Ago 70 million years ago primates already existed and from that common ancestor the different groups of prosimians, monkeys and apes populated our planet. Less than ago 200.000 years ago the Homo sapiens sapiens, the human species, and everything began to change. On the occasion of the commemoration of International Primate Day tomorrow September 1, since the BIOPARC wants to launch a call for reflection towards the protection of these animals since, of the fences 500 species of primates that remain today, only one, Humans represent more than 99% of the total population.
People have evolved and developed like no other species. and now, when we have surpassed a population of 8.000 million, when we know that this progress is directly proportional to the biodiversity loss and when it becomes evident that our impact on the Earth is not only disastrous for nature in general, but is turning against us, It's time to react. The BIOPARC concept was born to bring about this change. On the one hand, directly mobilizing society and, at the same time, acting in the conservation of threatened species, where primates have a very delicate position.
The human species It is one of the five great apes, along with gorillas, orangutans, bonobos and chimpanzees. We have reached every corner of the planet, even to the marine abyss as we can see in the virtual reality experience “The last frontier” of BIOPARC Gijón Aquarium and, with our colonization, the rest of the primates have been disappearing and being cornered in increasingly smaller areas of America, Africa and Asia. In this sense preservation actions are essential on-site in which the BIOPARC Foundation participates. Collaborations in relevant international projects such as the Ebo Forest Research Project, the Borneo Nature Foundation or the Jane Goodall Institute are some examples.
In a faithful recreation of their native jungles, the BIOPARC of Fuengirola and Valencia show the behavior of a wide variety of primates. In Spain they host the only breeding family of golden cheek gibbon; the largest groups of gorillas, chimpanzees, drills and talapoins; and the greatest variety of species of lemurs, among which are the ring-tailed, black-and-white collared, red-collared, black, red-bellied, mongoose and red-fronted. It is also very surprising to contemplate the only place where they coexist mangabeys and gorillas. The work of animal welfare team has been especially significant in the European Conservation Programs of these species in danger of extinction and included in the Red List of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The first orangutans and gorillas in Andalusia and also the first Valencian gorilla were born in the BIOPARC..
In the current situation it is necessary raise awareness in society and, for this, the BIOPARC are educational platforms to publicize the characteristics and peculiarities of primates. Among them, it is common in all species to have large brains, the ability to use their hands or sexual dimorphism; but evolution and adaptation to the environment has caused other great differences. There are monkeys from “mini” size to huge 200 kg apes; The diet can be vegetarian and also omnivorous; some species are solitary, others form pairs or even complex social structures with groups dominated by males; some have terrestrial habits and others are arboreal, so agile that they seem to “fly” in the leafy sky; we find quadrupeds and bipeds; some have useful prehensile tails and in other species they have completely disappeared; There are intrepid swimmers and others are equally incapable of maintaining buoyancy, like all great apes.
Of all the anniversaries related to the animal world, the International Primate Day should be the most important for humanity and BIOPARC invites you to celebrate it, to awaken empathy towards these species with whom we share so much and to commit to your protection and well-being.
