IPPL Frequently Asked Questions

About the logo (click on the logo for a larger version of it)

What is the IPPL?

Who is the IPPL?

What has the IPPL done in the last 24 years?

What benefits do members get?

How do I join?

About the logo

Arun Rangsi

Arun Rangsi was born in a California laboratory on 9 August 1979. Sadly, his mother abandoned him the day he was born. He was placed with a substitute mother made of wire and was given the number HL-98 which was tattooed in blue on his chest.

During his first year of life, tiny HL-98 had pneumonia twice and dysentery twice. He came close to death many times.

Then fate took a positive turn for HL-98. The laboratory lost its government funding and had to place all its gibbons. HL-98 came to IPPL Headquarters on his second birthday and was given the Buddhist name Arun Rangsi. When he came, Arun Rangsi banged his head all the time and was terrified of people. But gradually he became a normal gibbon and now he lives with his companion Shanti and his own gibbon family.

What is the IPPL?

The International Primate Protection League was founded in 1973, and, since this time, has been working continuously for the well-being of primates. IPPL has Field Representatives in 31 countries. Its Advisory Board is composed of experts from the fields of zoology, anthropology, medicine, biology, veterinary medicine, and psychology. Many IPPL officers have lived for long periods with primates in their natural habitats.

Primates are disappearing at an alarming rate. Every primate species is listed on the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. All apes, (gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gibbons), all lemurs, and many monkeys appear on the Convention's Appendix 1, the list reserved for the most endangered species. All other primates are listed on Appendix II.

In countries where primates live, IPPL's Field Representatives work to create and preserve national parks and sanctuaries, and for the strict control of primate hunting, trapping, and sale.

IPPL's educational efforts have contributed to decisions by many countries to ban or restrict primate trade and to establish programs to protect primate habitat.

IPPL has raised funds to help other sanctuaries working to provide a safe and enriching environment for primate victims of deforestation and poaching. Limbe Wildlife Center, a sanctuary located in Cameroon, is home to seven gorillas, chimpanzees and a variety of monkeys. Tacugama, located in Sierra Leone, is a sanctuary for chimpanzees. Despite being in a war zone, the brave staff at Tacugama have managed to keep the animals safe and nourished. At IPPL headquarters, we have a sanctuary for unwanted gibbons obtained from research laboratories. Currently, the sanctuary has 30 residents.

One of IPPL's accomplishments was its thorough documentation of the notorious Singapore and Belgian primate blackmarkets, which was achieved through studies of import records of several countries and infiltration of animal traders. IPPL's efforts to end smuggling of primates have met with considerable success. In 1992, an IPPL campaign led to the imprisonment of Mathew Block for arranging the international smuggling of six baby orangutans.

In the importing countries, IPPL works to monitor all primate trade and has discovered numerous illegalities which it has drawn to the attention of relevant authorities. A US primate importer is currently under investigation as a result of uncovering several shipments of monkeys. These shipments have passed federal port inspection despite violations of US law, such as shipping baby monkeys 3-4 weeks old internationally. Members also monitor the conditions of zoo and laboratory primates in their localities.

News of IPPL's activities is carried in the IPPL Newsletter which features in-depth analysis of primate problems.

No other group works exclusively to protect primates. We need your support to continue and expand our programs.

Who is the IPPL?

CHAIRWOMAN: Dr. Shirley McGreal
SECRETARY: Marjorie Doggett
TREASURER: Diane Walters

Shirley with Jane Goodall

ADVISORY BOARD: Dr. Govindaswamy Agoramoorthy, Dr. James Alcock, Stella Brewer, Bonnie Brown, Dr. Frances Burton, Dr. Ardith Eudey, Bruce Feldmann D.V.M., Lord & Lady Fisher, William M. George M.D., Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Colin Groves, Dr. Barbara Harrisson, Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans, J. Mangalraj Johnson, Ann Koros, Dr. Iqbal Malik, Heather McGiffin, Dr. William McGrew, Anna Merz, Dr. Carole Noon, Dr. Vernon Reynolds, Cyril Rosen, Dr. J. Sabater-Pi, Dianne Taylor-Snow, Dr. Geza Teleki, Dr. Arthur Westing, Dr. Linda Wolfe.

IPPL has Field Representatives in Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania,  United Kingdom, West Germany and Zimbabwe.

What has the IPPL done in the last 26 years?

1973: IPPL was founded by Shirley McGreal while she was living in Thailand. Concerned at the conditions of capture, transport, and captive life of primates and finding no group addressing these problems, she founded IPPL and still serves as Chairwoman.

1974: The first IPPL Newsletter was published. IPPL exposed a network of animal dealers smuggling gibbon apes from Thailand to the United States and got the network shut down, saving hundreds of mother gibbons from being shot so that their babies could be caught, and hundreds of gibbon babies from the stress of capture, shipment, and laboratory life.

1975; IPPL organized Project Bangkok Airport: 50 Thai university students worked at the airport logging the dreadful conditions under which all wildlife was exported from Thailand. The resulting furor led to a ban on commercial export of all primates from Thailand. This ban saved thousands of primate lives.

1976: IPPL learned of a US sponsored project to bring endangered Pygmy chimpanzees into captivity in Zaire and make them laboratory animals. we intervened and successfully foiled the plan, saving hundreds of Pygmy chimpanzees from lives of suffering. IPPL uncovered "The Singapore connection," a smuggling technique by which legally protected primates would be shipped from Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia to singapore and sent to the West with Singapore export documents. our intervention closed this vicious racket, saving thousands of primate lives and preventing immeasurable suffering.

1977; IPPL exposed the cruel misuse of Rhesus monkeys exported from India to the United States in gruesome radiation experiments. Our intervention led India to ban all primate exports, thus saving hundreds of thousands of monkey lives.

1978: An international protest generated by IPPL forced Dr. Christian Barnard to cancel plans to kill a chimpanzee in a heart transplant operation (his first effort having failed). The rescued chimpanzee now lives at a zoo and has a family.

1979: IPPL exposed misuse of Bangladesh monkeys in military radiation experiments and our protests led Bangladesh to cancel plans to export over 70,000 monkeys.

1980: IPPL exposed chemical warfare experiments on primates. We took legal action that contributed to the closing down of a California laboratory using gibbons in fatal experiments.

1981: Following the closure of the California gibbon laboratory, one tiny sickly gibbon was sent to live at IPPL Headquarters. He was followed by more gibbons from other facilities. NOW 23 gibbons, mostly former laboratory gibbons, live at IPPL Headquarters.

1983: IPPL'S Belgian branch found a cache of endangered primates in a Belgian basement, including Bonobo chimpanzees.

1984: IPPL successfully fought plans by three US zoos to import 7 wild-caught gorillas from the Cameroun. We picketed the "First Southeast Annual Exotic Animal Auction held in Atlanta, Georgia, and made it the last.

1985; IPPL secured the release to a sanctuary of 4 chimpanzees sent to a research laboratory after their circus trainer died. Following IPPL protests about misuse of Malaysian-origin monkeys in military experiments, Malaysia banned export of monkeys, saving tens of thousands of primate lives.

1986: Following the murder of IPPL supporter Dian Fossey, IPPL published a commemorative issue of our Newsletter and raised funds to help Dian protect gorillas from poachers. IPPL protested a Japanese laboratory's keeping its primates in restraint chairs. Our protests led to the removal of all monkeys from the chairs.

1987: Using skilled detective methods, IPPL exposed the dirty dealings behind the illegal exportation of 3 gorillas from the cameroun, two of whom died on the way to Taiwan. Our expose led to prosecutions in several countries. IPPL began to help support the chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia.

1988: Shirley McGreal won the prestigious Marchig Award for her efforts to protect primates around the world. IPPL undertook an on-the-spot investigation of the conditions of primates in Cuban zoos and the role of Cuba in the international wildlife trade.

1989; IPPL uncovered "The Polish connection," by which endangered animals are smuggled to Polish zoos for onward shipment to the West on fraudulent licaptive-bornil papers. We campaigned successfully to get Poland to ban importation of smuggled wildlife.

1990: In February 1990, IPPL'S investigative work into gorilla smuggling led to the exposure and jailing of the West German wildlife smuggler Walter Sensen.

1991: IPPL received a tip-off that two sick-looking baby gibbons were being offered for sale on Manila Bird Market in the Philippines. we intervened successfully to ensure that the animals were confiscated by the Philippine Government. Both gibbons are doing well. IPPL was asked to adopt a blind one year old baby gibbon in need of a permanent protected environment at our sanctuary in South Carolina. Of course we accepted him and he has settled down really well.

February 1992: An IPPL team testifies about the illegal primate trade before a US congressional committee. As a result of an IPPL investigation, Miami animal dealer Matthew Block was indicted by a federal grand jury on orangutan smuggling charges.

June 1992: IPPL Chairwoman Shirley McGreal is chosen to join the world's most exclusive club of conservationists: the United Nation Environment Program's Global 500 Honor Roll for IPPL's work combatting the illegal primate trade.

1994: IPPL learned about the presence of 9 chimpanzees smuggled from Africa in pet shops in Saudi Arabia. Following a members' letter-writing campaign, the animals were confiscated and Saudi Arabia agreed to join the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

1995: IPPL wins a victory over the US Government when orangutan smuggler Matthew Block reports to prison in October 1995 to start serving his 13 month sentence. The US Government had wanted to let Block off with probation. IPPL starts to investigate a gang smuggling gorillas and other endangered primates from Nigeria to the Philippines.

1996: When a sub-standard zoo on the island of Maui closed down, IPPL was asked to adopt three gibbons. They reached us in March. IPPL ran a successful campaign to raise funds for Limbe Sanctuary in Cameroon, West Africa, which houses gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys rescued from the local "bush meat" and international smuggling rackets.

1997:  IPPL learned that hundreds of monkeys from Indonesia reached Chicago in April and May 1997 and that the shipments contained baby monkeys just 3-4 weeks old, in violation of U.S. law.  We learned that a wildlife inspector cleared the shipments without inspecting the animals. IPPL began campaigning to get those responsible prosecuted.

1998: IPPL continued to push for action on the Indonesian monkey scandal. We raised over $35,000 to support Limbe Wildlife Center.Among the rescued primates was "Pitchou" a baby female gorilla who arrived in appalling condition, her body covered with ringworm patches.  "Pitchou" is now doing well and lives with the other Limbe gorillas.

1999 IS THE 26th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRIMATE PROTECTION LEAGUE. IPPL DOESN'T JUST TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS OR BEMOAN THE PLIGHT OF PRIMATES. WE TAKE ACTION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. FOR A SMALL ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE WORKED WONDERS. WE HOPE YOU'LL AGREE.

What benefits do members get?

Your membership in IPPL helps fund our efforts on behalf of primates worldwide. You also will receive our award-winning magazine, three times a year. All membership fees and contributions are tax-deductible.

How do I join?

Please click here to use our handy online registration form.

We hope you will join IPPL and help our work to conserve and protect primates. There are 4 categories of membership:

Regular: $20.00
Student/Hardship: $10.00
Sustaining: $50.00
Patron: $ 100.00

U.S. membership fees and contributions are tax-deductible. Please use our handy online registration form by clicking here or send the information below, along with your check or money order, to:
IPPL
P.O. Box 766
Summerville SC 29484
U.S.A.

or our UK address:
116 Judd Street
London WC1H9NS
England

We can accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Let us know your name as it appears on your card, the card number and expiration date.