🐒 Fourth Congress of the African Primatological Society (APS 2026)
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📌 Background information
The African Primatological Society (APS) will hold its Fourth Congress in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 8–11 September 2026. We are very proud and excited to announce the 2026 Congress of APS for the advancement of African primate research and conservation.
Recent assessments have exposed the grave crisis confronting African primates more clearly than ever, warning of an imminent and potentially irreversible loss of the continent's extraordinary primate biodiversity unless urgent, concrete actions are taken to halt and reverse current trends.
The Primate Specialist Group (PSG) currently recognizes 107 African primate species, encompassing 201 taxa across 26 genera and four families. Alarmingly, 104 taxa, representing more than half (51.7%) of Africa's primate species, are threatened with extinction:
18
Critically Endangered
48
Endangered
38
Vulnerable
It has become increasingly evident that there should be greater commitment from all interested parties — national governments, international organizations, donor agencies, research institutions, and local and indigenous communities — to reassess their levels of commitment, engagement, and intervention strategies to save Africa's primate diversity. Crucially, Africans themselves must be better positioned to lead conservation efforts if sustainable outcomes are to be achieved.
📜 History of the APS Congresses
Recognizing the urgent need for African-led leadership in primatology, a series of preparatory meetings between 2012 and 2016 led to the formal establishment of the African Primatological Society (APS) in April 2016.
- 🏆 1st Congress (2017) — Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire
The African Primatological Society (APS) was formally established during an inaugural congress hosted by the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire (CSRS) and the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire, July 24–27, 2017. The congress brought together 150 primatologists from 22 African countries and a few dozen from other countries across the globe. - 🏆 2nd Congress (2019) — Entebbe, Uganda
The second congress of the APS was held in Entebbe, Uganda, September 3–5, 2019, hosted by Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). It brought together over 300 primate experts from 24 African countries under the theme: Challenges and Opportunities in Primate Conservation in Africa. - 🏆 3rd Congress (2024) — Potchefstroom, South Africa
The third congress was held at North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, September 25–28, 2024, under the theme: Integration of Research and Conservation in African Primates. It gathered approximately 150 African primatologists and other stakeholders. - 🏆 4th Congress (2026) — Yaoundé, Cameroon
The fourth congress, scheduled for September 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, will bring together approximately 250 African primatologists, non-African researchers and conservationists working on African primates, as well as other interested parties. It will be held jointly with a Meeting of the Parties to the Gorilla Agreement under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS/GRASP). The Asian Society of Primatology will participate as Guest of Honour.
🎯 Congress objective
The overall goal of the 4th African Primatological Society (APS) Congress is to consolidate APS's position as the leading platform for knowledge and experience sharing among researchers, conservationists, education practitioners, primate caregivers, donors, and decision-makers across the African continent. By convening diverse stakeholders, the congress seeks to mobilize collective action toward the effective conservation of African primates.
📋 Specific objectives
- Improve understanding of the advances, constraints, and future perspectives of primatology across the various regions of Africa (Western Africa, Eastern Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa, and Madagascar), with a focus on the implementation and evaluation of existing primate species conservation action plans;
- Disseminate findings from selected projects covering diverse aspects of African primatology, including ecology, ethology, systematics, taxonomy, distribution, epidemiology, anthropology, human-primate interactions, conflicts, education, conservation, disease, One Health, and tourism;
- Consolidate the society's organizational framework and make necessary adjustments for efficient functioning, in collaboration with sister societies in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the International Primatological Society (IPS).
🎨 Congress Theme
The overall theme of the 4th African Primatological Society (APS) Congress will be:
"Ethical Primatology: Recognizing the Role of Indigenous and Local Community Groups in the Conservation of African Primates."
Selected speakers will address this theme through their own work, with special emphasis on grassroots community engagement as a cornerstone for advancing primate conservation and human wellbeing. The congress will highlight how ethical approaches to primatology must integrate the voices, knowledge, and participation of local and indigenous communities to achieve sustainable outcomes.
📅 Congress Activities
The program will be diverse and inclusive, designed to foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and capacity building:
- Keynote Talks – Delivered by leading African and international experts.
- Oral Communications & Poster Sessions – Showcasing cutting-edge research and conservation projects.
- Panels – Including grassroots community groups to ensure local perspectives are central.
- Symposia – Thematic sessions addressing urgent conservation challenges.
- General Assembly – With the installation of the new APS executive bureau to strengthen APS's governance and leadership.
- Post-Congress Training Sessions – Focused on skill-building for early-career researchers and conservation practitioners.
- Field Excursion – Offering participants a firsthand experience of Cameroon's primate habitats and conservation challenges.
🌍 Project's relevance to primate conservation goals
The African Primatological Society (APS) affirms that the proposed congress is directly relevant to the urgent need to protect critically endangered primates and preserve primate diversity in their natural habitats. APS's mission is to promote primate research and improve conservation outcomes by encouraging greater involvement and leadership of African primatologists.
Key statistics:
- 🌍 Mainland Africa: Of the 201 primate taxa assessed, 52% are threatened with extinction.
- 🇲🇬 Madagascar: Of the 113 taxa assessed, 94% are threatened, making it one of the most critical primate conservation hotspots globally.
Despite ongoing multifaceted conservation efforts, many African primate species continue to face existential threats. APS believes that without greater involvement and leadership from those living and working on the African continent, the impact of conservation initiatives will remain limited. The congress, therefore, represents a vital opportunity to mobilize African expertise, strengthen networks, and drive effective, locally led conservation strategies.
📍 Congress venue
The 4th African Primatological Society (APS) Congress will take place at the Yaoundé Conference Centre, in Yaoundé, the political capital of Cameroon. The city is relatively easy to access by plane from most regions of Africa and Europe, with direct international flights to Nsimalen International Airport, located approximately one hour's drive from the city centre.
The congress will be hosted by the Cameroon Biodiversity Association and the Cameroon Primatological Society, ensuring strong local leadership and organizational support.
Cameroon is home to approximately 40 primate species and is widely recognized as one of Africa's most important countries for primate diversity and conservation. The Sanaga River forms a key biogeographical divide between subspecies of chimpanzees, gorillas, and other primates, underscoring the country's unique role in primate diversity and conservation.
