Be Friends With the Animals

Considering humans are 99 percent ape, we treat our hairier brethren pretty badly. Because of the illegal pet trade, bushmeat demand, and habitat destruction, they’re in serious danger. But have a chance to make nice at this weekend’s African Ape Awareness Festival, whose proceeds will fund the Last Great Ape...

By Hannah Sentenac

February 20, 2014

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Considering humans are 99 percent ape, we treat our hairier brethren pretty badly. Because of the illegal pet trade, bushmeat demand, and habitat destruction, they’re in serious danger. But have a chance to make nice at this weekend’s African Ape Awareness Festival, whose proceeds will fund the Last Great Ape Organization, a Congo-based group working to protect primates. At the fest, you’ll hear notable experts Allison Argo (a six-time Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker) and Dr. Andrew Halloran (a Lynn University chimpanzee conservationist) wax rhapsodic about apes. Plus, there’ll be an African fashion show, an African dance performance, and actual animals. If you’re clueless about primate BFFs, now is the time to learn a thing or two. And who doesn’t want to hang with some apes? Tickets cost $15 for grownups, $10 for kids, and $30 for a family (two adults and three kids). The festival runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at Monkey Jungle, 14805 SW 216th St., Miami. Visit africanapeawareness.eventbrite.com or call 305-235-1611.
Sat., Feb. 22, 1-5 p.m., 2014

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.