The drivers behind the killing, capture and trade in live apes and their meat and body parts are diverse and multifaceted, varying greatly depending on geographic location and individual incentive.
Ape hunting and associated trade have both direct and indirect impacts on their conservation and well-being, including population decline, changes to behavior and ecology, and changes to ecosystem functions in ape habitats.
The introduction defines ape hunting and trade, and discusses the range of reasons why it occurs. It also presents an overview of the global wildlife trade, the scale of the problem, illegal trade supply chains, ways to curb illegal trade and factors that enable the trade, such as criminal networks.
Also included are summaries of and highlights from the section’s chapters, each of which interrogates the interface between ape conservation and killing, capture and trade.