AWARDS & HONORS

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

The Texas Department of Health has honored
Primarily Primates for having “the best-landscaped
facility” under TDH jurisdiction. Primarily
Primates is recognized as a TDH facility because it
houses some retired laboratory primates under contract
from TDH.
The San Francisco Zoo has recognized the
late Carroll Soo-Hoo, who died in June at age 84,
with a plaque at the zoo’s gorilla exhibit. Beginning in
1958, Soo-Hoo and his wife Violet donated more than
40 animals to the zoo, including the founding members
of the gorilla colony.

Primarily feeling like Noah

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

SAN ANTONIO– – What
happened to Primarily Primates during
the recent Texas flooding?
Secretary Stephen Rene
Tello’s first recollection was that so
many pipes were unearthed and broken
by a flash flood that the sanctuary
had no potable water for a day.
That meant Tello and
Primarily Primates president Wally
Swett had more than 800 thirsty monkeys,
great apes, lemurs, tropical
birds, a wallaby, and assorted other
creatures to haul buckets for.
“It sounds strange that the
animals had no water, when we had
just experienced a two-foot wave
rolling over half the sanctuary, but it
just came through so fast,” Tello
said. “Many of the monkey cages
were inundated with six inches of
packed mud and rocks. The chimp
enclosures nearest our flood control
dam,” which broke, “had a foot and
a half of rock and clay from the dam.

Editorial: Humane ecology, Asia, and us

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

The pages of this edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE not used to document “Who gets
the money?” largely concern the plight of animals caught in the economic crunch now
afflicting Asia. A theme common to both topics is the widening gap between the wealthy
few and the working poor. But the parallel most striking to us is between the status of animal
protection in the U.S. at the end of the 19th century and in Asia at the end of the 20th.
In either time and place, icon species were pushed toward extinction by rapid
development, driven by the hope of a fast-growing population that aggressive entrepreneurship
could bring escape from poverty. Forests were logged, mountains blasted into slag
heaps, and just about any creature who could be killed was skinned and/or eaten.
Responding to the crisis, enlightened people created a counterforce with a reach
comparable to that of religion––albeit with still just a fraction of the political clout.
It would be a mistake to push the comparison farther. As ANIMAL PEOPLE
has often pointed out, the humane traditions of Asia are rooted in Hinduism, Buddhism,
and Jainism, and may be traced back at least 3,000 years. Whether east or west is following
the other is of interest only to the extent that tactical errors can be avoided.

Asian wildlife crisis breeds new ethic

December 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1998:

BANGKOK, Thailand; BITUNG, Indonesia;
HONG KONG, China; KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia– –
Rapidly building the biggest anti-poaching force in the world,
with a budget of next to nothing, environment and public
health minister Datuk Amar James Wong of Sarawak state,
Malaysia, on December 3 asked the state forestry department
to expedite the appointment of another 1,000 volunteer deputy
wildlife rangers, to reinforce the efforts of the 4,500 volunteer
deputies already on duty.
Wong also asked the Sarawak Timber Association to
support the addition of timber camp managers to the volunteer
deputy force.
“Village elders, national guard members, and councillors
will likewise be recruited,” Wong pledged.
The timber association has already sponsored publication
of a manual for the volunteer deputies.
Wong’s idea is to give a broad portion of the responsible
citizenry of Malaysia an active role in upholding wildlife
protection.

CLEVELAND AMORY

November 1, 1998 Dylan Forest Leave a comment