Des Moines, Iowa – September 26, 2005 – The call is out from Great Ape Trust of Iowa – recycle your old cell phones and printer ink cartridges to help ease the plight of apes in the wild. Great Ape Trust is asking Iowa businesses, schools and civic groups to become partners in the recycling program by collecting used cell phones and old printer cartridges in drop boxes provided by the great ape research center.

"Cell phone and ink cartridge recycling is a grassroots conservation effort where apes and people both win.” says Dr. Rob Shumaker, a lead scientist and director of orangutan research at Great Ape Trust. “This not only raises much needed funds for great ape conservation efforts, it also helps our environment by keeping the items out of landfills."

Those interested in joining the recycling effort may receive drop boxes by contacting Andy Antilla at Great Ape Trust, telephone (515) 243-3580 ext. 17 or at info@greatapetrust.org.

 PLIGHT OF GREAT APES

Once numbering in the millions, great ape populations have been reduced to the thousands – and in the case of mountain gorillas, hundreds. Because of logging, mining and human encroachment, it is estimated natural habitats in equatorial Africa, Borneo and Sumatra will all but vanish over the next 10-20 years – taking with them forever African great apes and orangutans. Poaching also depletes the wild population of apes. Some are hunted and killed for a thriving bushmeat market. Others, particularly the females, are killed in order to capture and sell their young in a lucrative black market.

Great Ape Trust’s mission makes conservation of great apes a priority, with special emphasis on in situ conservation (conservation in the wild). The conservation strategy builds on long-term collaborative efforts and professional relationships of Great Ape Trust senior scientists in primate range countries. At present this includes Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh’s collaboration with the Great Apes of Congo Center and the Bonobo Protection Fund in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr. Rob Shumaker’s collaboration with the Borneo Orangutan Society in Indonesia, and Dr. Benjamin Beck’s collaboration with the Associação Mico Leão Dourado (Golden Lion Tamarin Association) in Brazil.

 GREAT APE TRUST

Great Ape Trust of Iowa is located five miles southeast of downtown Des Moines on 230 acres of lowlands, riverine forest and lakes. When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.

Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). To learn more about Great Ape Trust of Iowa, go to www.GreatApeTrust.org.

For more information, contact:
Al Setka
Director of Communications
Great Ape Trust of Iowa
4200 S.E. 44th Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50320
(515) 243-3580
515.720.7430 (cell)
asetka@greatapetrust.org

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