“Stolen Apes: The Illicit Trade in Chimpanzee, Gorillas, Bonobos, and Orangutans”

By: Stiles et al

This article was written to convey the numerically quantifiable impact on different primates as a result of illegal trafficking efforts. The article by Stiles et al repeats the common narrative of environmental destruction at the hands of the commodification, and resulting abuse of a certain animal populations. This conversation falls at the intersection of biodiversity, economics, identity, and politics. The authors conclude by stating that the solution to the problem is properly enforcing policies such as CITES, and enacting other regulatory measures. However this conclusion leaves out the economics and identity of the issue. Like any other commodity, what factors influence the market? One answer is identity, as something like that wealth status associated with the ownership of primates could make them so desirable as a product that international law would be worth breaking. Stiles and his fellow authors address the problem from a single-minded approach that doesn’t factor in the root problems that bring about the trafficking. CITES implementation without factoring in identity and economics would simply be a bandaid to an issue. This article leads the reader down one narrative of environmental destruction, while focusing on just one area as a solution to the problem. In doing so, the authors neglect the complexity of the situation and fall victim to a narrow minded, and ultimately ineffective approach to managing this environmental issue.