When an entire family of chimpanzees is slaughtered for bushmeat, the baby chimps are captured live and sold into the multi-billion dollar global wildlife trade. Often sold on as pets, they suffer in confinement and misery, deprived of companionship and a natural life in their wild rainforest homes. 

Iris Ho is Head of Campaigns and Policy at PASA (Pan African Sanctuary Alliance) - Africa’s largest coalition of wildlife sanctuaries and one of the world’s leading organizations fighting to protect primates. Her role is to represent PASA at multilateral conferences where wildlife protection policies are made, and to be a voice for PASA’s 23 member wildlife sanctuaries  - all fighting on the frontlines to tackle this intensifying crisis. 

Animal rescues by sanctuaries make up one pillar in the struggle against poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, but the issues need to be tackled holistically to get to the roots. Iris tells us how we might begin to strengthen law enforcement, and change global policies and mindsets to drive lasting transformative changes that could save our wild cousins from extinction. 

Learn more about PASA’s work here: pasa.org

Please consider signing PASA’s petition advocating a ban on pet primates: pasa.org/fight-the-trade-of-primates/

Send us a text

Support the show

Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.

Support the show
Buy us a coffee to say thanks!
BUY OUR MERCH