Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo officials are opposed to a commercial set to run during the football Super Bowl Sunday.
The concern is that portraying the animal this way hampers conservation efforts of endangered chimpanzees and creates a market for wild chimpanzees to be removed from their habitat. The wild population of chimpanzees has already dwindled from more than 1 million to about 100,000.
"If people see them that way they are less likely to try and conserve them," said Stephen Ross, assistant director of the zoo's Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes. A Duke University study supports his longtime claims: Commercialized chimps dressed as people makes viewers less concerned about the plight of wild chimps.
"This advertisement teaches them there is a market for these animals, that there are some crazy people in America and Europe who would want them as pets. Even if there isn't a market, they think there's a market," said Brian Hare, an assistant professor of evolutionary anthropology who led the study.
Tell the advertisers at CareerBuilder.com that you argree with the study and they should stop using chimpanzees in comercials.
SOURCE:
http://news.yahoo.com/zoo-wants-company-stop-using-203155674.html
Matt Ferguson
CEO CareerBuilder.com
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Email: CEO@careerbuilder.com
Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo officials are opposed to a commercial set to run during the football Super Bowl Sunday.
The concern is that portraying the animal this way hampers conservation efforts of endangered chimpanzees and creates a market for wild chimpanzees to be removed from their habitat. The wild population of chimpanzees has already dwindled from more than 1 million to about 100,000.
"If people see them that way they are less likely to try and conserve them," said Stephen Ross, assistant director of the zoo's Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes. A Duke University study supports his longtime claims: Commercialized chimps dressed as people makes viewers less concerned about the plight of wild chimps.
"This advertisement teaches them there is a market for these animals, that there are some crazy people in America and Europe who would want them as pets. Even if there isn't a market, they think there's a market," said Brian Hare, an assistant professor of evolutionary anthropology who led the study.
We argree with the study and they should stop using chimpanzees in comercials.
