated by monocotyledonous plants. Their staple foods are leaves and shoots of the Marantaceae family, whereas fruit consumption varies greatly between seasons (Rogers et al. 2004). Some populations spend hours feeding on aquatic herbs in swamps. Social ants and termites are the only animal matter deliberately eaten. Group size averages 10, but is occasionally over 20 individuals, and annual home ranges are usually 10â25 kmÂČ (Williamson and Butynski 2013).
Male Western Gorillas take 18 years to reach full maturity, whereas females take around 10 years. Their length of the reproductive cycle is unknown. Infant mortality up to three years of age is 22â65%. Infants suckle for 4â5 years, causing lactational amenorrhea in the mother. Interbirth intervals are 4â6 years. Western Gorillas appear to reproduce more slowly than Eastern Gorillas (G. beringei). The maximum length of their lives is unknown but likely to be around 40 years. Generation time is estimated to be 22 years.
The recent expansion of industrial-scale mineral extraction and the creation of open-pit mines are of great concern (Edwards et al. 2014, Lanjouw 2014), and also lead to the establishment of development corridors, which can be several kilometres wide and add to areas of âlost forestâ (Laurance et al. 2015). There is a disconnect between the various bodies responsible for land-use planning in the realms of conservation, mining and agriculture in all Western Gorilla range states except Gabon. Consequently, there is increasing competition for land between long-term conservation needs and immediate financial gain as governments explore the potential of clearing natural habitat in favour of economic development. Without careful and immediate land-use planning that involves cooperation between the government bodies responsible for protected areas and wildlife on one hand, and economic and agricultural development on the other, large areas of Western Lowland Gorilla habitat could be cleared within a few decades.
Maisels, F., Bergl, R.A. & Williamson, E.A. 2018. Gorilla gorilla (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T9404A136250858. dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.201âŠ. Downloaded on 06 June 2021.
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The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), the largest association of wildlife centers in Africa, includes 22 organizations in 13 countries which are securing a future for Africaâs primates and their habitat.
Location: Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda
The Eastern gorilla, the largest living primate, is a symbol of strength, intelligence, and resilience. Divided into two subspeciesâthe mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) and Grauerâs gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri)âthis critically endangered great ape inhabits the montane and lowland forests of East and Central Africa. Despite their ecological significance as seed dispersers and their cultural importance, Eastern gorillas face imminent threats from habitat destruction, poaching, and disease.
Between the two subspecies, there are estimated to be fewer than 5,000 individuals remaining in the wild. According to IUCN, there are 1,063 Mountain gorillas Gorilla beringei beringei and an estimated 3,800 Grauerâs gorilla Gorilla beringei graueri.
Their survival hinges on swift and strong protections for their habitat and enforcement of the illegal wildlife trade. Join the fight for these gentle giantsâboycott palm oil and support efforts to protect their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Eastern gorillas are the largest of all gorilla species, with adult males (silverbacks) weighing up to 200 kg and standing 1.7 metres tall when upright. Females are smaller, weighing around 90â100 kg. They are characterised by their robust build, long black hair, and pronounced sagittal crests in males, which support their massive jaw muscles.
Mountain gorillas have thicker, longer fur, adapted for the cold, high-altitude climates of the Virunga Mountains, while Grauerâs gorillas have shorter fur suited to the tropical lowland and mid-altitude forests of the DRC. These gorillas are highly intelligent, with advanced tool-use capabilities and complex social structures.
They live in groups of 5â30 individuals led by a dominant silverback, who protects the group, mediates conflicts, and determines movement patterns. Eastern gorillas communicate using an extensive repertoire of vocalisations, facial expressions, and body language, including chest-beating displays to signal dominance or ward off threats.
Geographic Range
Eastern gorillas are endemic to the forests of East and Central Africa. The mountain gorilla is confined to the Virunga Massif, spanning Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Fewer than 1,100 mountain gorillas remain (IUCN, 2020).
Grauerâs gorilla, the largest gorilla subspecies, resides exclusively in the lowland and mid-altitude forests of eastern DRC. Their population has declined by 80% in recent decades, with fewer than 3,800 individuals estimated to survive in fragmented habitats (Fauna & Flora International, 2024).
Previously estimated to number around 16,900 individuals, recent surveys show that Grauerâs Gorilla numbers have dropped to only 3,800 individuals â a 77% reduction in just one generation (ibid.) This rate of population loss is almost three times above that which qualifies a species as Critically Endangered.
IUCN red list
Diet
Diets of Eastern Gorillas vary greatly with elevation and the availability of food. Mountain Gorillas are largely herbivorous and feed on stems, pith, leaves, bark, and occasionally ants. Their favouritge food items are wild celery, thistles, nettles, bedstraw, wood and roots. Both subspecies feed almost exclusively on young bamboo shoots when they are in season twice a year. Gorillas at lower elevations have a more diverse and seasonal diet. Both Grauerâs Gorillas in lowland forest and Bwindi Gorillas are frugivorous.
Eastern Gorillas are diurnal and semi-terrestrial. After waking, they feed intensively and then alternate rest, travelling and feeding until night-time. All Gorillas build nests to sleep in, some in trees, but the majority of their nests are on the ground. Gorillas are not territorial, and there is extensive overlap between the annual home ranges of different groups, which vary in size from 6â40 kmÂČ.
Reproduction and Mating
Eastern gorillas have slow reproductive rates, with females reaching sexual maturity at around 10 years of age and giving birth to a single infant every 4â6 years. The gestation period lasts approximately 8.5 months. Infant mortality is high, with only about 50% surviving to adulthood.
Infants are entirely dependent on their mothers for the first three years, clinging to their fur and nursing. Male silverbacks play a protective role, guarding young gorillas from predators or rival males. However, habitat fragmentation and stress caused by human disturbances have disrupted these delicate reproductive cycles, exacerbating population decline (National Geographic, 2024).
Take Action!
Virunga National Park works tirelessly to protect gorilla habitats, combat poaching, and engage local communities in conservation. Long-term survival requires scaling these efforts and addressing habitat destruction at its root causes.
You can make a difference for Eastern gorillas. Boycott palm oil, support organisations involved in ecosystem and gorilla protection such as Virunga National Park and advocate for stricter wildlife protection laws. Share their story and help secure a future for these majestic primates. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Threats
Conservation efforts have yielded some success for mountain gorillas, whose numbers have slowly increased due to intensive monitoring, anti-poaching patrols, and ecotourism initiatives in protected areas like Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. However, Grauerâs gorillas remain critically endangered, with declining populations.
Poaching: Despite the fact that all killing, capture or consumption of great apes is illegal, hunting represents the greatest threat to Grauerâs Gorillas and laws against the illegal wildlife trade are poorly enforced.
Habitat loss and degradation: Corporate agricultural activities for tobacco, palm oil plantations, cocoa and coffee cause continuing loss and fragmentation of Gorilla habitat in DRC. Over 70% of Grauerâs gorilla habitat has been degraded or lost since the 1990s (IUCN, 2020). Illegal mining has decimated the lowlands of Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a Grauerâs Gorilla stronghold. Destruction of forest for timber, charcoal production along with palm oil, tobacco and cocoa agriculture continues to threaten the isolated Gorilla populations that persist in North Kivu and the Itombwe Massif. Eastern Gorillas as forced into smaller patches of fragmented forests.
Human diseases: Due to their close genetic relationship to humans and physiological similarities, Gorillas are highly susceptible to many human diseases such as respiratory infections and Ebola, which have caused significant population declines.
Armed conflict and civil war: For two decades, refugees, internally-displaced people and numerous armed groups have placed enormous pressure on DRCâs forests through uncontrolled habitat conversion for farmland, harvesting of firewood, timber extraction and mining. Armed conflict has exacerbated poaching and hunting for bushmeat, traditional medicine, and trophies.
Small Population Size: Genetic bottlenecks due to population fragmentation increase the risk of inbreeding and reduce resilience to environmental changes.
Eastern Gorillas (Gorilla beringei) live in the mountainous forests of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, northwest Rwanda and southwest Uganda. This region was the epicentre of Africaâs âworld warâ, to which Gorillas have also fallen victim.
IUCN Red LIST
Climate change: Climate change is predicted to impact the forests of the Albertine Rift escarpment, leading to the upslope migration of species and key Gorilla habitat, notably montane forest (Ayebare et al. 2013). Increased temperatures and modified rainfall patterns are also likely to result in changes in food availability and habitat quality (McGahey et al. 2013).
The Mountain Gorilla subspecies (Gorilla beringei beringei), was listed as Critically Endangered since 1996. Although a drastic reduction of the Grauerâs Gorilla subspecies (Gorilla beringei graueri), has long been suspected, quantitative evidence of the decline has been lacking (Robbins and Williamson 2008). During the past 20 years, Grauerâs Gorillas have been severely affected by human activities, most notably poaching for bushmeat associated with artisanal mining camps and for commercial trade (Plumptre et al. 2016). This illegal hunting has been facilitated by a proliferation of firearms resulting from widespread insecurity in the region. Previously estimated to number around 16,900 individuals, recent surveys show that Grauerâs Gorilla numbers have dropped to only 3,800 individuals â a 77% reduction in just one generation (ibid.) This rate of population loss is almost three times above that which qualifies a species as Critically Endangered.
Mountain Gorillas have been faring substantially better; one of the two subpopulations is recovering from an all-time low in the 1980s, making Mountain Gorillas the only great ape taxon that has been increasing in number (Gray et al. 2013). A 2015â2016, survey of the Virunga population has confirmed that it is still growing and has now increased to over 600 individuals, bringing the total population to roughly 1,000 (Hickey et al. 2018).
Grauerâs Gorillas continue to decline at an average rate of 5% per year (Plumptre et al. 2016). Even with the growth of the Mountain Gorilla subspecies, the overall decline of the Eastern Gorilla species is expected to exceed 80% over three generations due to the high levels of poaching, loss of habitat as human populations expand, and civil unrest and lawlessness in parts of this speciesâ geographic range. If unabated, in 2054, only 14% of the 1994 population will remain. Therefore, Eastern Gorillas qualify as Critically Endangered under criterion A (A4bcd).
Plumptre, A., Robbins, M.M. & Williamson, E.A. 2019. Gorilla beringei. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T39994A115576640. dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.201âŠ. Downloaded on 11 March 2021.
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youâre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
New research finds that it’s not only human babies who love to playfully tease each other. Researchers reasoned that since language is not required for this behaviour, similar kinds of playful teasing might be present in non-human animals. Now cognitive biologists and primatologists have documented playful teasing in four species of great apes. Like joking behaviour in humans, ape teasing is provocative, persistent, and includes elements of surprise and play. Because all four great ape species used playful teasing, it is likely that the prerequisites for humour evolved in the human lineage at least 13 million years ago.
#News: Great #apes tease and prank each other just as humans do. Including body-slamming, hair-pulling and waving objects in front of each other’s faces – new #research study finds #
... show more
Apes Enjoy Joking and Teasing Each Other
New research finds that itâs not only human babies who love to playfully tease each other. Researchers reasoned that since language is not required for this behaviour, similar kinds of playful teasing might be present in non-human animals. Now cognitive biologists and primatologists have documented playful teasing in four species of great apes. Like joking behaviour in humans, ape teasing is provocative, persistent, and includes elements of surprise and play. Because all four great ape species used playful teasing, it is likely that the prerequisites for humour evolved in the human lineage at least 13 million years ago.
Media release from Science Alert, February 13, 2024. Research: Laumer I.B., Winkler S, Rossano F, Cartmill EA. Spontaneous playful teasing in four great ape species. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2024 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2345
Joking is an important part of human interaction that draws on social intelligence, an ability to anticipate future actions, and an ability to recognize and appreciate the violation of othersâ expectations. Teasing has much in common with joking, and playful teasing may be seen as a cognitive precursor to joking. The first forms of playful teasing in humans emerge even before babies say their first words, as early as eight months of age. The earliest forms of teasing are repetitive provocations often involving surprise. Infants tease their parents by playfully offering and withdrawing objects, violating social rules (so-called provocative non-compliance), and disrupting othersâ activities.
In a study, scientists from the University of California Los Angeles, the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, and the University of California San Diego(Isabelle Laumer, Sasha Winkler, Federico Rossano, and Erica Cartmill, respectively) report evidence of playful teasing in the four great ape species: orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas. âGreat apes are excellent candidates for playful teasing, as they are closely related to us, engage in social play, show laughter and display relatively sophisticated understandings of othersâ expectations,â says Isabelle Laumer, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California Los Angeles and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.
The team analyzed spontaneous social interactions that appeared to be playful, mildly harassing, or provocative. During these interactions, the researchers observed the teaserâs actions, bodily movements, facial expressions, and how the targets of the teasing responded in turn. They also assessed the teaserâs intentionality by looking for evidence that the behavior was directed at a specific target, that it persisted or intensified, and that teasers waited for a response from the target.
Teasing to provoke a response
The researchers found that orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas all engaged in intentionally provocative behavior, frequently accompanied by characteristics of play. They identified 18 distinct teasing behaviors. Many of these behaviors appeared to be used to provoke a response, or at least to attract the targetâs attention. âIt was common for teasers to repeatedly wave or swing a body part or object in the middle of the targetâs field of vision, hit or poke them, stare closely at their face, disrupt their movements, pull on their hair or perform other behaviors that were extremely difficult for the target to ignore,â explains UCLA and IU professor Erica Cartmill, senior author of the study.
Although playful teasing took many forms, the authors note that it differed from play in several ways. âPlayful teasing in great apes is one-sided, very much coming from the teaser often throughout the entire interaction and rarely reciprocated,â explains Cartmill. âThe animals also rarely use play signals like the primate âplayfaceâ, which is similar to what we would call a smile, or âholdâ gestures that signal their intent to play.â
Similarity with human behaviour
Playful teasing mainly occurred when apes were relaxed, and shared similarities with behaviours in humans. âSimilar to teasing in children, ape playful teasing involves one-sided provocation, response waiting in which the teaser looks towards the targetâs face directly after a teasing action, repetition, and elements of surprise,â Laumer explains.
The researchers noted that Jane Goodall and other field primatologists had mentioned similar behaviours happening in chimpanzees many years ago, but this new study was the first to systematically study playful teasing. âFrom an evolutionary perspective, the presence of playful teasing in all four great apes and its similarities to playful teasing and joking in human infants suggests that playful teasing and its cognitive prerequisites may have been present in our last common ancestor, at least 13 million years ago,â explains Laumer. âWe hope that our study will inspire other researchers to study playful teasing in more species in order to better understand the evolution of this multi-faceted behaviour. We also hope that this study raises awareness of the similarities we share with our closest relatives and the importance of protecting these endangered animals.â
Media release from Science Alert, February 13, 2024. Research: Laumer I.B., Winkler S, Rossano F, Cartmill EA. Spontaneous playful teasing in four great ape species. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2024 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2345
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youâre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
South America: Species Endangered by Palm Oil Deforestation
As the lush equatorial rainforests of South East Asia are exhausted, increasingly focus is being placed on parts of Central and South America. Oil Palm is a growing commodity there and is found in Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico.
South America: Species Endangered by Palm Oil Deforestation
A model of rainforest loss in the Amazon 2010 â 2260
The fertile rainforests of Latin America are home to some of the most exotic and unusual species of animals in the world. These animals must be protected at all costs. These animals have a IUCN Red List status of Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable and face a threat to their existence from palm oil deforestation, and deforestation from other commodities. Yet there is hope and there are a number of ways you can Take Action to Protect Them.
Palm Oil Detectives is completely self-funded by its creator. All hosting and website fees and investigations into brands are self-funded by the creator of this online movement. If you like what I am doing, you and would like me to help meet costs, please send Palm Oil Detectives a thanks on Ko-Fi.
PUERTO CONCORDIA, Colombia â Councilman Ricardo Vargas* sits at the bus depot in the riverside hamlet of Puerto Concordia where narco-inspired corridos play on the radio and a sea of oil palm expands outside town in all directions.
Do chimpanzees and orangutans really have midlife crises?
Knowing that chimpanzees and orangutans have personalities, feel emotions and are “almost human” comes as no surprise to most people. However, linking the term “midlife crisis” to chimpanzees and orangutans seems to be somewhat shocking and controversial as we’ve seen from the flurry of interest produced by a paper published this week.
Do chimpanzees and orangutans really have midlife crises?
Knowing that chimpanzees and orangutans have personalities, feel emotions and are âalmost humanâ comes as no surprise to most people. However, linking the term âmidlife crisisâ to chimpanzees and orangutans seems to be somewhat shocking and controversial as weâve seen from the flurry of interest produced by a paper published this week.
The other great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans) are just as socially, politically and cognitively complex as we are. Our âhairyâ great ape relatives are like us in every respect. They feel and demonstrate fear, affection, laughter and compassion. They are also capable of gang-like killing and âwarfareâ between neighbouring communities, rape, âbatteringâ females, infanticide and cannibalism.
Genome sequence projects have established the close genetic relationship between ânakedâ and âhairyâ great apes. Cognitive studies show that chimpanzees are capable of deception and have the ability to remember past events and imagine or plan for future events (mental time travel).
But popular culture suggests that there is at least one developmental or lifestyle phenomenon unique to humans; namely, the âmidlife crisisâ.
What is a midlife crisis?
In affluent societies, there is a popular belief that as soon as men reach their mid-forties, they suddenly take up high-risk activities or buy a showy red sports car or powerful motorbike.
This time of apparent stress, confusion, dissatisfaction with life and display of âcrazyâ behaviour is popularly known as the âmidlife crisisâ.
In reality, around the world, irrespective of culture or wealth, both men and women seem to experience a midlife âslumpâ in happiness or well-being. This may be reflected in poor mental or physical health.
By middle age, wild apes are often exhausted or maimed (or dead)
Typically, studies of this phenomenon are conducted by economists or psychologists, but the approaches they take and questions they address may be different. Economic research may compare happiness of younger, middle aged and older adults, who fall into similar socio-economic categories (such as income, marital status, health). This provides a âsnapshotâ in time. Their findings tend to support the existence of a âU-curveâ when age is plotted against happiness, with younger and older people feeling more positive or happy.
Psychologists, on the other hand, prefer longitudinal studies of people over their lifetime to look for changes in âsubjective wellbeingâ.
How do you measure an apeâs happiness?
Measuring happiness or wellbeing is typically done by asking participants to fill out a questionnaire or self-report inventory, which rates their feelings or experiences.
Over the last two decades, researchers have been adapting the human questionnaires and rating scales for use with our closest âhairyâ relatives: chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans. They want to see whether personality and subjective wellbeing can be reliably measured in other species.
Not surprisingly, âhairyâ apes also show individual differences in personality and subjective wellbeing or happiness. These can be reliably measured if a person who has known the âhairyâ ape for a long time (generally more than two years) and very well (say, if theyâre a zoo keeper or caregiver) rates the individual.
Why are we surprised that our ape relatives have midlife âissuesâ?
To ensure coverage in the popular press, good science communicators pick catchy titles. These authors did exactly this by including the words âmidlife crisisâ, âgreat apesâ and âhuman well-beingâ. However, âmidlife crisisâ is an emotive phrase that may not accurately reflect the findings.
The research team included renowned psychologists/primatologists/geneticists and an economist. Following the data analysis used by economists for this type of research, the âU-curveâ with its slump in well-being was evident for the 500+ chimpanzees and orangutans included in the analysis. The âhairyâ apes were all housed in captive institutions (zoos, research centres and a sanctuary) in Japan, the United States, Canada, Singapore and Australia. The chimpanzees and orangutans ranged in age from less than 1 year old to 56 years old.
Humans tend to show a slump in well-being at about 45-50 years of age. For chimpanzees it was at 27-28 years of age and for orangutans about 35 years of age. Since this slump exists in chimpanzees and orangutans and isnât unique to humans, the authors suggest evolutionary or biological explanations must be considered. The slump does not appear to be due to socio-economic or lifestyle factors.
Sadly, the authors missed the opportunity to mention that chimpanzees and orangutans are endangered in the wild and may not reach middle age, yet alone old age. In captivity, they may indeed live beyond the age of 50 with veterinarians and caregivers to attend to their needs and no threats from their only predators â humans. A moment of thought (Gorilla mother and daughter) by Dalida Innes However, these findings suggest that zoos and other captive institutions must be proactive in seeking ways to improve welfare for great apes showing a slump in well-being. They need to be vigilant as individuals approach their 30s. These practical welfare implications were also not mentioned by the authors.
In the wild, by middle age many chimpanzees and orangutans have witnessed the destruction of their forests and death of family members to poachers for food or illegal animal trade. Every day is a struggle for survival, and by middle age wild great apes may be physically exhausted or maimed. They do not have the benefit of relaxing and reflecting on their happiness. They certainly do not have the option of buying a sports car or seeking their lost youth.
Knowing that chimpanzees and orangutans have personalities, feel emotions and are âalmost humanâ comes as no surprise to most people. However, linking the term âmidlife crisisâ to chimpanzees and orangutansâŠ
Palm Oil Detectives interviews Primatologist Dr Cleve Hicks @Cleve_Hicks about why we must urgently respect the #cultures in non-human #apes, being #vegan #palmoil and why he believes in the #Boycott4Wildlife
Palm Oil Detectives interviews Primatologist Dr Cleve Hicks @Cleve_Hicks about why we must urgently respect the #cultures in non-human #apes, being #vegan #palmoil and why he believes in the #Boycott4Wildlife
âWest African chimpanzee populations reduced 80-90% in a few decades, due to #cocoa and #palmoil plantations, mines, civil war and poaching. Vanishing with them are their unique cultures.â Primatologist @Cleve_Hicks #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
âPalm oil has already devastated South East Asia. I can see it gobbling up tropical forest where I live in Colombia. I salute the efforts of @Palmoildetect and support the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlifeâ @Cleve_Hicks
â#Greenwashing is rife in the products we buy. Labelling products is a start. Although there is loads of #corruption around the world on how these labels including palm oil are certified. #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlifeâ Primatologist @Cleve_Hicks
âThe homecoming of #palmoil to #Africa under global capitalism is likely to reduce the glorious Central African forests to ashes, replaced by lifeless plantations, just for slightly cheaper junk food! #Boycottpalmoilâ Primatologist @Cleve_Hicks
âMy team and I spent over 12 years living in the jungle to get up close to them, our nearest cousins on the evolutionary treeâ
âA century ago, humans believed that tool use was what set us apart from other species. In recent decades, supposedly exclusive human behaviours have been falling to the waysideâ
Jane Goodallâs discovery of stick tool use by the Gombe chimpanzees in the 1960âs changed this. Now we know that orangutans and many monkeys use tools as well, and thatâs only and thatâs only looking at primates.
Animals have complex societies, self-awareness, they engage in conduct cooperative hunting, warfare, and even have what looks like active teaching, in orcas
A painting of mine of primates. Photo: Dr Cleve HicksPhoto: Px FuelPhoto: Px Fuel
Culture is still revered by some as being a uniquely human characteristic. Our species has, indeed, âgone nuclearâ, so to speak, with cumulative culture. Look around you.
Nevertheless, if we define culture as socially-transmitted behaviour that varies between populations, we can see at least the seeds of culture in other species, including chimpanzees.
âGround nesting is also relevant to our own evolution, because at some unknown time, our ancestors switched from sleeping in the trees to sleeping on the ground.â
The Congo Basin ecosystem began collapsing a long time ago
âWest African chimpanzee populations crashed by 80 to 90% over the past few decades, due to the proliferation of cocoa and palm oil plantations, mines, civil war and poaching. Vanishing with them are their unique cultures.â
This process has accelerated rapidly over the past few decades. Although there are still 10s of 1000s of Eastern chimpanzees in Northern DRC, mining activities are spreading throughout the region, and these can cause great damage to wildlife: Eastern lowland gorillas, for instance, were decimated over the past few decades. Conflict related to mining can also lead to massacres and enslavement of local people.
âI am afraid the same thing will happen to chimpanzees quite soon, if the global community does not somehow tame its voracious appetiteâ
~ Dr Cleve Hicks
Photo: An open-cut cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The resources plundered here go into the lithium-ion batteries found in our tech devices.
I think weâre all beginning to realize how our recent cultural divorce from the rest of the natural world is having a terrible effect on ourselves and on all other life.
Dr Cleve Hicks
Palm oil has already devastated South East Asia. I can see it gobbling up tropical forest where I currently live in Colombia as well
Oil palm has been used for millennia by indigenous peoples of Africa in an ecologically rather sound way.
The imminent homecoming of palm oil to Africa under the framework of global capitalism is likely to reduce the glorious Central African forests to ashes.
These forests are poised to be replaced by endless, lifeless plantations, just so we can all pay a slightly cheaper price for junk food.
Palm Oil Detectives helps to shine light on these abuses and bring some degree of accountability to this immensely destructive oil palm behemoth
It is also critical to reach those millions of well-meaning people who may be unaware of the effects that their daily supermarket purchases are having on the natural world. The problems seem so huge. There seems to be so little that an individual can do.
But consumers can and should choose to boycott companies who are behaving irresponsibly and unethically. Going vegan, as I did years ago, is one way an individual can make a big difference.
Greenwashing is rife with the foods we eat and the products we buy
Labelling products as forest-friendly is a start. Although there is loads of corruption around the world about to how these labels, including palm oil, are certified.
I make every effort in my personal life to not buy products containing palm oil.
Dr Cleve Hicks
Food manufacturers should offer us consumers a greater variety of tasty vegan products and also food that does not use palm oil or soy, that has been harvested from the ashes of old-growth tropical forests.
Consumers should seek out and demand more locally-grown foods in their supermarkets.
Consumers can also help donating to groups working on the frontline everyday like the Black Mambas, an all female anti-poaching team!
Sometimes working in conservation can be extremely frustrating. Seeing many dead primate orphans in the Congo had a deep effect on me. So I decided to use watercolours and create my own world and hero, the endearingly bumbling Ernest Horningway. He is a gentrified rhino who goes to Africa to meet his wild cousins and help them. Itâs difficult to convey the terrible problem of wildlife trafficking to children.
âMy hope is that my whimsical tale will expose children to important information about what is happening in our world without traumatising themâ
I also wanted to help out the brave conservationists in the field protecting Ernestâs cousins, which is why we donate some of the proceeds of the book to Black Mambas and Bush Babies. Big news: we have a French translation of the book coming out very soon!
When you purchase the book âA Rhino to the Rescueâ, 10% of proceeds go towards the Black Mambas
Buy now on Amazon and find out more on these social channels
They have protected the wildlife of Bili for the past 10 years. They co-funded my 2012 surveys which revealed a stable chimpanzee population. This survey helped convince them to set up a project there.
This organisation does incredible work to save bonobos.
Another very effective way to help endangered wildlife is to go vegan
I have been vegan for 20 years. I was inspired to do so while studying western lowland gorillas for 2 years in a forest called Mondika. After all, nobody asks a (mostly) vegan silverback gorilla, how he gets his protein!
Really, if one cares about the state of our global environment the easiest and most effective thing anyone can do is go vegan, or at least greatly reduce oneâs consumption of meat and dairy products.
What is more important, another lousy hamburger or the survival of the Amazon and Congolese rainforests, and all the plants, nonhuman animals and people living in them? Not to mention what we are doing to our seas!
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youâre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youâre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Itâs a tricky thing to grow enough food for a ballooning population without destroying the natural world. And when I say a tricky thing, I mean itâs one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced.
Luckily for us, it is theoretically possible, and the easiest way to get there is by drastically cutting down on meat.
Can we feed the world, stop deforestation? YES According to @[url=https://wisskomm.social/users/HumboldtUni]Humboldt-UniversitĂ€t zu Berlin[/url]. âIf we all woke up #vegan in 2050, we would need less land than in 2000. We could reforest an area the size of the Amazon. 80% of deforestation is from #meatâ #Boycott4Wildlife
But it doesnât have to be this way. Researchers recently modelled how the world could feed itself in 2050 without converting any current forests into agriculture. They tested the outcome under 500 different scenarios that varied according to realistic assumptions on future yields, the area needed for farming, livestock feed and human diets. They found that âdeforestation is not a biophysical necessityâ.
âWhile a wide range of feasible options to feed a no-deforestation world were found, many only worked under certain circumstances,â said Karl-Heinz Erb, lead author of the study, published in Nature Communications.
For example, meat-heavy diets were not compatible with lower yields similar to those under organic farming, or under the potential negative effects of climate change. Of all the variables involved, the feasibility of feeding the world with no deforestation is more dependent on what we are eating, than on how well we farm.
âThe only diet found to work with all future possible scenarios of yield and cropland area, including 100% organic agriculture, was a plant-based one,â Erb said.
Even better: if we all woke up vegan in 2050, we would require less cropland than we did in the year 2000. This could allow us to âreforestâ an area around the size of the entire Amazon rainforest â somehow fitting considering 70-80% of deforestation in the Amazon is due to the livestock industry.
In second place, the vegetarian diet was compatible with 94% of future no-deforestation scenarios. Going veggie would also save on cropland, allowing for an area around the size of India to return to nature. This land-saving makes sense when considering the conversion rate between the grain that we could have directly consumed but instead feed to livestock. For example, in the US, it takes an astounding 25kg of grain to produce 1kg of beef, pigs require a grain to meat ratio of 9:1 and chickens, relatively less wasteful, are 3:1. As renowned ecologist Hugh Possingham put it: âJust stop feeding grain to animals â donât eat something that ate something that you could have eaten.â
Plant-based diets are particularly impressive when compared to those that are rich in meat, which would require a 50% increase in global cropland area by 2050. In order to achieve this with a chance of no-deforestation, weâd have to convert lots of pasture to cropland and substantially increase yields, likely through using chemicals. But both conversion and intensification generally degrade ecosystems and lead to less biodiversity.
Overall the new study found that a meat-eater requires at least double the resources of a vegan or vegetarian.
The study also links to the basic availability of food, one of the main pillars of food security. As people, especially in the Western world, eat less meat, the global demand for grain is reduced â for example, the US could feed 800m people with the grain currently fed to livestock. Less meat consumption would mean more food is available in poorer countries which could enjoy becoming more self-sufficient.
With other recent research showing that reducing our meat intake could result in two thirds less food-related CO2 emissions, and save millions of lives there are few excuses left to justify having meat at every meal.
Most of all, this study brings some much needed good news. In a world where environmental issues are often overwhelmingly depressing, where it seems monopolies that are out of our grasp run the show, here we have a pathway to a healthier, greener and more equitable world. And itâs quite literally handed to us on a plate. As the researchers of the study noted: âWe are cutting back on meat, mainly as a result of this study.â And thatâs the beauty of this approach, it doesnât have to be all or nothing, vegan or carnivore. Eating sparse amounts of meat, the path of the âcarnesparsianâ, can have a huge impact â on your own health and that of the planet.
This article was updated on April 26, 2016, to include more recent data on livestock deforestation in the Amazon.
Research: Small room for compromise between oil palm cultivation and primate conservation in Africa
Research by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission found that although oil palm cultivation represents an important source of income for many tropical countries, its future expansion is a primary threat to tropical forests and biodiversity.
“Results warn that, consistent with the dramatic effects of #palmoil cultivation on #biodiversity in #Asia, reconciling a large-scale oil palm growth in Africa with #primate #conservation will be a great challenge” #Boycottpalmoil
... show more
Research: Small room for compromise between oil palm cultivation and primate conservation in Africa
Research by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission found that although oil palm cultivation represents an important source of income for many tropical countries, its future expansion is a primary threat to tropical forests and biodiversity.
âResults warn that, consistent with the dramatic effects of #palmoil cultivation on #biodiversity in #Asia, reconciling a large-scale oil palm growth in Africa with #primate #conservation will be a great challengeâ #Boycottpalmoil
In this context, and especially in regions where industrial palm oil production is still emerging, identifying âareas of compromise,â that is, areas with high productivity and low biodiversity importance, could be a unique opportunity to reconcile conservation and economic growth. The team applied this approach to Africa, by combining data on oil palm suitability with primate distribution, diversity, and vulnerability.
âWe found that such areas of compromise are very rare throughout the continent (0.13 Mha), and that large-scale expansion of oil palm cultivation in Africa will have unavoidable, negative effects on primates.â
âDespite growing awareness about its detrimental effects on tropical biodiversity, land conversion to palm oil continues to increase rapidly as a consequence of global demand, profitability, and the income opportunity it offers to producing countries.â
Although most industrial oil palm plantations are located in Southeast Asia, it is argued that much of their future expansion will occur in Africa. The team assessed how this could affect the continentâs primates by combining information on oil palm suitability and current land use with primate distribution, diversity, and vulnerability.
They also quantified the potential impact of large-scale oil palm cultivation on primates in terms of range loss under different expansion scenarios taking into account future demand, oil palm suitability, human accessibility, carbon stock, and primate vulnerability.
Mountain Gorilla mum and baby
They found a high overlap between areas of high oil palm suitability and areas of high conservation priority for primates. Overall, we found only a few small areas where oil palm could be cultivated in Africa with a low impact on primates (3.3 Mha, including all areas suitable for oil palm).
âThese results warn that, consistent with the dramatic effects of palm oil cultivation on biodiversity in Southeast Asia, reconciling a large-scale development of oil palm in Africa with primate conservation will be a great challenge.â
Primatologist Dr Cleve Hicks warns about how palm oil is poised destroy primate populations in Africa and why he believes the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife is the answer
Dr Cleve Hicks â Primatologist on palm oil and chimpanzee cultures
Dr Hicks speaks with Palm Oil Detectives about his chimpanzee research, veganism, deforestation, palm oil and what consumers can do to help the endangered animals of Africa.
Palm Oil Detectives interviews Primatologist Dr Cleve Hicks @Cleve_Hicks about why we must urgently respect the #cultures in non-human #apes, being #vegan #palmoil and why he believes in the #Boycott4Wildlife
Palm Oil Detectives interviews Primatologist Dr Cleve Hicks @Cleve_Hicks about why we must urgently respect the #cultures in non-human #apes, being #vegan #palmoil and why he believes in the #Boycott4Wildlife
âWest African chimpanzee populations reduced 80-90% in a few decades, due to #cocoa and #palmoil plantations, mines, civil war and poaching. Vanishing with them are their unique cultures.â Primatologist @Cleve_Hicks #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
âPalm oil has already devastated South East Asia. I can see it gobbling up tropical forest where I live in Colombia. I salute the efforts of @Palmoildetect and support the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlifeâ @Cleve_Hicks
â#Greenwashing is rife in the products we buy. Labelling products is a start. Although there is loads of #corruption around the world on how these labels including palm oil are certified. #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlifeâ Primatologist @Cleve_Hicks
âThe homecoming of #palmoil to #Africa under global capitalism is likely to reduce the glorious Central African forests to ashes, replaced by lifeless plantations, just for slightly cheaper junk food! #Boycottpalmoilâ Primatologist @Cleve_Hicks
âMy team and I spent over 12 years living in the jungle to get up close to them, our nearest cousins on the evolutionary treeâ
âA century ago, humans believed that tool use was what set us apart from other species. In recent decades, supposedly exclusive human behaviours have been falling to the waysideâ
Jane Goodallâs discovery of stick tool use by the Gombe chimpanzees in the 1960âs changed this. Now we know that orangutans and many monkeys use tools as well, and thatâs only and thatâs only looking at primates.
Animals have complex societies, self-awareness, they engage in conduct cooperative hunting, warfare, and even have what looks like active teaching, in orcas
A painting of mine of primates. Photo: Dr Cleve HicksPhoto: Px FuelPhoto: Px Fuel
Culture is still revered by some as being a uniquely human characteristic. Our species has, indeed, âgone nuclearâ, so to speak, with cumulative culture. Look around you.
Nevertheless, if we define culture as socially-transmitted behaviour that varies between populations, we can see at least the seeds of culture in other species, including chimpanzees.
âGround nesting is also relevant to our own evolution, because at some unknown time, our ancestors switched from sleeping in the trees to sleeping on the ground.â
The Congo Basin ecosystem began collapsing a long time ago
âWest African chimpanzee populations crashed by 80 to 90% over the past few decades, due to the proliferation of cocoa and palm oil plantations, mines, civil war and poaching. Vanishing with them are their unique cultures.â
This process has accelerated rapidly over the past few decades. Although there are still 10s of 1000s of Eastern chimpanzees in Northern DRC, mining activities are spreading throughout the region, and these can cause great damage to wildlife: Eastern lowland gorillas, for instance, were decimated over the past few decades. Conflict related to mining can also lead to massacres and enslavement of local people.
âI am afraid the same thing will happen to chimpanzees quite soon, if the global community does not somehow tame its voracious appetiteâ
~ Dr Cleve Hicks
Photo: An open-cut cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The resources plundered here go into the lithium-ion batteries found in our tech devices.
I think weâre all beginning to realize how our recent cultural divorce from the rest of the natural world is having a terrible effect on ourselves and on all other life.
Dr Cleve Hicks
Palm oil has already devastated South East Asia. I can see it gobbling up tropical forest where I currently live in Colombia as well
Oil palm has been used for millennia by indigenous peoples of Africa in an ecologically rather sound way.
The imminent homecoming of palm oil to Africa under the framework of global capitalism is likely to reduce the glorious Central African forests to ashes.
These forests are poised to be replaced by endless, lifeless plantations, just so we can all pay a slightly cheaper price for junk food.
Palm Oil Detectives helps to shine light on these abuses and bring some degree of accountability to this immensely destructive oil palm behemoth
It is also critical to reach those millions of well-meaning people who may be unaware of the effects that their daily supermarket purchases are having on the natural world. The problems seem so huge. There seems to be so little that an individual can do.
But consumers can and should choose to boycott companies who are behaving irresponsibly and unethically. Going vegan, as I did years ago, is one way an individual can make a big difference.
Greenwashing is rife with the foods we eat and the products we buy
Labelling products as forest-friendly is a start. Although there is loads of corruption around the world about to how these labels, including palm oil, are certified.
I make every effort in my personal life to not buy products containing palm oil.
Dr Cleve Hicks
Food manufacturers should offer us consumers a greater variety of tasty vegan products and also food that does not use palm oil or soy, that has been harvested from the ashes of old-growth tropical forests.
Consumers should seek out and demand more locally-grown foods in their supermarkets.
Consumers can also help donating to groups working on the frontline everyday like the Black Mambas, an all female anti-poaching team!
Sometimes working in conservation can be extremely frustrating. Seeing many dead primate orphans in the Congo had a deep effect on me. So I decided to use watercolours and create my own world and hero, the endearingly bumbling Ernest Horningway. He is a gentrified rhino who goes to Africa to meet his wild cousins and help them. Itâs difficult to convey the terrible problem of wildlife trafficking to children.
âMy hope is that my whimsical tale will expose children to important information about what is happening in our world without traumatising themâ
I also wanted to help out the brave conservationists in the field protecting Ernestâs cousins, which is why we donate some of the proceeds of the book to Black Mambas and Bush Babies. Big news: we have a French translation of the book coming out very soon!
When you purchase the book âA Rhino to the Rescueâ, 10% of proceeds go towards the Black Mambas
Buy now on Amazon and find out more on these social channels
They have protected the wildlife of Bili for the past 10 years. They co-funded my 2012 surveys which revealed a stable chimpanzee population. This survey helped convince them to set up a project there.
This organisation does incredible work to save bonobos.
Another very effective way to help endangered wildlife is to go vegan
I have been vegan for 20 years. I was inspired to do so while studying western lowland gorillas for 2 years in a forest called Mondika. After all, nobody asks a (mostly) vegan silverback gorilla, how he gets his protein!
Really, if one cares about the state of our global environment the easiest and most effective thing anyone can do is go vegan, or at least greatly reduce oneâs consumption of meat and dairy products.
What is more important, another lousy hamburger or the survival of the Amazon and Congolese rainforests, and all the plants, nonhuman animals and people living in them? Not to mention what we are doing to our seas!
With our ânew and improvedâ global society, the human species is opening up a dangerous Pandoraâs box!
We need to consider what we truly of value when we make our consumer decisions: human lives, intact ecosystems, music, poetry, love.
dr cleve hicks
https://www.pxfuel.com/" title="Chimpanzees are at increased risk of being poaching or becoming a part of the illegal pet trade, when deforestation opens up parts of the jungle. Photo: https://www.pxfuel.com/">
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youâre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youâre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
South America: Species Endangered by Palm Oil Deforestation
A painting of mine of primates. Photo: Dr Cleve Hicks
Photo: Px Fuel
Photo: Px Fuel
I painted this Bili-Uéré chimpanzee for the cover of the journal Folia Primatologica
https://www.pxfuel.com/" title="Chimpanzees are at increased risk of being poaching or becoming a part of the illegal pet trade, when deforestation opens up parts of the jungle. Photo: https://www.pxfuel.com/">
