• About
  • Grants
  • Learn
  • Connect
  • Media
  • Our Support
  • Apply For A Grant
  • Resources
  • Grants

In 2021, Arcus awarded more than $14 million to organizations working to conserve and protect the world’s great apes and gibbons.
In 2021, Arcus awarded more than $14 million to organizations working to conserve and protect the world’s great apes and gibbons.
The ultimate goal of the Great Apes & Gibbons Program is to achieve conservation and respect for the great and small apes. This is accomplished by ensuring that viable populations of great apes and gibbons are protected from extinction and living in habitats that are managed sustainably and integrated with economic development objectives; and that there is international commitment to effectively support the captive care of great apes in sanctuaries and not tolerate their use in entertainment or invasive medical research.

Great Apes & Gibbons Program Geographic Focus Areas

The program’s 10-year strategy focuses on 24 priority ape-range landscapes across 18 countries in Africa and Asia, as well as two countries, the United States and Kenya, where apes are held in captivity outside of their range.

©designews.com
©designews.com

Great Apes & Gibbons Program

Arcus’ Great Apes & Gibbons program strategy is driven by its mission to ensure conservation and respect for the world’s gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gibbons, who are under threat in every country where they live.

The foundation’s 10-year strategy focuses on priority ape-range landscapes across 18 countries in Africa and Asia, as well as two countries-the United States and Kenya-where apes are held in captivity outside of their range.

The 2016-2026 strategy aims to:

  1. Reconcile socio-economic development and conservation activities in priority ape landscapes;
  2. Build an effective movement of institutions and leadership addressing current and emerging threats to apes;
  3. Increase respect for the intrinsic value of apes, diminishing their exploitation and ensuring they are provided appropriate care.

It currently prioritizes 24 landscapes based on the size of ape habitat, distribution and density of ape populations, species diversity, level of threat, presence of existing and effective conservation efforts, and the existence of supportive institutions and legislation: 12 in pristine areas, 10 in frontier areas, and 2 isolated areas (see list of landscapes here).

Across these landscapes, we support holistic, collaborative, and long-term approaches by a range of actors from the conservation and other sectors to promote behavior change, including development of policy and legal challenges; strengthening tools, monitoring, and law enforcement; engaging local communities and leaders in improved and sustainable livelihoods; and developing strong public awareness and thought leadership.

Download Program Brochure

  • Conservation and Development Reconciled
  • Effective Conservation Movement Built
  • Increased Respect and Value for Apes
© Slobodan Randjelovic

Conservation and Development Reconciled

The aim of this goal is to reduce threats to apes in their natural habitat from unsustainable and often inequitable exploitation of natural resources, land and forest degradation and destruction for industrial scale agriculture, extractive industries, infrastructure development, hunting, illegal trade and the concomitant risk of disease transmission from humans. We work with our partners to address the multifaceted drivers of conservation threats, develop locally appropriate solutions, and monitor and assess impact while recognizing the interconnected and interdependent role played by sanctuaries1 within and around the priority landscapes. 1For captive apes in range states, the foundation focuses on sanctuaries that take steps to prevent breeding, provide lifelong care and rehabilitation for apes, and, when possible and appropriate, return residents back to their natural habitats.
© Jose Kalpers

Effective Conservation Movement Built

The aim of this goal is to ensure that institutions and leadership in great ape and gibbon conservation are able to effectively address current and emerging threats based on strong evidence, joint action, and sustainable funding.

We work with our partners to strengthen capacity and extend networks for monitoring and assessment, to engage in strategic planning at local, national and regional levels, and to establish a well-resourced, diversified, and long-term funding base.

© Slobodan Randjelovic

Increased Respect and Value for Apes

The aim of this goal is to diminish the exploitation of great apes and gibbons and ensure they are provided appropriate care by increasing recognition of our inextricable links with other apes, strengthening our respect for their intrinsic value, and shifting our behavior towards them.

We work with partners on initiatives that increase knowledge and awareness of how humans treat other apes; and with organizations and individuals working to improve their safety and well-being, and halt their use in entertainment, as pets, in the illegal trade, and in invasive medical research.

Under this goal we support efforts to protect apes beyond the priority landscapes in two specific non-range states, the United States and Kenya, to ensure the highest standards of care and sustainable financing are provided for them while in captivity in sanctuaries, and where appropriate to re-introduce them to their home ranges.

Arcus Foundation
Push Boundaries.
Make Change.

U.S. Office

445 5th Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, New York 10016
Phone: +1-212-488-3000

Receive Arcus Publications and Email Notifications

U.K. Office

Nine, Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 1GE
Phone: +44-1223-653040

Social Justice Program
Great Apes & Gibbons Program
© 2022 Arcus Foundation
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Home
  • About
    • Arcus Culture
    • Board & Staff
    • Contact
    • Employment
  • Grants
    • Our Support
    • Apply For A Grant
    • Resources
    • Grants
  • Learn
    • Stories of Impact
    • Publications
    • Blog
    • Annual Reporting
    • Learnings
  • Connect
    • Social
    • Email
    • Events
    • Partners
  • Media
    • Press Kit
    • News
    • Library

Get to Know a Muxe Artist and Activist


©MEXFAM
©MEXFAM


A muxe woman, Peregrina Vera is a member of the Indigenous Zapotec community from the town of Juchitán in the southeast of Oaxaca state in Mexico. A skilled artisan of traditional woven clothing, Peregrina also prepares decorations for local festivals. But in addition to her artistic endeavors, she is one of the leaders of the Transformándome (“Transforming Myself”) project housed at Mexfam, a nationwide civil society organization promoting access to health, education, and advocacy of sexual and reproductive rights. The project helps educate the muxe about their rights and how they can live authentically as themselves, including acquiring identification documents that accurately portray their names and genders.

Peregrina’s activism includes documenting incidents of hate crimes against the muxe throughout the region. This is a subject she unfortunately knows all too well after she experienced a recent violent attack and robbery in which all of her work tools were stolen.

These incidents have increased as new people have moved into the region.

“Before they did nothing to us,” Peregrina explains. “Now if you’re at a party, just by seeing you, they want to attack you, they insult you, and on many occasions, the aggression changes from words to physical attacks.”

By documenting these incidents, Peregrina is helping to bring the issue of hate violence to the attention of authorities and the public. She is also working to connect members of her community through online meetings using computers acquired by the Transformándome project. All of her activism is aimed at increasing the acceptance and inclusion of her muxe community.

Una líder Muxe comparte su historia


©MEXFAM
©MEXFAM


Mujer Muxe, Peregrina Vera es miembro de la comunidad indígena Zapoteca del pueblo de Juchitán, en el sureste del estado de Oaxaca. Hábil artesana de la ropa tejida tradicional, Peregrina también prepara adornos para las fiestas locales. Pero además de sus esfuerzos artísticos, es una de las líderes de Transformándome en Mexfam, la organización nacional de planificación familiar de México. El proyecto ayuda a educar a la comunidad Muxe sobre sus derechos y sobre cómo pueden vivir auténticamente sin esconderse, incluyendo cómo obtener documentos de identidad que reflejen con exactitud sus nombres y géneros.

El activismo de Peregrina incluye la documentación de incidentes de crímenes de odio contra la comunidad Muxe en toda la región. Se trata de un tema que, por desgracia, conoce demasiado bien tras haber sufrido recientemente un ataque violento y un robo en el que le sustrajeron todas sus herramientas de trabajo.

Estos incidentes han aumentado a medida que nuevas personas se han trasladado a la región.

“Antes no nos hacían nada”, explica. “Ahora, si estás en una fiesta, solo con verte quieren agredirte, te insultan y, en muchas ocasiones, la agresión pasa de las palabras a los ataques físicos”.

Con la documentación de estos incidentes, Peregrina está ayudando a llamar la atención de las autoridades y del público sobre el problema de la violencia motivada por el odio. También está trabajando para conectar a los miembros de su comunidad a través de reuniones en línea utilizando computadoras adquiridas gracias al proyecto Transformándome. Todo su activismo busca aumentar la aceptación y la inclusión de su comunidad Muxe.



Sign up for Arcus emails


agile gibbon in tree

Arcus homepage marquee video transcript

A bonobo in trees moving its mouth, with a binocular effect zooming in on the ape. A text overlay says, “Dedicated to the idea that people can live in harmony with one another and the natural world.”

A forest with the sun shining through trees, with a text overlay that quotes Jon Stryker and Annette Lanjouw of Arcus Foundation saying, “Destruction of nature exposes us to a panoply of diseases, and creates and exacerbates social injustice and political repression around the world.”

A razed forest.

A Learn More button that links to the Arcus Foundation 2019 Annual Report

A city street with a large crosswalk and a large crowd of people crossing it.

Text overlay with a quote: “LGBTQ communities served by our Social Justice Program live at the intersection of this long chain of degradation—environmental and social.”

A scene from a protest, people wearing face masks, waving signs and banners, drumming on a drum, dancing, shouting through a megaphone. Two signs are a sheer black color with gold trim and list several names, including Roxsana Hernandez, Claire Legato, Muhlaysia Booker, and Nina Pop. Another sign says “Black Trans Lives Matter”.

A Learn More button that links to the Arcus Foundation’s support page for LGBT Social Justice.

A woman wearing a white dress, long wavy dark brown hair, teal lipstick, plum fingernails, rectangular metal glasses sits in a chair and talks. A text overlay identifies her as Úmi Vera, Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, United States, and quotes her saying: “There’s incredible power in the trans queer migrant community. To be dehumanized so much and not lose your hope, your sense of joy—it’s just astonishing.”

A Learn More button that links to a story: LGBTQ Migrants to the U.S. Fight to Stay Safe

A person with shoulder-length, dark brown, straight hair wearing a pink and silver fuzzy tiara and a white and purple dress with a big tulle bottom and a corset top, over a white t-shirt that says SELENA, dancing around in circles outdoors with a crowd of people sitting and standing nearby, and with the flags of Puerto Rico, Panama, and Peru hanging from wood beams in the background.

A woman with short black and gray hair wearing a black dress shirt talks. A text overlay identifies her as Indyra Mendoza, Red Lésbica Cattrachas, Honduras, and quotes her saying: “For so many years, we missed being free and open with our partners—now is the time to make it happen!.”

A Learn More button that links to a story: “I Know Who I Am, But My Country Doesn’t Recognize Me”.

A woman wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt under a jumper featuring white and pastel yellow, blue and green circles, a black head covering and a red face mask, stands in front of a church building with a sign that says: “Central Methodist Mission You are born in love by love for love”. A text overlay identifies her as Mia Lukas, SistaazHood, homeless trans women supported by Gender DynamiX, South Africa, and quotes her saying: “With their support, we feel more included in society.”

A Learn More button that links to a story: Supporting Cape Town’s Homeless Transgender Women During COVID-19

A map of the world with parts of the following regions emphasized: The United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Central America, East Africa, Southern Africa, and Asia. A text overlay that says “Arcus Foundation grantees work in 29 countries around the world, affecting millions of lives in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.”

An aerial view of a forest with area of deforested land. A text overlay that quotes Fransisca Ariantiningsih, Orangutan Information Centre, Indonesia, saying “Logging and habitat destruction force animals from the forest, making them vulnerable to trafficking.”

A woman with neck-length dark brown straight hair and a beige dress shirt talks in front of a pink flowering tree.

A Learn More button that links to the homepage of the State of the Apes publication

A baby orangutan slowly climbs a tree.

A text overlay with a quote saying “The orangutan is Indonesia’s national treasure. It takes years to rehabilitate each individual.”

An adult orangutan eats tree bark while clinging to a tree.

A text overlay with a quote saying “Our ecosystem is shared between humans and wildlife. If one single thing is gone, it affects all.”

A Learn More button that links to the Arcus Foundation’s support page for Great Apes and Gibbons Conservation.

An adult gibbon with black fur climbs a tree with a baby gibbon clinging onto the adult. Two bonobos move through trees.

A man with a beard and buzzed hair wearing a tan polo shirt with the African Wildlife Foundation logo talks. A text overlay identifies him as Raoul Mulumba Tafua, African Wildlife Foundation, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and quotes him saying, “Protecting Congo’s forest biodiversity benefits the community from the perspective of climate change, food production, and tourism.”

A woman with tightly braided dark brown hair and wearing a t-shirt with pink sleeves, a pink bow, and the faces of two people against a light blue background, talks. A text overlay identifies her as Merveille Boale Batuli, supported by Village Enterprise and African Wildlife Foundation, and quotes her saying “I’m a mother, a widow, and I have to feed my family.”

A man in a gray dress shirt and wearing a shoulder bag sits behind a table and reaches toward prescription medicine boxes and opens one to take out a smaller box and hand it to someone on the other end of the table. A text overlay quotes Jon Stryker and Annette Lanjouw of Arcus Foundation saying “Conservation without social justice is neither ethical nor possible. To achieve conservation and respect for the world’s apes, we work with the people who live alongside them.”

A Learn More button that links to the Arcus Foundation’s Annual Reporting page.

The man from the pharmacy walks down a dirt path past bushes while smiling.

Text comes up on the screen saying “Push boundaries. Make change.” Logos for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn appear on the screen.

A button that links to the Credits for this video.

Arcus uses cookies to ensure we give you the best experience on our website and to effectively analyze site traffic.

Read our Privacy Policy and click to confirm your consent.

Privacy Overview
Arcus

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.