A simple solution to the Great Ape extinction problem

[gnosis92]

the great apes are endangered with extinction, and Jane Goodall Richard Dawkins Peter Singer wants to raise funds to protect apes from Ape extinction.

Part of the debate focuses on granting the Great Apes with Great_ape_personhood.

So why not grow colonies of Great Apes here in the US, say in Florida, Texas, California, and Hawaii, and other tropical areas? Release chimps, orang utans, gorillas here in the US and central and South America, where they will be protected from pouching.

This putative photo of bigfoot shot allegedly in Florida glades looks like an orang utan
http://www.lorencoleman.com/myakka.html.

Imagine a whole self-reproducing colony of orang-utans in the Florida glades? Even if they become extinct in Borneo, they can survive in the US and maybe Mexico and South America. Austalia might be another good place to grow apes like chimps and orang utans and gorillas. Australia is famous for accepting all kinds of critters ;) It's too bad Steve Irwin is gone, he would have been a mighty champion of this idea. Apes for Australia.

I concede I'm not sure how dangerous these animals are to humans, in zoos they seem rather harmless, but other than possible apes attacking people, I'm not aware of other concerns given apes extremely slow rate of reproduction.

There may be ethical issues involved in transporting a highly intelligent group of near-humans against their will, so to speak, to a new location with new food and problems.

Also, there maybe legal issues --- would a foundation be legally liable if a group of chimps attacked some hikers in say Florida Glades?

These issues shoudl be balanced against the near certainty that the Great Apes may be extinct everywhere in the wild by 2100, if current trends continue.

[Anat]

The only problem is they'll end up voting for Republicans.

[Pavlov's Dog]

Any time you introduce a new species to an environment there are going to be a lot of consequences, some of which cannot be predicted. Other than that, the idea sounds completely looney.

[Unbeatable]

I'm in favor of exterminating all primates.

[J-D]

Austalia might be another good place to grow apes like chimps and orang utans and gorillas. Australia is famous for accepting all kinds of critters ;)On the contrary, Australia is famous for strict quarantine regulations.

I'm also dubious about whether conditions would suit them.

PS The poll is wrongly worded. 'Here' is not 'in the US'. 'Here' is on IIDB, which is on the Worldwide Web, which is not in the US.

[Donkeykong]

If I had my way I would establish large colonies of them in the warmer parts of the US

[Mabus_Zero]

Planet of the Apes! Yesssss!!!!!112

That was humorous, btw.

I'd say yes to everything but the ridiculous idea of 'personhood' for the great apes, as long as they could be properly innoculated, and adapted into the new habitat. As in, I don't want a gorrilla plague; Australia's rabbit plague is cute and furry enough.

[Dlx2]

I think certain species need to be preserved not for ethical reasons but because they offer us unparalleled insight into the history of life on earth. This includes not only the great apes, but also things like the platypus, the echidna, the tuatara, lungfish, coelacanths, polypterids, paddlefish, sturgeon, bowfin, etc, etc, etc. The amount of knowledge that would be lost with, say, the extinction of the coelacanth would be immense. The same goes for the great apes.

[gnosis92]

On the contrary, Australia is famous for strict quarantine regulations.

I'm also dubious about whether conditions would suit them.

PS The poll is wrongly worded. 'Here' is not 'in the US'. 'Here' is on IIDB, which is on the Worldwide Web, which is not in the US.

Sure, but only after they had problems with rabbits, toads, sugar cane beatles, cats, rats, mice, and whatever others that Aussies know about.

I see nothing wrong with saying "Chimps should be relocated here in the US"
Chimps being relocated on IIDB does not make sense.

[gnosis92]

If I had my way I would establish large colonies of them in the warmer parts of the US

exactly. Grizzly bears and mountain lions have attacked hikers. There was a fear that wolves might do the same.

But if you believe in bigfoot, maybe orangutans already are living in Florida Everglades ;)

[gnosis92]

Planet of the Apes! Yesssss!!!!!112

That was humorous, btw.

I'd say yes to everything but the ridiculous idea of 'personhood' for the great apes, as long as they could be properly innoculated, and adapted into the new habitat. As in, I don't want a gorrilla plague; Australia's rabbit plague is cute and furry enough.

Yeah that was what came into my mind when I thought of the idea. Imagine walking in Hawaii and waiving high to some gorrillas. Hell gorillas and chimps and orangutans could probably thrive in Bigfoot country. (i.e Seattle & Pacific Northwest).

I am sometimes very sarcastic and tongue and cheek in my posts -- sometimes my true intention is opposite of what I say. Of course I'm sarcastic about Australia and its long history of exotic species plagues (i.e rabbits, toads, cane beatles, mice, rats, cats). Historically in Australia when an animal was introduced, they had to introduce another animal to control that animal, which also created more problems.

I'm also sarcastic about "Do you trust anyone who bleeds for 5 days straight and doesn't die?" I actually said to this to some women who apparently don't watch South Park, and they thought I was referring to a vampire-freak or maybe an alien.

[gnosis92]

I'm in favor of exterminating all primates.

I'm in favor of you to be the first volunteer.

[gnosis92]

The only problem is they'll end up voting for Republicans.

that's not a very nice thing to say about the Great Apes

Bonobos are famous for being lesbians.

[gnosis92]

Any time you introduce a new species to an environment there are going to be a lot of consequences, some of which cannot be predicted. Other than that, the idea sounds completely looney.

What would be your proposal to ensure the survival of the Great Apes for generations to come, given present realities? The rainforests of Borneo and Africa are being destroyed, and the animals themselves are actively pouched for bushmeat and their babies on the exotic animal trade.

[J-D]

Sure, but only after they had problems with rabbits, toads, sugar cane beatles, cats, rats, mice, and whatever others that Aussies know about.

I see nothing wrong with saying "Chimps should be relocated here in the US"
Chimps being relocated on IIDB does not make sense.Of course not. Hence, you should say 'in the US', not 'here in the US'. Is that really so hard?

[gnosis92]

Of course not. Hence, you should say 'in the US', not 'here in the US'. Is that really so hard?

Since I am writing this question in the US, when I say "We should establish them here in the US" I am stating "here where I am writing from, in the US" as opposed to "there, in Borneo or Africa, where their habitat is being destroyed".

[J-D]

Since I am writing this question in the US, when I say "We should establish them here in the US" I am stating "here where I am writing from, in the US" as opposed to "there, in Borneo or Africa, where their habitat is being destroyed".The 'here' is not necessary for disambiguation. You could convey the whole of that meaning by saying 'in the US', as I already suggested.

You need to think about your readers. Here I am reading your poll, and it asks me to say something about 'here in the US'. How can I? To a significant portion of your readers, your poll options are not meaningful. The tacit message you are unintentionally sending to your non-US readers is: 'if you are not here in the US, you are not significant'.

[premjan]

Orangutans tend to rape human females if they can't find their own kind.

[Giggle]

Orangutans tend to rape human females if they can't find their own kind.

That's completely disingenuous. There has been ONE recorded (anecdotal) case of a male who was hand reared and socialised to human behaviour doing this after he was released into the wild.

To suggest that it is widespread behaviour is just false.

[dmarker]

exactly. Grizzly bears and mountain lions have attacked hikers. There was a fear that wolves might do the same.

But if you believe in bigfoot, maybe orangutans already are living in Florida Everglades ;)

I don't believe in Bigfoot but...

Florida is filled with people who foolishly want to keep exotic "pets". I can see somebody who bought a young orangutan, thinking it would grow up to be like Clyde in Every Which Way but Loose, but the orangutan decided that he was having none of that so the owner decides to drop his problem ape into the Florida Everglades.

[premjan]

That's completely disingenuous. There has been ONE recorded (anecdotal) case of a male who was hand reared and socialised to human behaviour doing this after he was released into the wild.
To suggest that it is widespread behaviour is just false.

Sorry I think you're right - the reported incident seems to be this one.
http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/2001----.htm
At a conference on great apes a few years ago, I spoke to a woman who had visited Camp Leakey, a rehabilitation center for captured orangutans in Borneo run by Birute Galdikas, sometimes referred to as "the Jane Goodall of orangutans" and the world's foremost authority on these great apes. At Camp Leakey, the orangutans are gradually acclimatised to the jungle, and as they get closer to complete independence, they are able to come and go as they please. While walking through the camp with Galdikas, my informant was suddenly seized by a large male orangutan, his intentions made obvious by his erect penis. Fighting off so powerful an animal was not an option, but Galdikas called to her companion not to be concerned, because the orangutan would not harm her, and adding, as further reassurance, that "they have a very small penis." As it happened, the orangutan lost interest before penetration took place, but the aspect of the story that struck me most forcefully was that in the eyes of someone who has lived much of her life with orangutans, to be seen by one of them as an object of sexual interest is not a cause for shock or horror. The potential violence of the orangutan's come-on may have been disturbing, but the fact that it was an orangutan making the advances was not. That may be because Galdikas understands very well that we are animals, indeed more specifically, we are great apes. This does not make sex across the species barrier normal, or natural, whatever those much-misused words may mean, but it does imply that it ceases to be an offence to our status and dignity as human beings.