U.N. Says Great Apes in Danger Worldwide

``U.N. Says Great Apes in Danger Worldwide

  The agencies say they urgently need at least $25 million for programs
  to save the apes from the threat of extinction. 

  "We may need a much larger sum, certainly in the hundreds of millions,
  if we're going to guarantee saving these animals," said Robert Hepworth
  of the United Nations Environment Program. 

  The great apes share more than 96 percent of their DNA with humans. 

  "If we can't save these species which are so close to us ... do we have
  very much hope with some of the other particularly threatened species
  and ecosystems?" Hepworth said. 

  Today, there are believed to be about 400,000 great apes in Africa and
  Asia, compared to many million in the 19th century, the U.N. says. Each
  of the species is at "high risk" of extinction, some soon, others
  within 50 years, organizers said. 

  "The writing is very much on the wall: We have within the next 15 to 20
  years to halt that decline," said Ian Redmond, head of the technical
  support team for the U.N.'s Great Apes Survival Project. [...]''

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=10&u=/ap/20031128/ap_on_sc/un_saving_apes
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