Wildlife Trade

How many kinds of primates are there? Why are they traded?
Scientists recognize about 200 different species of nonhuman primates, most of which are distributed throughout the tropical rainforests of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The close biological relationship of nonhuman primates to human beings makes nonhuman primates desirable as models for biomedical research. Primates are also sought by zoological parks, and many are popular - though often illegal - pets in some parts of the world. Primates are also an important source of protein for people in certain countries, particularly in parts of Africa and the Amazon region of South America.

Are primates endangered?
Many primates are in danger of extinction. Ninety percent of all primates live in tropical rain forests around the world. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of hectares of these forests are destroyed every year, shrinking the habitat available to primates and other rain forest species. The 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals lists 118 primate species as threatened, compared to only 96 in their 1996 assessment. The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) of west and central Africa, the mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) of central Africa, the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) of Indonesia, the golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) of Brazil, the yellow tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) of Peru, and the indri (Indri indri) and aye aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) of Madagascar are just a few of the species and subspecies that face extinction.

Why are primate populations threatened?
The greatest factors in population declines among wild primates are destruction of tropical forests and poor management and protection of existing parks and reserves. Rapid human population growth in regions where primates live has increased the rate of primate habitat destruction. Forests are cut down for timber and for conversion to croplands and pasture.

Primate trade, both international and domestic, is also a threat to many primate populations. In Africa, local hunting for food is a major threat to many primate species. Western nations are importing fewer primates for pets than they once did, but local pet trade continues in some developing countries. In the United States, thousands of primates are imported each year for use in medical research. In large cities in China, fashionable restaurants serve monkeys that were taken from the wild.

Are primates protected from trade?
Sixty-one primate species and six subspecies are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, an international treaty with 160 member nations. CITES prohibits all commercial trade in species listed on Appendix I. All other primate species are listed on Appendix II of CITES, which regulates commercial trade through a permit system. In addition, the United States prohibits importation of primates as pets under a U.S. Public Health Service regulation adopted in 1975. Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, 58 primate species and five subspecies are listed as "Endangered," and 13 species are listed as "Threatened." The steady global demand for chimpanzees to be used in medical research prompted the United States to increase protection for this species in the late 1980s, changing its listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act from "Threatened" to "Endangered." Today the vast majority of primates used in research in the United States are bred in captivity rather than taken from the wild.

What species are most heavily traded?
The majority of primates in trade today are Old World species from Asia and Africa. The species most heavily used by biomedical researchers are the crab eating or long tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and rhesus macaque (M. mulatta) from Asia. An estimated 9,500 to 12,000 monkeys enter the United States each year for research purposes.

In Africa, trade in primate meat for food is also significant. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), five to seven percent of chimpanzee and gorilla populations are killed each year for the bushmeat trade-far more than can be replaced by these species' rate of population growth. One study of a market in Brazzaville, the capital of Congo, found 293 chimpanzees for sale over the course of a year. Animals are generally sold at local markets, but some international trade among Central and West African countries does occur. The sale of bushmeat is an important source of income for local people. In recent years, hunting levels have increased dramatically, as a result of increased access to forests provided by new logging roads. Logging trucks can provide better transportation to major markets, allowing locals to sell their meat for higher prices and providing hunters with further incentive to kill more animals.

Which countries trade primates?
Trade data indicate that the vast majority of primates in trade today come from the Old World tropics, specifically Indonesia, the Philippines, and Mauritius. Other major exporters include China, Thailand, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Colombia.

The United States is the world's largest importer of primates (see below). Other importing countries include Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and Canada. Within Africa, there is also a sizeable bushmeat trade among primate range states, including Cameroon, Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.

What role does the United States play in the world primate trade?
The United States is responsible for around 50 percent of the global trade. Imports into the United States have been decreasing steadily since the mid-1960s. The United States also exports and re-exports around 2,000 primates annually. Between 25 and 50 percent of these are captive-bred in the United States, with the remainder coming from China, Kenya, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Are primates traded illegally?
Much of the African bushmeat trade, which involves great ape species and other primates protected from commercial trade, is illegal. In addition, there is widespread international smuggling of primate species for the pet trade.

How can we protect the remaining primate populations?
The greatest threat facing most primate species today is habitat loss. Conserving the world's remaining tropical rainforests is the most important way to protect endangered primates. In Africa, the bushmeat trade is the most serious threat to many primate species, including the great apes - chimpanzees, gorillas, and bonobos. Greater protection of national parks and other protected areas, as well as further protection of rainforest habitats, will help to save the world's primates.