SCIENTIFIC WORK QUESTIONS

A scientific work published this month at Spanish Primatology Association Magazine, signed by two Brazilian biologists, criticizes the Brazilian rules to maintain great primates in cages in zoos, comparing them to the North American and European rules and to the standards adopted at GAP Sanctuary in Sorocaba.

The work was developed by biologist specialist in ethology and teacher of Passo Fundo University, Dr. Thais Leiroz Codenotti, and by biologist MSc. Luiz Fernando Leal Padulla, who works at GAP Sanctuary in Sorocaba.

They compared chimpanzees who live alone in the sanctuary and chimpanzee Alemão, who lived for 15 years isolated at American zoo. He had been practically been killed due to this absurd life and for the treatment received when he ended up getting too ill, a few months ago.

The work also compared North American and Europeans zoos associations’ rules and Brazilian ruled published by IBAMA, which is completely obsolete. While North American zoo must have the minimum of 696 square meters for a group of five chimpanzees and the Europeans, 600 square meters, in Brazil the rule defines 90 square meters, which is ridiculous.

If we consider that at Sorocaba Sanctuary each chimpanzee has access to a minimum of 1000 square meters, with no public visitation, we can understand why every chimpanzee in Brazilian zoos is sick due to the lack of space and to the audience harassment (the Brazilian rule defines a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between visitors and the primates).

Those who are interested in check the lack of quality of the treatment offered to great primates at Brazilian zoos, the scientific research is available here

Dr. Pedro A Ynterian
President, GAP Project International