Scientists at Antwerp ZOO and Planckendael ZOO have succeeded in substantially curbing wildlife hunting in the Central African nation of Cameroon, particularly in regard of the chimpanzee and the western lowland gorilla. They persuaded families living near the Dja Faunal Reserve to stop hunting these animals for commercial purposes and switch to more sustainable, animal-friendly alternatives.
The divers of Antwerp ZOO’s reef aquarium help this artificial coral reef maintain its precarious balance. Just as in nature, this fragile ecosystem contains plants, fish, corals, invertebrates, crabs, micro-organisms and so on, all of which are strongly affected by light intensity and water quality. Various parameters, such as temperature, pH level, salinity, phosphate level and water currents are monitored continuously here.
Chocolate can help save golden-headed lion tamarins. We know this after 20 years of research into the callitrichid monkey species in Bahia, Brazil. when the cocoa from which the chocolate is made, comes from a cabruca.
It appears that Sulawesi is not as old as it was previously believed to be. Four million years ago just the central part of the island was above water; it was only two million years ago that the rest of the island was formed. This has been revealed by animal DNA analysis.
We have started a study, together with VITO, on the impact of climate change on biodiversity. We are developing new tools and collecting climate data to study the impact on golden-headed lion tamarins in Brazil.
Chimpanzees adapt their sleeping habits to changes in their surroundings. That is one of the conclusions of our large-scale study in Africa. Knowing about sleep helps us protect apes and gives us better insight into our own sleeping habits and evolution.
Hunting bushmeat in Africa is a major problem. With our Grands Singes project in Cameroon we are combining scientific research with raising awareness among the local population. We offer them alternatives to hunting endangered forest animals.
In Brazil, we collect fur from golden-headed lion tamarins to find out how they are changing, genetically. Deforestation leaves them isolated, and they don’t swap some genes. In order to avoid having to catch the tamarins, we are testing a system with an adhesive roller here.
In Cameroon we are investigating how large-scale logging is threatening the survival of gorillas. As fruit eaters they are crucial for the distribution of seeds and renewal of the forest. The purpose: to have logging companies change the way they operate.