John Aspinall Foundation has finally answer our letter questioning the reason for sending two young female gorillas to Belo Horizonte zoo, in Brazil. You can read the letter here and bellow we reproduce our answer to them:

Damian Aspinall

Chairman,

The Aspinall Foundation

October 5^th, 2011

Dear Mr. Aspinall

We have received your reply about the two female gorillas sent to Belo Horizonte Zoo, in Brazil, in an attempt of reproduction with a male gorilla, called  – absurdly, by the way – “Idi Amin”.

We still believe that keep great primates in zoos in a disservice to the cause of respect of basic rights of apes in the world. We have several examples here in Brazil of how zoos cause mental disturbs in intelligent beings as great primates. In fact, Belo Horizonte zoo has sent us a few years ago a male chimpanzee called Pongo. He had been abruptly separated of his mother after his birth on the zoo to be sent to another zoo, in Fortaleza (northeast of Brazil), which did not have a proper enclosure to receive him. The zoo kept him locked in a cage for almost two years and today he is aggressive, insane and lonely chimpanzee and we can do nothing to change this situation.

This attitude of John Aspinall Foudantion, known for its respectful work on the conservation of wild species, goes against our preaching to take all the great primates of the zoos due to the problems caused by the public exhibition on their minds.

Seventy per cent of great primates that lived in Brazilian zoos died in the last 10 years. And more did not die because the four sanctuaries affiliated to GAP Project in the country were able to host some of them, who would end up dead in a few more years. The decision of sending two young gorillas to a zoo where several apes have already died – including two female gorillas who were put together with Id Amin in an attempt of becoming his partners – does not indicate concern, in this specific case, with conservation of an endangered species.

It is worth to point that the director of the zoo, Evandro Xavier, declared that the agreement with the foundation includes the exchange of babies that could be born, and this means that familiar bonds will be continued to be broken. In fact, this is one of the main arguments we used to criticize the politics adopted by zoos around the world.

We lament that John Aspinall Foundation, which has been collaborating significantly in the defense of great apes and other endangered and threatened species, has its name connected to the commercial exploitation of animals – Belo Horizonte zoo has been doing a lot of marketing in the last few days with this story, quoting the foundation as a partner.

Our sanctuaries host more than 80 great primates, who came from circuses, zoos and private owners. It is tragic to conclude that the ones who are in the worst psychological conditions are the ones who lived in zoos. Maybe one day you can realize the mistake of had sent two young gorillas, important individuals for the preservation of the species, to an inappropriate place, where they have no guaranteed future.

Dr. Pedro A Ynterian

President, GAP Project International

Related news:

https://www.projetogap.org.br/en-US/noticias/Show/3962,john-aspinall-foundation-does-not-explain-donation-of-gorillas-to-brazilian-zoo