Sunday, October 19

WAPCA calls for endangered primate protection 

The West African Primate Conservation Action (WAPCA) has called for the protection of endangered primates, as the world marks International Primates Day on September 01, 2025. 

WAPCA, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), stated that it was reflecting on the importance of primate conservation, as 60 per cent of the species worldwide were at risk of extinction. 

It noted that primates were some of the most intelligent and social animals on the planet; from playful monkeys to majestic great apes, they shared many traits with humans and were vital seed dispersers for the health of their ecosystems. 

“Sadly, however, many primate species face threats like habitat loss, poaching, and the illegal pet trade.” 

WAPCA is a local non-governmental organisation working in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to protect threatened primates and their habitats in West Africa, through a ‘One Plan Approach’ to species conservation. 

Its focus is on the critically endangered Miss Waldron’s red colobus (Piliocolobus waldroni), white-thighed colobus (Colobus vellerosus), Roloway monkey (Cercopithecus roloway), and the endangered white-naped mangabey (Cercocebus lunulatus). 

The statement indicated that WAPCA does these through reserved breeding, research, community engagement, and conservation education, working to safeguard biodiversity while promoting sustainable livelihoods for local communities.  

It said in line with primate conservation initiatives, WAPCA successfully celebrated Mangabey Awareness Day (MAD 2025) on August 1st, 2025, at the Accra Zoo under the auspices of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission. 

The theme was “Sustainable Consumption for Primate Conservation: Connecting Everyday Choices with Biodiversity Protection,” dedicating the day to highlighting the vital connection between human lifestyles and the survival of the white-naped mangabey (Cercocebus lunulatus). 

The statement said as biodiversity continued to decline at an alarming rate across West Africa, events like the Mangabey Awareness Day and International Primates Day played a vital role in education, mobilisation, and fostering a shared sense of responsibility, serving as powerful reminders that sustainable consumption was not a passing trend but a necessity for the future of primates, people, and the planet. 

 “WAPCA’s vision aligns closely with International Primates Day, highlighting that the plight of the white-naped mangabey reflects a much larger global challenge: the protection of all primate species worldwide.  

“As we celebrate International Primates Day, WAPCA and its partners have pledged to expand community outreach in forest-edge communities across the Eastern, Central, and Bono Regions.” 

It said these efforts aimed to raise awareness about primate conservation and reduce threats such as illegal logging, hunting and other activities leading to habitat loss and degradation. 

 WAPCA further indicated that by fostering awareness and encouraging behavioural change, together with its partners, the NGO aimed to build a future generation committed to conservation and sustainable environmental practices in Ghana. 

It therefore called for stronger collaboration among communities, researchers, government agencies, and civil society, emphasising that protecting primates meant protecting the region’s shared future. 

Source: GNA 


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