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Amusement parks
Although illegal in most countries that adhere to the CITES Con-
vention, great apes are known to have been imported for use as at-
tractions in amusement parks, sometimes using incorrect CITES
source and/or purpose codes to make it seem that they are captive-
bred or are to be used for educational or scientific purposes. In
some places in eastern Asia, purported zoos look very similar to
amusement parks and it is difficult to distinguish between the two.
Travelling circuses
Wild great apes, usually young orphans, are smuggled from
range states to many parts of the world for use in travelling
circuses. Travelling circuses operating in range states and
their neighboring countries are known to have purchased
great apes locally and to have flouted CITES regulations and
national laws by transporting these apes across international
borders (CITES 1992, 1994).
There is a long tradition of sailors keeping wild animals such
as parrots and monkeys as pets onboard ships. To investi-
gate whether this practice continues and whether it involves
great apes, an informal investigation was undertaken Feb-
ruary, 2013, in Boma, a container port at the mouth of the
Congo River in DR Congo. Here, cargo ships are usually an-
chored off-shore, waiting their turn to unload and load, but
crew members rarely come ashore into town as they do not
have visas. If they want to purchase anything, intermediaries
known as ‘washmen’ are used. The washmen visit the ships
by canoe, take orders and deliver goods.
During the informal investigation, the washmen stated that
they could procure a wide variety of wild animals. When asked
if they had ever provided baby apes, two young men said they
hadn’t but they knew where they could get a baby “gorilla.”
The washmen took a moment to confirm the animal was still
available before leading the investigators to a small wooden
shop selling hair extensions. The proprietress offered to show
the “chimpanzee” in her possession, which she had acquired
as a pet for her children, but was prepared to sell for USD 450.
The ape turned out to be a young female bonobo that the fam-
ily had named “Mireille.” The infant appeared malnourished
but otherwise well treated, living free in the family home,
wearing a nappy and sleeping in the same bed as the wom-
an’s two daughters. When asked if the children would be sad
at the loss of their pet, the mother replied, “No problem, I can
easily get another from a lady in Matadi.”
The next day, officials from the local environment ministry of-
fice formally confiscated the bonobo and it was taken by road
to Lola ya Bonobo in Kinshasa, the only sanctuary for the spe-
cies which is native to DR Congo.
Apes as pets on merchant ships