International Primate Day facts for kids
International Primate Day is a special event held every year on September 1st. It started in 2005 and is mostly organized by a group called Animal Defenders International (ADI) from Britain. Many other groups that care about primates also support it.
This day is all about helping primates, which include monkeys, apes, and lemurs. It focuses on protecting them when they are in danger. This can be from being used in research or when their homes are at risk. More and more groups around the world are celebrating this day. News outlets like AOL News and YahooNews have reported on it.
In 2007, a song called ‘Monkey in a Cage’ by Maria Daines became very popular. This happened after a campaign for International Primate Day. In 2016, the famous musician Moby supported ADI's efforts. He helped them try to protect Barbary macaques for that year's event.
Contents
Understanding Primates
Primates are a very large group of animals. There are about 200 different kinds! This group includes amazing animals like great apes, monkeys, and lemurs. It's important to remember that while apes are primates, not all primates are apes.
Why Primates Need Our Help
For many years, people have been working to protect primates. This movement started in Europe and Japan. Later, it grew in North America too.
Protecting Primates in Europe
Over the last few decades, a group called the Great Ape Project has become very important. In Europe, there have been calls for stronger laws to protect great apes. These are the larger primates like chimpanzees and gorillas.
Helping Primates in the United States
For a long time, chimpanzees were used in scientific research. However, things started to change in the United States.
In 2011, a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found something important. It said that using chimpanzees for most medical research was no longer needed. This report suggested that using chimpanzees in research should be greatly limited.
The head of NIH, Francis Collins, agreed with these ideas. He said that NIH would stop reviewing new research plans using chimpanzees. This was a big step towards protecting these animals.
In 2012, NIH announced that 110 chimpanzees owned by the government would be retired. This meant they would no longer be used for research. Instead, they would go to a special place called Chimp Haven. This sanctuary gives chimpanzees a more natural home.
By 2013, the US Congress passed a law called ‘The Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance and Protection Act’. This law provided money to expand Chimp Haven. It allowed almost all government-owned chimpanzees to move to sanctuaries. This means they can live in a better environment.
The Great Ape Project's Declaration
The Great Ape Project is working to get the United Nations to agree on a "Declaration on Great Apes." This declaration would give great apes special rights. It would include chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans in a "community of equals" with humans.
The declaration wants to give these non-human great apes three basic protections:
- The right to life
- The protection of their freedom
- A ban on torture
Right to Life
This part of the declaration says that great apes should not be killed. The only exceptions would be in very specific situations, like self-defense.
Protection of Freedom
This part says that great apes should not be kept captive without a good reason. If they are held, they should have a way to appeal their situation. This means they could ask a court to review their case.
See also
