An extensive and meticulous work done by a group of defenders of wildlife and the organization Pax Animalis unveils a route created by traffickers of African animals to supply the newest Chinese zoos .

From 2009 to 2012, more than 130 infants and young chimpanzees, as well as 10 gorillas, were smuggled from Guinea-Conakry, in West Africa, to China. Primates traveled mostly with CITES documentation, originated in Guinea and consisting as if they were born in captivity . Most primates come from neighboring countries such as Mali and Sierra Leone, and were drawn from nature to a very high cost of lives for their families, who defended them till death. For each baby captured, 10 adults usually die.

This route Conakry – China has existed for over two decades, initially being supplied with birds and then with the trafficking of primates.

Traffickers in Guinea have an extensive list of available animals. A chimpanzee is worth $ 20,000, a gorilla gets to be sold for $ 37,000 .

The secret of this trade is that in the CITES certificates, which are required for export of any animal threatened with extinction, they are classified as born in captivity, when, in fact, they were caught in the wild . The CITES import permission in China also classifies them as born in captivity .

The CITES permits are usually bought or faked in Guinea , which led , in 2011, the CITES Secretariat , which is an organ of the UN, was the Conakry to investigate the complaints and try to bring order to the work done there, he was collaborating with traffickers to victimize the African jungles of his most representative fauna .

Chinese zoos , many of them new or renewed due to the explosive growth of the economy of that country , try to bring as many African animals possible , considering that the public is very interested in them. In some zoos , are presented to circus shows , with some of those babies chimpanzee brought from Africa .

The extensive report of 143 pages , directed by award winning international photographer and archivist Karl Ammann , raises a critical issue : how to repatriate all those chimpanzees and gorillas were smuggled to Chinese zoos and who knows where they are located . Before the various alternatives , can hardly collaborations of the Chinese authorities and Conakry , in the end , were complicit in this sordid smuggling.

The GAP Project condemns , compared to the world , this attitude of Chinese zoos that are causing a real drain on valuable lives of the last survivors of great apes in the African forests .

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President , GAP Project International

PICTURES :

1 ) Species that are offered by traffickers Conakry -China Connection

2 ) A baby chimpanzee being beaten in a Chinese zoo and his gesture of terror.

3 ) Map where you can see the territory of Guinea in West Africa .

4 ) Map of China with green dots where are the babies who received zoos chimps and gorillas smuggled .

5 ) Enclosures of chimpanzees in zoos in China.

6 ) Commercial exploitation of chimpanzees imported illegally in some Chinese zoos .