PASA Receives Significant Grant to Disrupt Chimpanzee Trafficking

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA)?the largest alliance of wildlife centers in Africa?is proud to announce that it has been awarded a grant of $758,459 to fund its Action for Chimpanzees program. The program, started in 2020, addresses trafficking of chimpanzees, an endangered species, in West African nations. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is funding the program for two years.

"This grant will be a game changer in the fight against wildlife crime in West Africa," said Gregg Tully, CEO of PASA. "Chimpanzees are highly trafficked and on the brink of extinction. This grant provides critical support to drive regional solutions to the challenge."

Wildlife crime is considered the fourth largest form of organized crime and valued at an estimated 7- 23 billion dollars. Building on established partnerships between sanctuaries and security agencies, Action for Chimpanzees will combine community engagement, training and technology to increase interdiction levels, strengthen law enforcement, and expand collaboration to fight the illegal wildlife trade. The program will focus on four countries that are ground zero in this ongoing struggle: Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte D'Ivoire, and Liberia.

The project focuses on chimpanzees ? one of the species most sought after by wildlife crime syndicates. By focusing on this endangered species, this project will build regional capacity to tackle wildlife crime in general and disrupt a wide network of wildlife crime activities.

Objectives of the program are to:

• Provide training and technology that helps law enforcement detect and disrupt illegal trade in chimpanzees.
• Work with governments to improve prosecutions against wildlife crimes and increase sentencing.
• Strengthen anti-corruption efforts to increase transparency around wildlife crime.

"Forging effective partnerships with governments and law enforcement has always been important to our work," continued Tully. "At the same time, PASA member sanctuaries have decades of direct experience dealing with traffickers. With the support of this grant, we can scale this critical body of knowledge to help stop these crimes."

Genetic mapping of poaching and trafficking hotspots will be an essential part of the program. DNA from chimpanzees living at African wildlife centers can be used to pinpoint wildlife trafficking hotspots and established trade routes. PASA will work with partners to sequence the genomes of chimpanzees confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. This information will help create a genetic map showing where the animals originated and where they have been confiscated ? a diagram of trafficking activity which can be shared with stakeholders in each country.

"With endangered species like chimpanzees," said Tully, "there is simply no time to lose. Action for Chimpanzees will allow us to bring new tools to the fight to protect these remarkable animals. We're incredibly grateful for the support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs."

Media Contact

Jean Fleming, Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), +1 925-209-3329, [email protected]

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SOURCE Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA)