News Releases

Think of this as the news department of Great Ape Trust. Current and archive news releases about our mission, scientific research and conservation initiatives are located here and provide a historical perspective about our organization.

2012

• Great Ape Trust and new Bonobo Hope team up to save the bonobos 01/09/2012

2011

• Great Ape Trust Names Interim Director 12/20/2011
• Great Ape Trust Expands Board, Charts Course for 2012 12/13/2011
• Gishwati Forest to Become Rwanda National Park, Great Ape Trust Concludes Successful Initiative 12/12/2011
• Drake University has Key Role in Growing Rwanda’s Gishwati Forest 11/17/2011
• Great Ape Trust Scientist to Lecture at Butler University 10/27/2011
• Ecotourism program unveiled for Rwanda's Forest of Hope 10/18/2011
• 60 Minutes Australia: "Talk to the Animals" 10/17/2011
• Autism In Another Ape 09/20/2011
• Rwandan Students Tour Gishwati Forest 09/19/2011
• Great Ape Trust Begins Fundraising Campaign 08/25/2011
• BBC TV Documentary on Animal Intelligence to Feature Great Ape Trust 08/22/2011
• Great Ape Trust scientist: "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Will Change Perceptions 08/09/2011
• Forests and Rwanda's Future 07/25/2011
• Endangered Chimpanzee Population Increases in Rwanda's Forest of Hope 07/19/2011
• Great Ape Trust scientist renews call for change in ape welfare following new study 07/01/2011
• Great Ape Trust scientist coauthors new book, Animal Tool Behavior 06/09/2011
• Great Ape Trust orangutan Popi, 40, "gets the birthday party she deserves" 04/26/2011
• Great Ape Trust Scientist One of TIME's 100 Most Influential People In the World 04/21/2011
• Great Ape Trust researcher to present at medical science lecture series at University of Iowa 04/17/2011
• Gishwati Area Conservation Program Gets Support for Planting 1,000 Trees 04/11/2011
• Great Ape Trust scientist to give 'Distinguished Lecture' at Central States Anthropological Society conference 04/01/2011
• Faustin Gashakamba Joins Gishwati Area Conservation Program 03/30/2011
• Significant Expansion and More Chimpanzees Seen in Rwanda's 'Forest of Hope' 03/16/2011
• Great Ape Trust Earns Two Gold ADDY Awards 02/21/2011
• Gishwati's Ecoguards: Supporting People and Protecting a Forest 02/08/2011
• Kanzi's New Role: Father of Teco 01/27/2011
• Rwandan Biologist Promoted to Research Manager of Gishwati Area Conservation Program 01/26/2011
• Teco, Up Close and Personal 01/19/2011
• Robert's Reading Group 01/11/2011
• Kanzi Creates Cover for 2011 Book of Lists 01/06/2011

2010

• Great Ape Trust Bonobos on Anderson Cooper 360 11/21/2010
• Donations Bring Water and Sanitation to Rwandan School Children 11/08/2010
• Kanzi Turns 30 10/27/2010
• Baby Bonobo Teco plays with iPad 10/22/2010
• Great Ape Trust Web site rated among best in U.S. 10/21/2010
• Great Ape Trust’s male bonobo Nyota becomes ‘excellent’ babysitter 10/13/2010
• Kanzi and Great Ape Trust’s bonobo research featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show 10/01/2010
• Baby bonobo Teco intrigues Great Ape Trust researchers 09/13/2010
• Four Great Ape Trust Orangutans Transferred to Indianapolis Zoo 09/03/2010
• "Ape House" book tour begins in Des Moines 08/18/2010
• TIME magazine features Kanzi and Great Ape Trust’s scientific research 08/06/2010
• Chimpanzee population on the rise in Rwanda’s Gishwati Forest 08/02/2010
• Swartz assumes new role at Trust, extends list-learning research to bonobos 07/27/2010
• Floodwaters recede, Great Ape Trust nearing return to normal operations 07/06/2010
• Great Ape Trust surrounded by floodwaters but all is well 07/03/2010
• Great Ape Trust flooding, a lot of water but little trouble 07/02/2010
• Great Ape Trust staff and apes prepared for flooding 06/30/2010
• Aipperspach to step down from Great Ape Trust, join board of directors 06/11/2010
• Rare Bonobo Born at Great Ape Trust 06/03/2010
• Great Ape Trust bonobos get fit 05/28/2010
• Sara Gruen's novel will help secure Great Ape Trust's place in ape language history 05/11/2010
• Radia Joins Great Ape Trust Board of Directors 05/10/2010
• Rwanda official, Great Ape Trust founder sign MOU moving Forest of Hope forward 03/24/2010
• Another baby born to threatened chimpanzees in Rwanda’s Gishwati Forest 03/11/2010
• Great Ape Trust, Buena Vista University alliance moves ape language to next level 03/04/2010
• If bonobo Kanzi can point as humans do, what other similarities can rearing reveal? 03/01/2010
• Rwanda to host World Environment Day; Forest of Hope among green initiatives cited 02/23/2010
• Simpson College students to study bonobo research at Great Ape Trust 02/22/2010
• Great Ape Trust asks federal court to resolve longstanding bonobo ownership issue 02/09/2010
• Great Ape Trust restructuring shifts focus to bonobo research, Rwanda conservation 01/28/2010
• Now 40, Great Ape Trust bonobo matriarch Matata leads quiet life of dignity with family 01/28/2010
• Researchers getting the poop on poop 01/27/2010
• Rwanda's Forest of Hope to expand by 21 percent, begin corridor for endangered chimpanzees 01/27/2010

2009

• 'Forest of Hope' teaches Rwandan youths about great ape conservation 07/17/2009
• Great Ape Trust marks recovery on one-year anniversary of record Floods of 2008 06/17/2009
• Great Ape Trust marks milestone as first student conducting research earns Ph.D. 06/17/2009
• Great Ape Trust visits offer 'unforgettable experiences' 06/17/2009
• Forest of Hope Attracts Researchers 05/25/2009
• Nathan 2000 - 20009 05/16/2009
• Rumbaugh’s theory of rational behaviorism and emergents links positions of Wilson, Skinner 04/29/2009
• Great Ape Trust connects youths in Ankeny, Rwanda 04/29/2009
• Swartz highlights Great Ape Trust's cognitive research in guest lecture 04/29/2009
• Great Ape Trust a partner in UN-backed ape conservation, survival effort 03/31/2009
• Great Ape Trust prominently featured at Iowa Academy of Science meeting 03/30/2009
• Science Circle focuses on disciplines touched by research trajectory 03/30/2009
• Rwanda's 'Forest of Hope' has a pristine heart 03/30/2009
• Great Ape Trust moves 2009 Membership Days to Saturdays, expands experience to children 03/17/2009
• Savage-Rumbaugh lectures at Templeton Foundation symposium in South Africa 02/26/2009
• Tragedy in Connecticut makes case against apes as pets or surrogate children 02/26/2009
• Visiting Great Ape Trust to be easier in 2009 02/26/2009
• Great Ape Trust scientists congratulate ISU colleague on returning Fongoli chimp to mother 02/25/2009
• Great Ape Trust’s Wich co-edits book expanding field data available on orangutans 01/29/2009
• Great Ape Trust scientists invited to lecture at prestigious Berlin Behavioral Biology Symposium 01/29/2009
• Great Ape Trust’s conservation commitment to save wild apes and habitat eclipses $500,000 01/29/2009

2008

• Area students recycle cell phones to help wild great apes 12/17/2008
• Orangutan's spontaneous whistling opens new chapter in study of evolution of speech 12/10/2008
• Great Ape Trust's apes raise nearly $14,000 for effort to conserve wild apes' habitat 12/02/2008
• Shumaker joins distinguished group at symposium in Japan 11/25/2008
• Great Ape Trust scientist honored with conservation award 11/24/2008
• Dr. Karyl Swartz leads mentoring session with ISU women studying science 11/24/2008
• The bonobo Kanzi titles his paintings, giving researchers more insight into his intelligence 11/13/2008
• Play time results in bonobo dental work 10/31/2008
• Wait is over as orangutans explore outdoor yard 10/30/2008
• Great Ape Trust develops Web site study guide for teachers 10/30/2008