Third Congress of the African Primatological Society (APS 2024)

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Background information

The African Primatological Society (APS) will hold its third Congress in Potchefstroom, South Africa from September 25^th - 28^th, 2024. We are very proud and excited to announce this 2024 congress of APS for the advancement of African primate research and conservation.

At the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group African Primate Red List Assessment Workshop held in Rome, Italy on the 18th – 23rd of April 2016, experts assessed the conservation status of African primates wherein 100 out of 179 taxa were classified as threatened, with 35 Endangered and 15 Critically Endangered species. More than ever before, these assessments revealed the dire situation facing African primates and drew attention to the potential for imminent and catastrophic loss of the continent’s rich primate biodiversity if concrete actions are not urgently taken to reverse the current trend (Imong et al. 2016). Indeed, in the nearly 10 years since, 222 of the 345 recognized African primate taxa are classified as threatened, with 70 Endangered, 43 Critically Endangered, and one presumed extinct species (IUCN 2024). Thus, it has become increasingly evident that there should be greater commitment from all interested parties, national governments, international organizations, donor agencies, research institutions, local communities, groups and individuals to reassess their levels of commitment and intervention strategies, and reposition themselves to be more effective in their efforts to save Africa’s primate diversity. In particular, Africans themselves must be better positioned to lead efforts if long term, effective conservation of African primates is to be achieved. The African attendees of the 2016 workshop held a series of follow-up meetings to discuss progress towards the formation of an African primate group/society. The meetings in Rome, Italy built on efforts/ideas by the former African Primate Working Group (APWG) held in Cape Town, South Africa in July 2015. The APWG itself was formed after several discussions which had taken place since 2012 at the International Primatological Society (IPS) congresses in Cancun, Mexico and in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2014.

The African Primatological Society (APS) was formally established during an inaugural Congress in Bingerville, Côte d’Ivoire, July 24-27, 2017. The congress brought together 150 primatologists from 22 countries in Africa and a few dozen from other countries across the globe. All regions of Africa (North, West, Central, East, Southern Africa and Madagascar) were represented. There were a series of consultative events including a general assembly of APS members during the 4 days of meetings. Amongst these were 10 plenary lectures, 61 oral presentations, 40 poster presentations, two panel sessions, one red colobus action planning workshop, one field trip and two practical training sessions in scientific writing and field methodologies, respectively. The congress event benefited from the avid support of academic and Non-Governmental Organizations, civil-society groups, National and Local governments, funding agencies, public and industry scientists, and local, national, and international media.

The second congress of the APS was held in Entebbe, Uganda, September 3-5, 2019. The congress brought together over 300 primate experts, including aspiring primatologists, researchers, conservation practitioners, tourism stakeholders and policy makers from Africa and across the globe to share ideas and research findings under the year’s theme: Challenges and Opportunities in Primate Conservation in Africa.  With 250 out of 312 delegates from 24 different African countries, the APS surpassed its goal of providing an accessible platform for African primatologists, in particular to collaborate, network, and discuss pressing challenges and issues, as well as opportunities and possible solutions, facing Africa’s primates. The USA, Europe, UK, Asia, Australia and Latin America were all very well represented at the conference as well, demonstrating the international appeal and engagement in such a home-grown network. With a total of 163 presentations including 136 oral presentations – 21 in plenary and 115 in breakout sessions and 27 poster presentations, the APS made significant strides in building African leadership in primatology. This included a special breakaway workshop to develop an action plan for the red colobus – among the most threatened group of primates in Africa, which was presented on the third day of the conference. Prizes conferred at this conference included best oral and poster presentations, as well as five prizes for outstanding service in building African capacity in primate research and conservation. Other events included a pre-conference workshop on bioinformatics, post-conference workshops on grant-writing, and field trips to Kibale National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The third congress scheduled for September 2024 in Potchefstroom, South Africa. will gather together approximately 150 African primatologists, non-African researchers and conservationists working on African primates as well as other stakeholders. The third congress of APS members will include keynote addresses during plenaries from renowned primatologists, poster sessions, round table discussions and training sessions. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the 19th annual meeting of PEGG, the South African Primatological Society. PEGG was formed in 2002 with the goals of increasing educational awareness of primate diversity in southern Africa, encouraging research on primates in southern Africa, and encouraging conservation-oriented management of primate populations in southern Africa. PEGG members include academics, wildlife management professionals, sanctuary and rehabilitation center directors and workers as well as anyone with a strong interest in primate conservation. PEGG meetings have hosted individuals from Southern, Eastern and Western Africa as well as from the United States, Europe and Australia. PEGG currently has a mailing list of 125 individuals and meetings host between 25 and 70 people.

Congress objective

The overall goal of the congress is to hold the third African Primatological Society conference and strengthen the group’s position to serve as a platform for knowledge and experience sharing amongst researchers, conservationists, education practitioners, donors and decision-makers across the African continent towards the effective conservation of African primates.

Specific objectives

1. To improve knowledge of the advances, constraints, and future perspectives of Primatology in the different regions of Africa (Western Africa, Eastern Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa, and Madagascar) with a focus on the implementation of primate conservation action plans;
2. To share results of selected projects dealing with various aspects of African Primatology including but not limited to ecology, ethology, systematics, taxonomy, distribution, epidemiology, anthropology, human-primate interactions, conflicts, education, conservation, disease, One Health, tourism;
3. To consolidate the structure of the society and mechanistic adjustments needed for its  efficient running in collaboration with sister societies in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Congress activities

The African Primatological Society attests that our proposed congress is relevant to the interest of protecting critically endangered primates and of preserving primate diversity in their natural habitat. In the first instance, the objective of APS is to promote primate research and improve the conservation of African primates by encouraging greater involvement and leadership of African primatologists. Currently, 50% of the 234 primates assessed for mainland Africa and 94% of the 113 primate taxa assessed for Madagascar are threatened. Thus, many African primate species are facing extinction despite all current multifaceted conservation efforts. This suggests a need for greater commitment from all stakeholders, especially Africans themselves. Unfortunately, the critical mass of skilled African primatologists required to stimulate debates and influence policies is almost non-existent. Many existing African primatologists play only secondary roles in research and conservation projects if they actually stay in the field of primatology as many of them lack career opportunities among other reasons. The few outstanding African primatologists do not have the ideal forum to share experiences that will enhance their efforts. We believe that without much greater involvement and leadership from Africans, primate conservation efforts will continue to be jeopardized. Thus, the establishment and strengthening of this group will enhance conservation efforts and promote information sharing and leadership within the African continent making primate conservation more effective at local, national and regional levels.

Congress venue

The overall theme of the Congress will be the Integration of Research and Conservation in African Primates.  Selected speakers address this theme in their own work.  A special emphasis will be placed on strepsirrhine primates, which far outnumber other African primate clades in the proportion of threatened taxa.

Congress activities will comprise keynotes talks, oral communications, poster sessions, panels, symposia, a general assembly, and post congress training sessions and excursions.

Congress activities will comprise keynotes talks, oral communications, poster sessions, panels, symposia, a general assembly, and post congress training sessions and excursions.

Project’s relevance to primate conservation goals

The African Primatological Society attests that our proposed congress is relevant to the interest of protecting critically endangered primates and of preserving primate diversity in their natural habitat. In the first instance, the objective of APS is to promote primate research and improve the conservation of African primates by encouraging greater involvement and leadership of African primatologists. Currently, 50% of the 234 primates assessed for mainland Africa and 94% of the 113 primate taxa assessed for Madagascar are threatened. Thus, many African primate species are facing extinction despite all current multifaceted conservation efforts. This suggests a need for greater commitment from all stakeholders, especially Africans themselves. Unfortunately, the critical mass of skilled African primatologists required to stimulate debates and influence policies is almost non-existent. Many existing African primatologists play only secondary roles in research and conservation projects if they actually stay in the field of primatology as many of them lack career opportunities among other reasons. The few outstanding African primatologists do not have the ideal forum to share experiences that will enhance their efforts. We believe that without much greater involvement and leadership from Africans, primate conservation efforts will continue to be jeopardized. Thus, the establishment and strengthening of this group will enhance conservation efforts and promote information sharing and leadership within the African continent making primate conservation more effective at local, national and regional levels.

Congress venue

The Congress will take place in Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa. South Africa is relatively easy to access by plane from most regions of Africa and Europe, with direct flights to Johannesburg (a short 1.5-hour drive from Potchefstroom). The Congress will be hosted by PEGG, North West University and the board of APS.