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Heard It Through The Ape Vine www.apeconservationeffort.org

and our total 2020 Thank You for fundraising from this effort is $1,750. Supporting We had 11 donations in GAGives@ December and most of #GivingTuesday them were from you. Thank you so much for by Donna Mayer Todd the support! Thank you And also to those who made The 2020 GA Gives an appeal for ACE on the Winners Are @#GivingTuesday, the social media. That is how online platform for non- this particular word is Voting for board profit fund raising and spread, how we members was different awareness, has come and differentiate ourselves this year due to COVID- gone. This year of 2020 from all of the other 19. Since getting being what it has, one worthy non-profits also together in person was ushering in twin seeking donations at the not an option, voting for pandemics to the USA, same time. We received new board members was we did not have an idea our final donation from a done by email. of what to expect for the friends of a member, and day. We have all he knew about ACE and We are pleased to experienced anxiety and GA Gives announce that two board sacrifice this year, some @#GivingTuesday from a members were approved sadly and more deeply Facebook post our by a large number of and long lasting, and the member made. We can members responding to same can be said of our make a difference for the the email. The "new" communities. The great apes by utilizing our board members are Leslie wonder was if we could personal outreach in Martin and Susan Smith. raise any money for ACE emails, on Facebook or We were delighted that simply by describing who Twitter, etc.! both decided to run again we are and by asking. for the board. They are Well, we did! The good Finally, please keep a valuable members, and news is that $1,625 was good thought for our we are glad their donated to ACE for the member who donated the contributions as board December campaign. $1,000 we used for members will continue Add to that, the $125 matching funds. This through 2023. donated in May to the member wishes to remain additional and special GA an anonymous donor, but

A A MembershipNewsletter January 2021  Gives @#GivingTuesday we know they are

committed to ACE by Jenny Reineck their generous support While I was a student at and participation. Feeling When I was a young girl, Elon, I volunteered once that she offered to take grateful for you, was my a week at a nursing home. me and my sister on a trip Anonymous! idol. I read all of her When I eventually moved to South Africa to see books, subscribed to back to my hometown of them in the wild. So in Wishing you all (or y'all) biology Atlanta, I missed September 2016, we a healthy and joyous new magazines, and dreamed volunteering. So it was boarded the sixteen hour year, one in which we can of becoming a actually my love of flight that would take us soon see and spend time primatologist. I loved giving back to my to the other side of the with our friends and visiting Zoo Atlanta as a community, rather than world. That was the trip loved ones again, without child and looking at the an interest in animals, of a lifetime that I will fear of virus transmission. amazing gorillas. that re-kindled my never forget! One in which we can relationship with Zoo gather together again for Atlanta in 2012. I fell in activities to benefit the love with the community, conservation of the four the volunteer program, great apes. and the people I've met at our lovely zoo.

 photo by J Reineck Jenny's 5th grade school photo by J Reineck Jenny, sister and mom with field trip to Zoo Atlanta tour tracker and guide, 2016 HBH Fundraising As life changes, so do our interests and priorities, We saw elephants and I ended up going to (including very tiny little We appreciate everyone photo by J Reineck who purchased business school at Elon Jenny working babies!), rhinos, lions, HoneyBaked Ham gift University in North Enrichment Day table, 2013 white lions, cape cards during the holidays. Carolina. Fun fact: I've buffalos, giraffes, The figures aren't in yet, never been a big Europe It was around this time leopards, cheetahs, but we know this person (yes, I have been that I also re-discovered ostriches, warthogs, campaign was a success to Europe), so when I was my love of the Great African wild dogs, because of YOU! in college and was trying Apes. As I went through hyenas, vultures, spiders, to decide on a study Docent Training, I and more. Going into this Thank you. abroad program, I became enamored with trip, I thought I would be actually decided to take orangutans. I was thrilled the most thrilled by the an international to find out that there lions or the elephants, but accounting and finance existed a non-profit one afternoon on our  course in the Cayman within the volunteer evening game drive, we Islands. (This class credit community that was came across a huge supported my minor in specifically dedicated to family of hyenas that had Accounting.) saving great apes, so I a bunch of tiny little babies! This actually ACE Members knew I had to be involved with ACE, ended up being my Are Interesting favorite sighting of the People As I began to share my entire trip, probably love of the zoo with my because it was the most Our interesting member parents, my mother began unexpected. highlighted in this issue is to take a keen interest in Jennifer Reineck. Jenny elephants. This worked has been active in ACE out great for me, because since 2015. photo by J Reineck she loved them so much Jenny at the Sea Turtle Center

in the Cayman Islands, 2011 tournament!), go hiking, I can once again do my that has spent lifetimes camping, backpacking, regular volunteer duties at reproducing inside its running, but also just laze Zoo Atlanta, attend ACE animal carrier -- primed around and watch Netflix meetings and fundraising by evolution and ready to at home. events, and see all of my take on a new host, friends again. I miss you should the opportunity all - please wear your arise. mask, be safe, and stay photo by J Reineck healthy for me! With the growing Baby hyenas at Timbavati population, cities and Private Game Reserve, 2016 towns popping up in  I have put my marketing previously untouched degree to good use while areas, farms and livestock

I make my living as the encroaching on wildlife , and rapid social media guru at NCR "We are at a crisis point. Corporation - you may climate change, these If we don't radically opportunities abound. have seen our big new change our attitudes The good news is that building as you drive photo by Gene Todd toward the natural world, Jenny was a winner at GG zoonotic pathogens are down I-85 on your way to things are going to get 2018 making the leap from the zoo. That is literally much, much worse. Pandemics will become animals to under what I do for my job - I One of my most favorite run the social media increasingly common. the spotlight of hobbies is rock climbing. What we are experiencing unprecedented scientific accounts for NCR My roommate and I go Corporation. We have a now will seem mild by observation. climbing at the indoor comparison." lot of fun on the rooftop climbing gym Stone Thomas Gillespie, associate garden of our building. "We can't afford to just Summit a few times each professor in Emory's focus on one pathogen or Pre -COVID we would week, and we recently Department of Environmental Sciences and Rollins School of one animal. It's really have a free Happy Hour learned how to lead climb every Thursday at 4 pm Public Health important to get a general - this means that instead understanding of the called "Fun Thursday" of being tied into a rope where you could walk up interactions of different that is already attached to species and how changes to the bar and order a the wall at the top, we drink from the CEO. I in the environment are have to clip our rope into driving zoonotic disease also serve on the Board of the wall as we climb our Directors as the Website transmission." says way up - it is very Thomas Gillespie, a Chair for the Atlanta challenging but also very Chapter of the American disease ecologist in fun. Emory's Department of Marketing Association. Zoonotic Environmental Sciences Diseases and the Rollins School of Public Health. "The How Pathogens majority of emerging infectious diseases are Jump Species coming from wildlife, and most of that wildlife is in by Megan Hockman tropical forests." photo by J Reineck photo by J Reineck Fun Thursday at NCR's Jenny rock climbing It starts with an animal. Some scientists seek to Rooftop Garden Not a specific kind of predict the future of While I know 2020 has animal, and generally not outbreaks with For fun I also like to go been a tough year for one that is trying to do sophisticated golfing with my Dad everyone, I am looking any harm. But inside that mathematical tools and (especially at the annual forward to when things animal lies a pathogen -- programming. Others go Gorilla Golf are "back to normal" and a microscopic parasite directly to outbreak sites to track, and attempt to says. The Zika virus, for outbreak. Like many new contain, the spread of the instance, was first diseases, he says "SARS disease. Still others focus identified in monkeys in started out as a disease of on the mechanisms that Uganda in 1947 but was unknown etiology." WHEN VIRUSES JUMP SPECIES allow the pathogens to not widely studied until Normally, we have make jumps between recently, after it started After a doctor identifies a specific mechanisms to seemingly disparate sweeping through human new disease, scientists avoid mutations as our species. All seek to populations. must figure out the cells reproduce, aptly protect humans from the causative agent. From named cellular next unknown threat, there, it's a matter of proofreading. Viruses, whenever and wherever it controlling spread. The PREVIOUS CORONAVIRUSES however, are not inevitably emerges. ease of this control COVID-19 is not the first programmed in this way - depends on a severity of deadly coronavirus to - they accumulate This emergence is a by disease. In the case of make the jump from mutations rapidly and in a product of contact with pathogens like Ebola, animals to humans. Both variety of ways. infected animals as well people have severe severe acute respiratory as the nature of viral symptoms. Those syndrome (SARS) and Imagine a genome as an evolution. Most viruses exhibiting these Middle East respiratory instruction manual, each are programmed for symptoms can be syndrome (MERS) are chapter detailing how to survival within a certain quarantined and healthy coronaviruses classified assemble part of a host. This includes individuals can avoid as zoonotic viral diseases, machine. During factors like the virus' contact. meaning the first humans infection, these chapters ability to attach to host infected acquired these tell the cell how to make cells. Like a microscopic In the case of diseases viruses directly from an entire virus. As the lock-and key mechanism, like the current animals. virus replicates inside of a proteins on the surface of COVID-19, cell, it copies down this virus particles are shaped "transmission happens SARS was initially manual thousands of in specific ways that before serious illness present in an as-yet times and packages it allow them to bind with does, which means it's unknown animal unto new virions which receptors on host cells. much harder to use reservoir, perhaps bats, carry those instructions. classic public health and was passed to civet During the copying These interactions can be measures," says cats, relatives of the process, however, very specific -- they Anderson. Some people mongoose. Evidence mistakes happen. determine which cells are who are sick are shows that as it circulated bound (infections of cells asymptomatic, so they in the civet cats, it gained Influenza virus, for in the respiratory tract can spread disease mutations that allowed it example makes may cause a cough, while without knowing it. to cross over into humans approximately one error those of the stomach can in 2002-2003. More than per new genome -- that's cause nausea and Evidence suggests that 8,000 people worldwide the equivalent to one diarrhea) and which MERS, first identified in became sick with SARS miscopied word per new organisms the virus can 2012 during an outbreak and 774 died. instruction manual. In a infect. in the Arabian Peninsula, viral context, the was transferred from bats Larry Anderson, Marcus miscopied word can have If that key changes shape to camels to humans. Chair of Infectious a big impact and result in because the virus has Since then, the virus has Diseases at Emory and a the encoded machines mutated, it may be able to been endemic in camels member of Emory's severally malfunctioning. open new locks, infect a of that area and has vaccine research center, A virus can also swap out new host, and cause an infected more than 2,000 was with the Respiratory entire sections of its outbreak. "How an people and causes more and Enteric Viruses genome with other emerging pathogen than 700 deaths. branch of the Centers for viruses of the same type, spreads through a species Disease Control and like swapping entire tends to be 'a black box' Prevention (CDC) at the chapters of the manual. until it causes an outbreak time of the 2002 SARS Usually, this is bad for among people, "Gillespie are numerous. And bats in 1993 that caused , bats, and humans are both severe pulmonary rodents, or other species. the virus -- the new parts mammals. This disease. These animals can be don't fit together and the relatedness means we're carriers of diseases, virus can't form a more likely to get a "Previously hantavirus including Ebola, productive infection. pathogen from a bat than had not been associated Marburg, HIV/AIDS, and from a cricket, for with a pulmonary anthrax. Sometimes, however, this instance." condition," says works to the virus' infectious disease "Anthrax is primarily advantage. That's how But bats are far from the epidemiologist Robert zoonotic and wouldn't the swine flu outbreak only reservoirs of Breiman of Emory's cause human disease occurred in 2009. By zoonotic pathogens. Global Health Institute. unless there was close swapping sections of its Influenza virus is housed "It was a virus that hadn't contact (between animals genome, a virus can primarily in aquatic birds, been identified before, and humans)" says combine parts of but in 2009 emerged from and it appeared in these Breiman. machinery that fit swine into humans, deer mice." different hosts and causing a global Whether an individual is subsequently cross pandemic. The "swine Wild animals that migrate hunting, butchering, or species borders, provided flu," caused by the H1N1 or have large territories consuming these animals that these parts work virus strain that started in also make effective -- or is, perhaps, a child together successfully. pigs, killed hundred of vectors. just playing near their thousands of people habitats -- pathogens have The mistakes made worldwide during the first "If you cover a broader ample opportunity to during replication, year the virus circulated. area, you're inherently cross over and wreak whether to a single piece Unlike COVID-19, 80 more likely to encounter havoc. of one protein or in percent of H1N1 virus- more species you can exchange of entire related deaths were transmit pathogens to," Public health workers sequences, are random. estimated to have Bowden says. focus on educating and It's difficult to know occurred in people developing safer practices which viruses will evolve younger than 65 years of Zoonosis is a wide for hunting and to infect new hosts and age -- primarily children spread, complex, and butchering. which species will be and young and middle- multifaceted responsible for outbreaks. aged adults. phenomenon. It does not But domesticated and discriminate between farm animals can transmit Rodents are another borders, and by nature disease as well. Pigs, common host and make does not always chickens, turkeys, and FLIERS AND FAST BREEDERS particularly good discriminate between waterfowl transmit swine Many animal species reservoirs, possibly hosts. and avian flus. Cows and harbor pathogens -- some because of their "live fast, camels play host to of which they live with die young" strategy. Humans, agree scientists, bacterial species like and are largely unaffected have created conditions Brucella. by. A common example Quantitative disease for these pathogens to is bats. ecologist Sarah Bowden, thrive, and rapid human "In parts of East Africa,

an adjunct professor at expansion will people really love "One quarter of mammal Emory, says "fast-living undoubtedly contribute to unpasteurized milk from species overall are bats, species that reproduce the emergence of new both cows and camels," and each of these myriad quickly and frequently disease. says Breiman, who spent bat species carries a suite tend to be better nine years in Kenya as an of different pathogens," reservoirs for In some places, this is epidemiologist. "Both says Gillespie. "Bats are pathogens." common to hunt wildlife animals, if infected with able to host different for food. Rural Brucella, can excrete it viruses without getting A case in point: Deer communities may rely on into the milk," which can sick. So bats, and the mice, which were linked meat from local forests infect those who drink it. pathogens that bats carry, to a hantavirus outbreak and savannas -- whether To add to the problem, outbreaks have occurred techniques to better livestock rarely show as a result. understand where risk of symptoms of infection an outbreak lies. both cases, we're likely to with Brucella, so it's hard "Prediction allows us to experience unforeseen to know that the milk look at the relative risk or outbreaks." CONNECTIVITY AND CLIMATE poses a risk. the likelihood of a CHANGE pathogen emerging in Emory Health Digest, Sometimes, however, our Even if an animal appears different areas of the Summer 2020 encounters with animals sick, that is no guarantee world," she says. are unintentional -- a it won't be consumed. result of rapid human "There will be all sorts of She looks at different  expansion and the clues that an animals was factors -- the risk resultant narrowing of sick and died, but landscape on a spatial animal habitats. [people] will go ahead scale (where on a map is and eat it because it's infection most likely), "We are in an extremely nutrition and it costs different known connected world, a world money," Breiman says. reservoirs (which animals SARS-CoV-2 is the latest in that's vastly more are common carriers, and a long list of pathogens connected than it was In "wet markets" around where they are located), that have jumped from even back in the early animals to human beings, the world, animals alive and different pathogens 2000s when the SARS triggering pandemics that and dead, including wild (what germs/diseases are epidemic happened," have killed hundreds of and exotic species, can be commonly found in an Bowden says. "That is millions. purchased for are). just going to inherently consumption or for use in increase the likelihood of traditional medicines. "We can drill through new people coming into these and look for places contact with new things Civet cat, for instance, is where risk is high on all that can make them sick." COVID-19 underscores the a delicacy in some parts three planes," Bowden urgent need to understand of China. "I was told says. "That allows us to and control the While there are many people would eat it in the say, 'Relative to intersection of animal and species known to transmit winter because they felt it everywhere else in the human health. Genetic disease to humans, there increased their immunity world, given the large analysis of the virus shows are plenty that we haven't to respiratory disease," players in a disease it likely too a single encountered yet. That is Breiman says. outbreak, here's where spillover event from an changing as we travel infected animal to a we think risk is more and expand our human to start the Animals in these markets highest.'" reach into untouched pandemic. are caged next to each areas with remote species other, which allows them Many of these factors are and pathogens. to share pathogens. In the changing rapidly, wild, many of these however, and models will "Things are already there animals would never be have to change to account and primed to go, and the By one count 70% of close enough for this for that. storm sort of comes emerging diseases can be transfer to occur. together at the perfect traced back to wildlife, Climate change, Bowden moment." Bowden says. and since 1980 the The adaptations that says, is "a huge number of outbreaks per But that doesn't stop happen during infection consideration in disease year has more than researchers from trying to of a new host can have ecology. It is causing tripled. predict outbreak the unwanted side effect species' geographic likelihood from what we of making them able to ranges to expand or shift. do know. infect people, too. They can bring new

pathogens with them or Researchers like Bowden Humans have created an come into contact with Nearly 1.7 million as yet have adapted environment in which this ones they hadn't undiscovered viruses are mathematical modeling is possible, and multiple encountered before. In believed to exist in protected status for the Apes Survival Partnership  Goualougo Triangle. (GRASP). wildlife, and Thomas Gillespie, a disease ecologist at Emory, notes that we still lack data for almost 90% of zoonotic viruses in wild mammal species.

photo by GTAP

Spotlighting The Goualougo Triangle The 21st century has Ape Project is built on a already experienced four Non-Profit photo by GTAP team-based approach. major spillovers: SARS Goualougo Triangle Ape The success of the (horseshoe bats via civet Groups ACE Project map cats), H1M1 flu (pig), Supports conservation and research MERS (bats via camel), The overall mandate of activities of the and COVID-19 (bats via an Goualougo Triangle Ape We are highlighting the Goualougo Triangle intermediate). Ape Project is to Project is largely due to Goualougo Triangle Ape contribute to the the support and active Project in this newsletter. involvement of ACE first started conservation and management of Congolese government supporting this non-profit officials, wildlife in 2010, and since then chimpanzees and gorillas Humans and animals by identifying the biologists, university share this planet, and they have included ACE ecological and social students and local increasingly they share on their website as a stakeholders. deadly pathogens as well. Partner. needs governing these apes and use this If we don't fully recognize Valuable Partnerships that shared threat, COVID- information to develop include: 19 won't be the last conservation strategies ⁕ Ministere de l'Economie zoonotic pandemic. that can be replicated in Forestiere, Republic of

other areas to ensure the Congo long-term survival of ⁕ Ministere de le Africa's great apes. Recherche Scientifique et How did this group Technologique, Republic of Instituting buffer zones begin? The Nouabalé- The Goualougo Triangle Congo between wild animal and Ndoki National Park was Ape Project's "action- ⁕ Congo Program, Wildlife human habitats could founded in 1993 as part oriented" research is Conservation Society decrease human animal of an initiative to intended to assist the ⁕ Lester E. Fisher Center contact events. for the Study and maintain the pristine government in managing their forest resources in Conservation of Apes, forests of the Ndoki Lincoln Park Zoo particular regarding great region. The area was not ⁕ Arcus Foundation

included in the National apes. At the regional ⁕ Great Ape Conservation The growing level. the following industrialization of meat Park and the Goualougo Fund, U.S. Fish and institutions are key production around the Triangle was scheduled Wildlife Service world plays a role as well, for logging. In resources: Congo Basin ⁕ Houston Zoo as pathogens pass from collaboration with the Forest Partnership ⁕ Indianapolis Zoo wild animals into packed Congolese government (CBFP), Central Africa ⁕ Columbus Zoological livestock farms, where the and the local logging Forest Commission Park viruses can be amplifies company, several (COMIFAC), ⁕ Washington University ⁕ National Geographic as they burn through conservation International Union for domestic animals. the Conservation of Society organizations undertook a ⁕ Saint Louis Zoo Nature (IUCN), and Great global campaign to seek ⁕ Minnesota Zoo Bryan Walsh, Axios ⁕ Ape Conservation Effort conservation of these density estimates ⁕ Max Planck Institute of apes. The conservation obtained to provide Evolutionary Anthropology outlook of these appropriate conservation The scientists of the ⁕ Brevard Zoological Park endangered apes would planning. Coexistence of GTAP have conducted ⁕ Association of Zoos and improve significantly if chimpanzees and gorillas botanical inventories in Aquariums, Ape TAG forestry companies were in this area is vital, and logged and unlogged

prepared to make a few the data will help in forests. Remote sensing Valuable Collaborators changes to management management of the area. is proving to be a critical The Goualougo Triangle policies in logging tool for assessing and Ape Project has concessions. One of the monitoring forests and developed collaborative Goualougo Triangle Ape wildlife in the Congo research partnerships with Project's main scientific Basin. Collaborating scientists from North objectives is to document with scientists from the America, Africa, Europe, the effects of logging Woods Hole Research and Asia. One of the operations on apes in Center, the Project strengths of this project is northern Congo and use photo by GTAP obtained satellite imagery the diverse perspectives, Studying area flora this information to to compare ape habitats in experiences, and develop and evaluate the Nouabalé-Ndoki resources that individuals Forest Ecology recommendations to National Park and Odzala and the organizations An advanced reduce the impact of National Park which are they represent bring to understanding of ape timber extraction on both located in northern this project. There are feeding ecology and chimpanzees and gorillas. Republic of Congo. seventeen collaborators floristic diversity is Continuing our effort to with GTAP doing required to develop more better understand ape groundbreaking work. To comprehensive strategies distribution and read more about them, go to mitigate the negative use, scientists from the to www.Congo-apes.org. impacts of logging on Max Planck Institute of chimpanzees and gorillas. Evolutionary In theory, ape habitat photo by GTAP selectivity is driven by Anthropology are Donny abundance and identifying the

distribution of food distribution of preferred Counting Apes resources. The habitats for chimpanzees Recent reports have Goualougo Triangle Ape and gorillas and shown that central Project has documented monitoring the effects of subspecies of mechanized logging on more than a decade of (Pan troglodytes photo by GTAP observations of ape the apes across the Data collection troglodytes) and western feeding ecology within region. lowland gorilla (Gorilla the dense lowland forests Research gorilla gorilla) of the Congo Basin. In Preserving Fragile There is an urgent need to populations in central addition, two identical Cultures develop well-defined Africa are rapidly phenological monitoring Knowledge of strategies for the long- declining due to disease chimpanzee tool using circuits of chimpanzee term conservation of epidemics (such as and gorilla food species behavior has expanded. chimpanzees and gorillas Ebola), commercial have been discovered. However, more than 50% in the Congo Basin. A hunting, and of the range of significant number of habitat destruction. The chimpanzees in western remaining chimpanzee extend of these declines equatorial Africa is and gorilla populations in may never be known currently allocated to western equatorial Africa because precise baseline logging concessions reside in active timber ape density estimates are which is more than concessions, many of not available from most double the area of their which are within areas central African forests. photo by GTAP range encompassed by identified as being The methods must be Nicholas protected areas (17%). exceptional for the refined and precise ape Commercial logging in been very well received by the local population. northern Congo began at a relatively low intensity The mission of the 2020 ACE Board in the 1970s, primarily Goualougo Triangle Ape focusing on extraction of Project Resource Center President - Lori Kirkland mahogany. However, is to provide educational Did you know? Vice President - Donna advances in forestry opportunities using Mayer Todd Secretary - Jane Barron technology and changes innovative learning tools in timber product market in a friendly atmosphere Painting one of a wind Treasurer - Susan Smith values over the last ten for the visitors. Emphasis turbine's blades black can years have tripled the will also be placed on reduce bird strikes by over Board Members At number of tree species in providing materials for 70%. Large: northern Congo that are improving basic literacy Sierra Magazine Barbara Cebula attractive to the in French, learning Nov-Dec 2020 Leslie Martin international market. English as a second Gene Todd This means that we are in language and information "The most perfect ape a race against time to on wildlife and cannot draw an ape: only Primary contact: document and protect conservation. man can do that: but info@apeconservationeff chimpanzee cultures in Recognizing that a high likewise only man ort.org the Congo Basin. proportion of the adult regards the ability to do population in there this as a sign of Fundraising events: villages is not literate, we superiority." fundraising@apeconserva will also strive to acquire Georg C. Lichtenberg tioneffort.org

a stock of current nature

periodicals, picture "In our every books, audio resources, e- photo by GTAP deliberation, we must Educational Resource books, and artistic consider the impact of our Center materials. Exposure and decisions on the next participation in an seven generations." Education educational setting will From the Great Law Educational resources are help to identify and of the Iroquois Confederacy scarce in northern Congo, educate the current and future generations of and contributions to the continuing education of conservation and civic  the public-at-large can leaders in this have a lasting impact. community.

The Goualougo Triangle Ape Project has recently For more information on completed construction of GTAP see: www.Congo- an educational resource apes.org. center which will be available to the residents of Bomassa and Bon Coin villages. Prompted by an  independent initiative, private donation and support from Brevard Zoo, the Goualougo

Triangle Ape Project staff will facilitate the creation of a Resource Center. Although still in its early stages, this initiative has