'PulseApe [is] a primate-friendly trapeze bar fitted with EKG sensors to capture the chimps' heart activity while they play and swing. This EKG-in-disguise is now part of the Zoo's primate-health repertoire.'
I spent yesterday in shock and grief over the death of primatologist and animal-behavior scientist Frans de Waal, and that continues today. Here are only some of his books that revolutionized my thinking, research, and teaching about animal cognition and emotion. #FransDeWaal#animals#ethology#chimpanzees#animalbehavior#animalcognition#books
"'It was the most terrible and most hard situation I have been in,' she told me, her face grave. Her priority was the safety of her staff. 'We didn’t see any solution but to shoot,' she said."
Some good news coming out of Canada for #elephants and great apes! The Canadian government is introducing a bill to phase them out of captivity!
This means zoos and private owners would be banned from acquiring new ones or breeding existing ones.
Why is this a big deal? Elephants and great apes (which includes #chimpanzees, #gorillas, #orangutans, and #bonobos) are highly intelligent and social beings with complex natural habitats. Studies have shown that these animals suffer both physically and mentally in captivity, and often develop serious behavioural and health problems due to the stress of confinement.
There are around 30 great apes held in captivity in Canada and over 20 captive elephants. Many of these animals were captured from their homes in the wild before being caged for human entertainment.
Vegan Australia welcomes this news from Canada, and we hope this will inspire the Australian government, and Australian zoos, to embrace similar measures and end the exploitation of all animals. Currently Australia is keeping 27 elephants, and approximately 60 great apes in captivity.
Image: a researcher, face masked, eyes shaded by a baseball cap, carrying equipment, follows at a distance a group of wild chimpanzees in an open savanna woodland. It's not totally dry, with some green, tangled bush. She points to the crouching shape of one chimp in the middle distance.