Africa's Great Apes in Peril

MiTEG writes "Scientific American is reporting that the number of great apes of western Africa declined by 56% between 1980 and 2002. The decrease is larger than previous estimates because it was found that deforestation is not the only substantial cause of population reduction. Other significant causes of death are poachers and the Ebola virus."

Comments

They die, We die. Are you paying attention yet?

[SolemnDragon]

They are the closest thing to the human race on earth that we've got in terms of relative species. And what's more, they are a relatively INNOCENT species, since they are generally non-predatorial as species go (Unlike, say, the jaguar or the wolf, both of whom take up more of the precious attention of out ecologically minded society- what little precious attention that there is.)

Without them, it can be argued that we are losing a valuable part of our environment. But Even at the most base, survivalistic level, you need them to live. why? because the diseases that can wipe these animals out are the diseases that can wipe us out. All ethical considerations of conservation and the morality of medical testing aside, we need creatures running around with something close to our DNA. And to have them wiped out by human acts in addition to general disease spread is unconscionable, and we need to be greeting this news with more interest and concern than apathy. THey die, we die, and that goes for each of the other thousands of endangered species as well. Now, before you give that snide response of, well, we can't save them all... Consider Schindler's list. Maybe we can't save them all. But we better be trying. And this is one where we really can save ONE species. Oke, i'll climb down off my soapbox, but not until i offer you this. More later as i gather more links.

F***ed Species . . .

[Red Rocket]

Homo Sapiens, that is.
As proof, just read most of the above messages. Our planetary siblings are about to be wiped out (due primarily to our own greed) and the idiots come out of the woodwork to make jokes about it. The weakness of your education in biology is showing when you make light of a critical issue like this. You betta' recognize. All of life is woven together. Start plucking out the threads and pretty soon it falls apart. Or, if you've ever played the game called "Don't Break the Ice" where you knock out the blocks until, suddenly, the whole platform collapses, you can see the analogy. We're just busy as hell knocking out blocks trying to get richer than the other guy. Stop, already. Just look around (outside preferably) if you want truth, beauty, and riches. We already have it all and we're just shit-canning it.