Printer friendly version |   E-mail to a friend

Primate league grants help rescue centers worldwide

Published Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:45 PM

Summerville Journal Scene ®

The Summerville-based International Primate Protection League (IPPL) cares for 32 gibbons at its rural Knightsville sanctuary. But IPPL helps programs on all continents. It supports sanctuaries and groups working to make life better for the primates who share our world.

At the end of each year, IPPL distributes grants to many small deserving primate organizations. It prefers to help small groups working with less well-known species or in troubled nations. In December, grants were given to 10 overseas organizations, including:

• The Silvery Gibbon Project (Indonesia). This center cares for 28 silvery gibbons at its sanctuary on the island of Java, Indonesia. Silvery gibbons are members of a highly endangered species found solely on Java. Many of the project’s healthy gibbons may one day be released back to the forest.

• International Animal Rescue (Indonesia). Veterinarian Dr. Karmele Llano received an IPPL grant for work investigating the trade in slow lorises, a small nocturnal species with huge eyes. These beautiful animals are sold as pets all over Indonesia. Their sharp teeth are often chiseled away by animal dealers to prevent them from biting. Karmele and her colleagues are investigating the loris trade and working for prosecution of traffickers.

• Ikamaperou Primate Sanctuary (Peru). This sanctuary cares for South American primates rescued from the bushmeat trade. All over South America primates are killed for food, including endangered species. Ikamaperou is working to buy land to protect it from development.

• Tacugama (Sierra Leone). This sanctuary cares for nearly 100 chimpanzees confiscated from traders and people who illegally owned them as pets. During the civil war in Sierra Leone, Tacugama’s brave animal caregivers crossed enemy lines to make sure their chimpanzee charges were fed and cared for.

• Other recipients of IPPL grants include groups in Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Chile, Colombia, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

Notice about comments:

Journalscene.com ® is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Journalscene.com ® does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Journalscene.com ®. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.

Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by reading our terms and conditions, and then signing up below!

What's your big purchase for christmas?

• EPA seeks applications for environmental community grants
• Green Products That Save You Green
• Switch to energy efficient appliances pays off for St. George resident
• 8 Green Ways to Winterize
• Taking a Proactive Approach to Being Earth-Friendly
• New Year's Resolutions Can Benefit the Environment
• Easy Ways to Improve Air Quality
• HMS students compete in national environmental challenge