September 1 is International Primate Day
As I did last year, I want to celebrate International Primate Day, this September 1 and invite you to do the same. Primates come in a lot of shapes and forms. They live in many diverse countries and form societies with very specific rules. When I mention to people that I spend my weekends caring for primates, I usually get two reactions: a smile or a grimace; yet everyone does ask questions and seems genuinely intrigued. I find it fascinating that most humans seem to be divided into those who respect primates and those who dislike them. Seeing ourselves in primates can be a source of awe and wonder or a nasty reminder that we may not be as special as we would like to be. International Primate Day is about awareness on the sad plight of a lot of primates in the world. According to the IUCN report (2008-2010), there are 25 primate species currently on the brink of extinction - these include lemurs, gibbons, gorillas, bonobos, guenons and of course orangutans. ...