One relatively recent cause of the sharp decline in ape populations deals with poaching and kidnapping. The Great Ape Survival Partnership or (GASP) is an aid organization created by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The purpose of the GASP is to protect apes and their habitats. Their website provides a wealth of information regarding the struggle of our closest living relatives and efforts made to turn back the tide of extinction. Over the past decade, there has been a noticeable increase in the hunting and harvesting of apes. Both live Apes and pieces of the dead are sent off to be sold to increasingly gluttonous buyers. Uses for these apes range from medicinal purposes to cuisine and even pets. These criminals primarily
…show more content…
In the beginning, there was no way to breed chimps in the United States. Woodsmen were hired to retrieve wild Chimpanzee babies through any means necessary to obtain samples. Much like how you or I would react to a home invader attempting to kidnap someone close to us, these activities pissed off entire chimp families. This often meant that whole groups were systematically killed to obtain a few babies. Once they were caught, the infants were shipped back to the United States where they would be forced to breed in order to create a large stock of test …show more content…
Despite my stance on their use as test subjects, I firmly believe that further research into the chimpanzee genome is necessary. According to Stefan Lovgren of National Geographic News, our DNA is 96% similar to that of a chimpanzee. Through this genetic relationship, we can in turn discover more about ourselves. What I hope we eventually discover is how a 4% difference in DNA composition created two incredibly distinct species of animal? What allowed us to evolve into what we are today, while chimps are still relatively the same (Lovgren, Stefan. "Chimps, Humans 96 Percent the Same, Gene Study Finds." National Geographic Society, 31 Aug. 2005. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.)? Despite the passage of the great ape research ban, it is not difficult to obtain a sample of chimp DNA. It is likely that we already possess vast quantities of blood samples. In the event that stocks begin to dwindle, a visit to a sanctuary or zoo can remedy this issue. Our genetic and behavioral proximity with chimps is a relationship that should not be
In the beginning, there was no way to breed chimps in the United States. Woodsmen were hired to retrieve wild Chimpanzee babies through any means necessary to obtain samples. Much like how you or I would react to a home invader attempting to kidnap someone close to us, these activities pissed off entire chimp families. This often meant that whole groups were systematically killed to obtain a few babies. Once they were caught, the infants were shipped back to the United States where they would be forced to breed in order to create a large stock of test …show more content…
Despite my stance on their use as test subjects, I firmly believe that further research into the chimpanzee genome is necessary. According to Stefan Lovgren of National Geographic News, our DNA is 96% similar to that of a chimpanzee. Through this genetic relationship, we can in turn discover more about ourselves. What I hope we eventually discover is how a 4% difference in DNA composition created two incredibly distinct species of animal? What allowed us to evolve into what we are today, while chimps are still relatively the same (Lovgren, Stefan. "Chimps, Humans 96 Percent the Same, Gene Study Finds." National Geographic Society, 31 Aug. 2005. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.)? Despite the passage of the great ape research ban, it is not difficult to obtain a sample of chimp DNA. It is likely that we already possess vast quantities of blood samples. In the event that stocks begin to dwindle, a visit to a sanctuary or zoo can remedy this issue. Our genetic and behavioral proximity with chimps is a relationship that should not be