  Des Moines, Iowa – May 30, 2007 – Presidential candidates campaigning across Iowa don’t have a thing on great apes when it comes to attracting world-class media to Des Moines. In the past few months, some of the most respected media outlets in the world have visited or contacted Great Ape Trust of Iowa to tell the story about the scientific work into great ape culture, language, tools and intelligence.
The list of media includes The History Channel, National Geographic Television, ABC World News, National Geographic magazine, NOVA, National Public Radio, BBC, National Geographic Kids magazine, Christian Science Monitor and The Associated Press.
“Every week brings a new list of media requests from around the world for interviews and access to the apes – from documentary filmmakers to scientific journals, from network news to novelists,” said Al Setka, director of communications at Great Ape Trust. “We’re very encouraged over the media’s growing interest in Great Ape Trust and our mission of scientific research, conservation, education and great ape welfare.”
Trust report rescheduled for Wed. on ABC World News
Great Ape Trust of Iowa is tentatively scheduled to be featured on ABC World News with Charles Gibson Wednesday, May 30, at 5:30 p.m. CDT/6:30 p.m. EDT. Correspondent John Berman and producer Ursula Fahy visited Des Moines last week and interviewed Great Ape Trust scientists William Fields and Dr. Robert Shumaker . The report will present to a national audience the language skills of Kanzi, a bonobo, and Azy, an orangutan at The Trust. |
To read the Christian Science Monitor article, go here.
To read the ABC article, go here.
Great Ape Trust Background:
Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a scientific research facility in southeast Des Moines dedicated to understanding the origins and future of culture, language, tools and intelligence. 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 abilities.
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 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). To learn more about Great Ape Trust of Iowa, go to www.GreatApeTrust.org. |
Great Ape Trust is certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
