CHINA: British animal rights campaigner Jane Goodall visits Beijing's chimps on tour to promote animal protection in China

Record ID: 609300

  • Title: CHINA: British animal rights campaigner Jane Goodall visits Beijing's chimps on tour to promote animal protection in China
  • Date: 21st October 2006
  • Summary: CHIMP SWINGING PEOPLE WATCHING AND LAUGHING BABY CHIMP PLAYING AND CLIMBING PEOPLE WATCHING CHIMPS
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Nature / Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA4JIYBM5BJHILL7N6C0EOFA5GH
  • Story Text: One of the world's most famous activists for animal rights, primatologist Jane Goodall, visited China on Wednesday (October 18) to press for greater respect for the treatment of animals.
    As crowds smiled with delight at the sight of two baby chimps settling into their enclosure at Beijing Zoo with their mothers, Goodall promoted wildlife preservation.
    "All over the world my job is to try to make people more sensitive to animals. And even in England, which is supposed to be a country of animal lovers, there is so much cruelty," she said.
    "Part of the reason for pushing on this program to educate young people is to help young people understand that animal, just like us, has personalities, minds and above all, feelings. So once we get this, this message out there, then hopefully we are going to see even more change," said Goodall.
    Goodall has visited China every year since 1988, to promote her Roots and Shoots programme, which encourages young people to become involved in animal and wildlife preservation.
    Her work can be particularly hard in China.
    There is a long Chinese tradition behind wildlife trade with many of the richer class serving endangered animals at banquets and business dinners to show off their social status.
    Shark's fin soup, bear's paw, camel's hump and monkey's brain are among delicacies served at banquets in China, while traditional Chinese medicine also makes use of these endangered species.
    Goodall praised the work of the young Chinese children who've enrolled in her Roots and Shoots programme. It began with just 16 animal loving students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1991, and has now grown into a major environmental awareness and education organisation.
    Today, more than 7,500 groups - ranging in size from two to 2,000 - have registered in more than 90 countries.
    "The main reason (for my trip) really is to introduce a Jane Goodall Institute, Roots & Shoots program for youth, which is young people taking action to make the world a better place for animals, for people and for the environment. And it's very, very successful in China. We have 300 groups, agents, kindergarten through universities. And these young people between them are really doing a lot to make this a better world," said Goodall.
    Goodall has closely observed chimps' behaviour for the past quarter century in the jungles of the Gombe Game Reserve in Africa, living in the chimps' environment and gaining their confidence.
    Her observations and discoveries are intentionally heralded. Her research and writing have made revolutionary inroads into scientific thinking regarding the evolutions of humans.
    Chimpanzees are an endangered species. There are estimated to be only 150,000 chimpanzees left in the wild, mostly in west and central Africa, inhabiting tropical forests, woodlands and savannah areas. The principle cause for their decline in numbers is deforestation.
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