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Database reveals true extent of illegal ape trade
Orangutan
Orangutans comprise 67 per cent of all entries in the Database.

Information will be used to support law enforcement efforts

Over 1,800 great apes were seized from an illicit live traffic that went undetected for over a decade, according to the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP).

Seizure records in the Apes Seizure Database show over 90 per cent of all seizures occurred within national borders and were therefore not recorded in illegal trade databases. As a result, the trade in endangered and critically endangered great apes was dramatically under-reported.

“Any illegal trade in great apes — whether it crosses international borders or not — needs to be considered a very real threat to the survival of these endangered species,” said UN environment executive director Erik Solheim. “I visited Borneo recently and saw for myself the incredible pressure orangutans are under from habitat loss, and African apes are equally stressed. Illegal trade can only push them all that much closer to extinction, and it needs to be stopped.”

The Apes Seizure Database was created by the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment -World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). Its data comes from GRASP’s broad alliance of 105 national governments, research institutions, conservation organisations and UN agencies, which was then verified by a technical advisory group.

Orangutans comprise 67 per cent of all entries in the Database, thanks to the huge expansion of agricultural industries such as palm oil and pulp and paper in Borneo and Sumatra. Chimpanzees are next at 24 per cent, with gorillas (six per cent) and bonobos (three per cent) also impacted.

“For too long, the illegal trade in great apes was anecdotal, and therefore difficult to judge in terms of scale and scope,” said Doug Cress, programme coordinator of GRASP. “But with the Apes Seizure Database, the numbers are plain to see. It doesn’t take long to identify areas of concern in Africa or Asia, or recognise that critically endangered species are in extreme danger.”

GRASP say the information will be used to support monitoring and law enforcement efforts against environmental crime. 

 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.