Twelve-year old female gorilla Kifta, who came to Brazil to Belo Horizonte zoo with her partner Kimbi in 2011, for them to be the company of male gorilla Idi Amin, died last February 28th of pulmonary edema, according the report of the zoo.

John Aspinal Foundation, which has two zoos in England and reproduces gorillas, exchanging them with other zoos in the world, was now fully exposed, since when that marketing plan of bringing the two gorillas at a cost of more than half million dollars was launched, it affirmed a careful study by experts had been made.

The fact is that the “legal trade” of great apes done by zoos in Europe demonstrates to be very harmful to the primates. Family bonds are destroyed, as in this case of two young gorillas born in captivity, who were separated from their families and sent to thousands of miles away, to accompany a lonely and debilitated male gorilla, who also ended up dying shortly after the arrival of the females.

Legal trade of great apes must cease, and only in very special and justified cases, CITES authorities in Europe and other countries should approve the transfer. The reason cannot be to diversify the collection of species in zoos, but the preservation of a species that is on the verge of extinction.

Again this case proves that what prompted this whole tragedy was “marketing” of zoos, both British and Brazilian, to serve as “public entertainment” at the cost of invaluable lives of beings who, in a few years, will disappear from the face of Earth.

Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian

President, GAP Project International