Fond Memories, Kind Reflections

December 2003

IPPL’s friends and allies have many good memories of their connection over the years with IPPL and IPPL’s Chairwoman, Dr. Shirley McGreal. Below, some of our supporters share their thoughts about their connection with the mission and values of IPPL.

The essence of IPPL, Charles Shuttleworth, IPPL Representative in Taiwan since 1974

Thirty years of dedicated and selfless service towards the protection of primates throughout the world certainly call for congratulations.

Under Shirley’s leadership, IPPL has forged ahead undeterred by every form of opposing vested interests. It has not hesitated to take on large corporations, corrupt government officials, powerfully connected animal dealers-in short, every entity and every person, be he president or pauper, whose behavior is inimical to the welfare of this earth’s wondrous, and so beleaguered, primates.

IPPL has saved the lives of thousands of primates, from tiny marmosets to huge gorillas. It has, of course, alienated many people and organizations in doing so, but this is the price of true endeavor. It has, however, among the true and honest, made countless friends and can stand on its record, tall and proud alongside any wildlife protective agency anywhere in this world.

As one who has been a member of IPPL almost since it’s inception, and engaged in many tussles on its behalf including, notably the smuggling of gorillas into Taiwan, I am very proud to be a member of an organization that is truly altruistic in every aspect, untainted by political, commercial, or any motive other than the welfare of the world’s wildlife.

There are people who cannot envisage a world without its wildlife. We in IPPL are such people. We see nature’s guiding hand in the effortless swing of the gibbon in the high rain forest and huge herds of zebra and wildebeest standing in the still, shadowless clarity of the African veldt, and this is what IPPL LONGS FOR, STANDS FOR, and will NEVER give up STRIVING FOR. This is the very essence of IPPL.

Shared enthusiasm for animals, Marjorie Doggett, IPPL Advisory Board Member and Representative for Singapore from 1975 to 2003

The phone rang in the Singapore SPCA office just as I was leaving and it was handed to me to answer. The caller was Shirley McGreal who was spending a week in Singapore on her way back to the United States from Thailand. We met later that day and thus started a friendship that has lasted nearly 30 years.

Our shared enthusiasm helped us over many difficulties in the early years when we had few funds, little office equipment, an only four gibbons in the sanctuary.

Thanks to Shirley’s hard work and the help of dedicated supporters, IPPL has grown from its embryonic beginnings to become an internationally respected society with worldwide contacts.

Financial crises still occur, but IPPL has weathered such storms and now manages to send donations to smaller societies abroad and to help support sanctuaries for the rehabilitation of primates in their countries of origin.

United in the fight against primate experimentation, Dr. Vernon Reynolds, IPPL Advisory Board Member since 1974

What an extraordinary 30 years these have been! When Shirley and I first met, on her visit to Oxford in 1973, we found we had both noticed an article in Nature describing a cruel experiment performed on members of a wild macaque group, and had both written letters to the editor complaining about it. In our discussions, then and subsequently, we have always shared the conviction that primates get a raw deal in the wild and in captivity. Since that time Shirley has, through IPPL, turned the spotlight on any and every case of cruelty and misuse of primates and brought about a major turnaround in world attitudes.

I remember when IPPL was sued for a million dollars by IMMUNO, the Austrian pharmaceutical company that was performing what we viewed as cruel experiments on chimpanzees. For a while we wondered if IPPL could survive. Fortunately, the US Supreme Court did, in the end, throw the IMMUNO case out because Shirley was right and they were wrong. Justice is not always done but in this case it was. IPPL survived and prospered as never before.

I’m sure Shirley’s work and example have done a lot to inspire both me, in my efforts to conserve the chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest in Uganda, and my daughter Janie, in founding People Against Chimpanzee Experiments (PACE), which led to her being able to put a stop to the cruel experiments on chimpanzees at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in Rijswyjk, the Netherlands. We are both indebted to Shirley for your courageous and unswerving commitment to the primates, our nearest relatives in the animal kingdom, and for her inspiration to us personally.

Cultivating courage and compassion, Cyril Rosen, Director of IPPL-UK since 1976

It was in 1976 that Shirley McGreal and Ardith Eudey [co-founder of IPPL] made a special visit to England to attend the Congress of the International Primatological Society at Cambridge University. They took the opportunity to interview me as a potential new representative for the UK, replacing Dr. William McGrew.

As a keen member for three years I had deputized for Bill whilst he was away on field research in Africa and I had a genuine admiration for Shirley’s courageous battle with the primate traders. She left nothing to chance, tossing me in at the deep end to participate in the discussions at Cambridge. The Congress organizers had strong reservations at her enthusiastic leafleting but I found it impressive that she recognized no obstacles to her mission on behalf of all the apes and monkeys in the world.

One thing that Shirley has in common with most of her growing army of recruits is the sure knowledge that Man is not quite so unique as he/she imagines. The qualities of courage, loyalty, responsibility, and compassion are apparent in most primate communities. IPPL simply seeks to develop these humane talents so that we may deserve to share their grooming party.

Teaching the next generation to love and respect primates, Dr. Frances Burton, IPPL Advisory Board Member since 1975

I first met Shirley when she was in Toronto, visiting her sister, and stopped by the University of Toronto to see if there were any primatologists who might be interested in IPPL. We met and that was that.

I have assisted in several major battles that Shirley has undertaken, especially where trans-shipment through Canada was involved. Most of my effort has been in the classroom, bringing hundreds of young people to an awareness of non-human life; through film and direct observation, these new generations have come to know monkeys and apes for the sensitive, cognitive beings they are.

I have written of my relationship with Mark, Ben, and Wilma-monkeys of Gibraltar. I have made a video of Popeye and his family along the road in Tai Po (Hong Kong). Mark, Popeye, and Big Daddy shared several traits. As leaders, they showed remarkable restraint in the face of severe antagonism, human or monkey. They were judicious in the application of their formidable power, kind with youngsters, tolerant of people. I have memories of Big Daddy looking extremely tired, but still having times for a crying juvenile, who ran to him to be hugged and patted; of Popeye carefully watching the human who was trying to make him do a trick for a lousy fruit, but not rising to the provocation; of Mark sitting beside me, holding my leg and threatening boisterous sub-adults away.

I have been down to IPPL for two major meetings-and thoroughly enjoyed myself and been impressed with the care and concern for the rehabilitated gibbons.

Working together for lab primates, Ann Koros, IPPL Advisory Board Member

I first met Shirley McGreal over twenty years ago at a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I was with the North Carolina delegation of the Mobilization for Animals, one of the early efforts to coordinate nation-wide rallies to make the public aware of the plight of laboratory primates. I was extremely impressed with Shirley and her work on behalf of all the primates. She invited some of us to Summerville to visit the IPPL Sanctuary. Needless to say, I was fascinated by the gibbons then, and still am to this day. The sanctuary was great in the early 1980s, but it’s and absolute gem now.

In addition to maintaining the wonderful gibbon sanctuary, IPPL has spent the last 30 years shutting down smuggling networks, working for the prosecution of smugglers, helping primate rescue centers in many countries, and fighting to protect primates all over the world. I applaud Shirley McGreal and am very proud to be a part of IPPL.

Sharing the honor of global recognition with Shirley, Ranjen Fernando, IPPL Representative in Sri Lanka

Shirley McGreal and I had the distinction of being awarded the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Global 500 Roll of Honour in Rio during the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It was a richly deserved honor in recognition of her services to eradicate the illegal international trade in primates and other wild animals. Thousands of those primates who now live freely in the wild owe their freedom to her teams of dedicated and enthusiastic helpers and the international network of her advisors and representatives, who had been playing a major role in securing their freedom and their right to live.

One of the pioneering successes of IPPL was in neighboring India when she persuaded the Indian Prime Minister of the day (Morarji Desai in 1977) to impose a ban on the export of the rhesus monkeys from India. Indian monkeys were being sent to the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute in Bethesday, Maryland, USA, where they were being subjected to appalling, cruel radiation experiments to study the death throes of these helpless "experimental" animals. As soon as the Indian press carried this news from the USA (sent via IPPL), the Indian government clamped down on the exports to Maryland.

Shirley’s undaunted courage, backed by that of an equally energetic team, scored many successes in bringing to justice international smugglers and animal traders who had the "sympathy" of even such authorities as the US Fish and Wildlife Service and federal prosecutors in the USA. IPPL succeeded in ensuring that the Miami smuggler Mathew Block, of "Bangkok Six" fame, ended up in prison. This was a resounding victory for her and her team.

We need more of the likes of Shirley and IPPL to rid the globe of unscrupulous animal pirates who enrich themselves on the suffering of helpless animals. May Shirley and IPPL grow from strength to strength in their endeavors to make this world a safer place for animals!

One battle in the "Bangkok Six" orangutan smuggling saga, Milka Knezevic Ivaskovic, IPPL Representative in Yugoslavia

It seems like it was just a few years ago when I joined IPPL. Actually, it was in 1990, when the famous Bangkok Six case occurred.

At that time, I worked as a volunteer at the Belgrade Zoo and even kept a baby orangutan, Sanja, in my apartment. She was the "property" of Belgrade Zoo and I was some kind of substitute for her mother. Mr. Bojovic, the zoo director, ordered me to keep her presence a secret and not to mention that she was an orangutan. I didn’t know anything about primates-I was just very fond of all kinds of animals and Sanja...well she was definitely amazing!

Milka with Sanja

But after a while, I became suspicious about Bojovic’s good intentions: Sanja hadn’t proper shipping documents, and I started to realize that her arrival was, for some reason, being kept a secret. I learned about IPPL and contacted Dr. Shirley McGreal. Soon I found out that Mr. Bojovic had been involved in several cases of smuggling primates and rare birds. He was also one of the important links in the Bangkok Six affair in which six baby orangutans being smuggled from Asia to the then Soviet Union were confiscated on Bangkok Airport.

So, I decided not to be silent, but to act. First I had to educate myself about primates. Then I started to write articles for various newspapers. I wanted to inform people about the terrible ways of killing orangutan mothers to get babies, about how babies were smuggled, and about Bojovic’s role as "middleman" in the "Bangkok Six" affair. Unfortunately, at that time, there was no freedom of the press in my country and I was accused (by Bojovic) of libel and slander. I was tried and found "guilty," although I presented all the evidence and despite many witnesses testifying on my behalf. The judge was Bojovic’s close friend, as were some journalists, and Bojovic himself had powerful political connections.

The trial lasted for five years. Finally I was cleared of all the accusations, but actually, I haven’t changed anything or anybody-except myself. In that time my country was at war and Bangkok Six case wasn’t considered important. During that period, Dr. Shirley McGreal and many IPPL members from all over the world were encouraging me, sending nice, comforting words in their letters. They became my best friends, even though I have never seen them.

Mr. Bojovic is still the manager of Belgrade Zoo. He never said that he was sorry for what he did. Unfortunately, there is no Sanja at the zoo-she has disappeared.

I used to dream about her every night. Last year I wrote a book about baby orangutans. My children and their friends like it. Maybe that is the best result of my "role" in Bangkok Six case-to put my feelings on paper and help others to learn and feel the same. I hope that it will soon be translated into English so every IPPL member can read it. It would be my "thank you" to all of you-for comforting me, during those difficult years.

Fighting battles on behalf of lab vervets in Israel, Andre Menache, IPPL Representative in Israel

I first became involved with IPPL in 1988. It was so encouraging to know then that a worldwide organization existed that cared about the plight of primates.

Our biggest primate battle was against the use of vervet monkeys as a diagnostic aid in Israeli hospitals. We battled both against the housing conditions (small cages, no recreational facilities for exercise, and no environmental enrichment), as well as trying to persuade the authorities to use non-animal methods for diagnostic purposes, instead of the monkeys. The battle lasted about 15 years, during which time about 30 vervets were kept by the hospital. At the end of the battle, the hospital finally agreed to release the remaining two vervets.

Our fondest memory was the successful release of two hamadrayas baboons from medical research, following bone marrow experiments, to a spacious enclosure at a local zoo in Tel Aviv.

My fondest personal memory is of my visits to the Pretoria Zoo in 1975, where I learned to imitate gibbon calls. Ever since then, I communicate with gibbons whenever I come across them. Friends tell me that I do a mean gibbon impersonation!

Former lab capuchins enjoy a happy retirement in Ireland, Yvonne Smalley, The Monkey Sanctuary, Ireland

Ireland’s first and only monkey sanctuary has been established for almost five years. We have the privilege of caring for and rehabilitating a group of black-capped capuchins, thanks to the excellent work of IPPL-UK, which brokered their release from a laboratory in the UK where many had spent ten years.

The monkeys now enjoy living free range on large islands at the secluded sanctuary in County Wicklow. Free from their cages at last, they can climb 40-foot trees, catch insects, and drink from the lake as they would in the wild.

Certain monkeys now explore new islands via rope walkways. The monkeys interact with swans and geese and are fascinated with watching plenty of other animals at the sanctuary.

The monkeys are greatly changed from the pale-faced, disturbed creatures who arrived in March 2000. Dedicated daily care from Willie Heffernan has calmed them, and fresh air, good food and exercise in their peaceful environment have given them all strong muscles and glossy coats!

We would like to thank IPPL for good advice and for a wonderful grant that enables us to keep the monkeys safe on their islands and hopefully offer a home to other deserving primates.

Studying lemur behavior and conservation, Mitch Irwin, Graduate Student in Primatology, Madagascar

Very little truly intact primate habitat remains in the world-what’s left is usually highly disturbed and fragmented by human activities. Most studies of wild primates concentrate on healthy, protected populations, as this is crucial for observing "normal behavior" (it also ensures that study animals aren’t hunted). Unfortunately, this has left us ill equipped to appreciate how serious the threats of habitat disturbance and fragmentation really are.

My research aims to assess this risk for rainforest-dwelling primates in Madagascar. I am studying primate population dynamics and behavior at Tsinjoarivo, eastern Madagascar, comparing fragmented and intact forest. The results should help us assess the severity of fragmentation’s threats, and identify "target species" most in need of conservation efforts.

IPPL directly assisted this project’s research and education components. One grant in mid-2003 helped sustain field activities when other funds were desperately short, and an earlier grant in 2002 funded the printing of 2,000 educational brochures describing Tsinjoarivo primates and stressing their uniqueness and precarious future. As Tsinjoarivo had no previous legal protection, conservation efforts or environmental education, this brochure was crucial in raising local awareness: several locals even confided that it influenced their decision to stop hunting primates.

Thank you IPPL members for your generous support and happy 30th Anniversary!

Members’ Meetings: Well-organized and enjoyable, Hilko Wiersema, IPPL Advisory Board Member, Netherlands

I first heard of IPPL and the name Shirley McGreal was back in the 1970s, while I was working in the Radio Biological Institute TNO, a primate laboratory in the Netherlands. My then-directors were worried about this lady in the USA!

Even then I promised myself that some day my name would be on IPPL’s member list.

Now I, with Dr. David van Gennep, represent IPPL in the Netherlands. I’ve been to Summerville twice, soon the third time next spring (if I’m invited!). I’m impressed time and time again by the way Shirley runs IPPL, and the way the biennial meetings are organized. And the evening of spiritual songs [singers from the South Carolina Sea Islands appear at a Saturday night reception at every IPPL conference] is very enjoyable.

Members’ Meetings: A productive ambience, Iqbal Malik, IPPL Advisory Board Member, India

My heartiest congratulations to IPPL on its 30th anniversary. It is both my pleasure and honor to be associated with the organization for nearly two decades.

Iqbal with monkey friends

I met Shirley in 1983 when I was attending my first primate conference in Nairobi, I spotted her sitting quietly in a corner and approached her. I was soon enchanted by her warm and pleasing personality. Her open-minded outlook and acceptance of new ideas made it a memorable interaction.

I attended my first IPPL meeting in 1987. It was a wonderful experience unlike any other. The ambience was like that of a big picnic. Along with serious discussions there would be lunches organized by the different members, which never let the atmosphere become too formal. This informality led to more in-depth and closer interactions among the members, resulting in getting a whole lot of work accomplished.

This has been Shirley’s biggest asset. Her ability to put people at ease and help them bring out the best in themselves. This too has been the hallmark of IPPL and probably the reason for its achieving the great success that is has.

Member’s Meeting: The best place to meet primate people, Olga Felia, founder of the Mona Chimpanzee Sanctuary and IPPL Representative in Spain

I have represented IPPL since 1996. The first time I heard about it was in 1992, and I was impressed by the organization’s work.

In 2000 I had a chance to attend an IPPL members’ Meeting at the organization’s Headquarters in South Carolina, and it was there that I first became aware of the commitment of IPPL’s members. It may be the best place to meet new primate people and to share information with them regarding primate welfare and conservation issues.

Providing credibility for a new Dutch primate sanctuary, Riga Reussien, Stichting AAP, the Netherlands

I remember well how very proud my late husband Okko and I were to welcome Shirley to our humble dwelling in Amstelveen, back in the mid 1970s. and to show her around, talking about our shared feelings of pity and love for monkeys and apes. I still keep a nice snapshot of that visit. I also remember her first visit at the very beginning of Stichting AAP, our primate rescue center in the Netherlands. It was a short visit, as she was on her way to the airport, but she took the chance to get acquainted with Okko, and hear his views on "monkey-business."

At that time we lived in a common house with monkeys peeping from all the corners. We badly needed another place for them. It was hard to convince the authorities of that, as they did not believe in the necessity of a sanctuary for primates an other exotic animals. Thanks to Shirley’s putting in a good word for us with government officials, Stichting AAP became a more credible organization in the eyes of the authorities and has since expanded to spacious premises.