The Washington Post recently describedPaul Raffaele as the last of the great old-fashioned adventure writers.

It's true: he's hacked his way through jungles, tracked fierce animals and sought out modern-day pirates, slavers, evencannibals. Yet he dislikes the label. It's not that he minds being called old-fashioned but he has never sought adventure just for the sake of it.
"There has to be a point to it," he says. When he decided to write about the great apes, there was a very definite point.
Every sort of great ape is in trouble, their habitats dwindling and their numbers plummeting. "People and politicians simply don't seem to get how serious their situation is," Raffaele says.

by Stephanie Pain

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2010/02/stephanie-pain-contributor-the-washington.php

Science Daily

Understanding local human cultures is key
to preserving gorillas, elephants and other wildlife in African parks
and reserves, according to new research from Purdue University.

"Conservation efforts and the management of protected areas are often
designed with the best intentions, but sometimes supporting scientific
data is missing or incorrect assumptions are made about a local  
culture or even the outsiders or trade that plays a role in the area," said
Melissa Remis, a professor of anthropology who studies gorillas.
"Conservation isn't just about protecting wildlife, you also need to
consider the human dimension such as how local hunting technologies or
even migration can change how land is used."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113172140.htm

The IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group has published a new set of guidelines on the prevention and mitigation of conflict between humans and great apes. Presented as part of the Best Practice series for great ape conservation, this report is designed to help researchers and wildlife managers understand the causes of human - great ape conflict, and find equitable ways to resolve it.

Wright JH. 2009. Use of film for community conservation education in primate habitat countries. American Journal of Primatology. DOI 10.1002/ajp.20749. Available at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122659594/abstract
 
Abstract
 
Wildlife films have become an integral part of broadcast schedules in developed countries. As charismatic mammals, primates are frequently the focus of the wildlife filmmaker's attention. Yet the people watching these films tend to be situated on different continents from the species concerned. Communities in primate habitat countries are unlikely to ever have the opportunity to gain such an insight into the species with which they share their environment and the threats these species face. Over recent years, an increasing number of filmmakers are realizing the importance of reaching local audiences through film for conservation purposes. Published research on the impact films can have on eliciting conservation action in developed or developing countries is minimal. The perceived power of wildlife films to change attitudes and behaviors is largely based on anecdotal evidence. This commentary highlights the on-going debate regarding the conservation impact of wildlife films, discusses the work of various NGOs that are using films for conservation purposes in habitat countries and makes recommendations with regards to the film type and situational context necessary to promote positive conservation behavior in communities. Bespoke conservation films convey a specific message to a specific audience at a particular point in time. If produced by trained local conservation educators, these films are likely to have the biggest impact. Films must be shown as a part of a conservation education program that incorporates other education materials and group discussion so that the desired conservation message can be clearly defined and reinforced. Audiences should not be made to feel disillusioned, depressed or vilified by the content of wildlife films. Rather films should increase support for conservation and empower people to act. Once enthusiasm for specific conservation actions has been created, practical assistance and follow-up support is necessary to ensure ideas are implemented. Am. J. Primatol. 7l:1-5, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Abstract: The western purple-faced langur Trachypithecus vetulus nestor is a Critically Endangered primate endemic to Sri Lanka according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its population decline is inferred mainly due to vast habitat loss. Few recent data Eire available regarding its distribution or abundance. The ann Of Our study was to assess the conservation status of T. v. nestor throughout its known historical range by establishing presence/absence and correlating these data with semi-structured interviews determining human perceptions and threats. Twenty-six sites were investigated, with presence of T v. nestor being confirmed at 11 and indicated through questionnaires only at 2 additional sites. The present distribution of T v nestor is severely fragmented both locally and regionally. More than half of the populations comprised 1 or 2 groups only and, being isolated in a matrix of urban landscapes, are close to unviable. Conflicts between local people and T if. nestor were identified at such sites, where reports of troops crop-raiding gardens and plantations were associated with negative perceptions. Consequences for crop-raiding langurs ranged from shouting to (infrequently) shooting and killing by dogs, Negative views towards T v. nestor were significantly related to the length of time they spent in anthropogenic landscapes, while more positive views were significantly associated with the length of time T v. nestor spent in forested areas. Evidence of local extinctions means that the remaining, yet. increasingly fragmented habitat of the highly arboreal T v. nestor is critical for survival. Intervention to manage this human-wildlife conflict is vital. An integrated approach using international and local conservation authorities is highly recommended.

Disease outbreaks, either in isolation or in concert with other risk factors, can pose serious
threats to the long-term persistence of mammal populations [Cleaveland et al., 2001]; these risks are
elevated as population size decreases and/or population isolation increases. Currently, there is widespread
perception that infectious diseases pose one of the greatest risks to the survival of apes in the wild
[Altizer et al., 2007; Chi et al., 2007; Homsy, 1999; Ko¨ndgen et al., 2008; Leendertz et al., 2006;
Pederson et al., 2007]. Although difficult to diagnose, numerous infections or syndromes have been described
in wild great apes and epidemic disease has proven to be a critical cause of death in some cases
[Leendertz et al., 2006]. Examples include: Ebola virus in Taı¨ chimpanzees [Formenty et al., 1999] and
lowland gorillas [Bermejo et al., 2006; Walsh et al., 2003]; anthrax in Taı¨ chimpanzees [Leendertz et al.,
2004]; and an ‘‘AIDS-like'' disease in Mahale [Nishida et al., 2003]. Many of these disease outbreaks
are suspected to be the result of close contact with humans [Barnett et al., 2004; Chi et al., 2007;
Ferber, 2000; Goldberg et al., 2007; Homsy, 1999] and as such, the mitigation and/or management of
these risks is one of the highest priorities within the ape conservation community. Ko¨ndgen et al. [2008]
show convincing evidence that diseases originating from humans, likely researchers studying the animals,
were responsible for significant population declines in the Taı¨ forest chimpanzees of the Ivory
Coast. On the other hand, the same study revealed evidence that research can have a protective effect
since communities less associated with research pressure were subject to heavier poaching risk. We
outline here how science based decision-making and a risk assessment approach can provide a framework
with which to investigate the trade-offs of researcher presence as it relates to human-induced disease risk.
We also provide several suggestions for future avenues of investigation and/or policy-making.