Baraza

We’ve been inundated with images and stories of abuses at the Iberia research facility in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Officials at the center deny the charges . That did not stop the Humane Society from doing the brilliant undercover work to reveal the real facts on ABC last night. We didn’t get to watch it here but judging from the conversations on the twitterverse  – the public jury is in agreement.

“The video footage shows monkeys biting themselves and slamming against the bars of small cages. Other scenes show a newborn chimpanzee being taken from its mother and an adult screaming as a lab worker aims a tranquilizer gun before the animal falls sedated from a shelf to the floor.”

The Humane Society only investigated this lab but the findings make you wonder what’s happening in other labs doesn’t it? With this evidence as  a weapon, the Humane Society wants legislation to be passed that bans the use of apes in experimentation and as pets in response to the the brutal attack by a  pet chimpanzee named Travis.

If this legislation is passed it would be good for the apes right?

But it brings us to the question – what will happen to the hundreds (or is it thousands) of chimpanzees that will no longer be in research or living in human houses?  Where will they go? Sanctuaries? Who will pay for them?

I’m asking this question because African ape sanctuaries are bursting at the seams and are severely underfunded …if you read the JACK blog you will find out that there are four new baby chimps being accommodated, at Tacugama we are desperately trying to raise $15,000 to care for Solo a very clever chimp, …I hope that the focus on research chimps and chimp pets in the USA raises awareness and concern for chimps in the wild and in the sanctuaries in Africa.

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1. Stumble all the good posts on WildlifeDirect that you  like

2. Join us on facebook and tell everyone about what we are trying to do

3. Join twitter and tell your network about us

4. Use Goodsearch and select Wildlifedirect Inc as your charity

5. Host a dinner party to raise funds for us!