EAZA Ape Conservation Fund

Apes (the six species of great apes and 16 species of gibbons) are under threat from hunting, deforestation and disease.  Without our support these beautiful and iconic animals will become extinct. All the apes are threatened and almost all are either endangered or critically endangered. For some species really urgent action is needed.  The Hainan gibbon, for instance, is right on the brink of extinction with fewer than 20 surviving, while there are fewer than 400 Cross River gorillas left in the wild. 

We need to ensure the apes survive and thrive not simply because they are iconic and we have a moral obligation to do so.  Tropical forest ecosystems are essential to humans and apes play a vital role as keystone species in the ecosystems they inhabit.  They help maintain the forest structure and are important seed dispersers for many plant species.  Their conservation is not an easy task, but we do know that real strides can be made through focused attention applied to habitats and species.

The EAZA Ape Conservation Fund focuses attention on the apes, the issues they face and the urgency with which we must act. Through the support of EAZA members that participated in the Ape Campaign, that ran from 1st October 2010 to 30th September 2011 we will work to improve their survival and leave a lasting legacy for ape conservation.
 
Objectives 

The EAZA Ape Conservation Fund aims to make a significant and lasting contribution to the continued survival of apes and their habitats:

• To increase habitat protection and reduce habitat loss
• To reduce hunting and trade of apes, both live and dead
• To change consumer behaviour to reduce pressure on apes and their habitats

The fund covers all ape species; great apes and gibbons. It will focus on the key issues of habitat loss and trade, both within range states and internationally, and control of diseases affecting wild apes.
 
Apply for ape conservation project funding

EAZA member zoos are invited to apply for ape conservation project funding. The funding limit for an eligible project is €30.000. The EAZA Ape Conservation Fund selection commitee will consider applications that meet the following criteria:

• Have the central goal of ‘ape conservation’
• Be managed by, or are partnered with, an EAZA member zoo
• Address one of the main threats for the survival of the species

The EAZA Ape Conservation Fund selection commitee is compromised of the following people:

• Bryan Carroll, Bristol Zoo, UK (Chair)
• Neil Bemment, Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, UK
• Tom de Jongh, Burgers’ Zoo, the Netherlands
• Charlotte McDonald, Twycross Zoo, UK
• Simon Bearder, Oxford Brookes University, UK

The first application round is now closed. Details on the second round will follow soon.

If you would like to apply for funding, please download the following documents:

 For questions please contact: mirko.marseille@eaza.net