1 00:00:06,028 --> 00:00:11,867 [♪ rhythmic drumming] 2 00:00:12,952 --> 00:00:14,996 [fire crackling] 3 00:00:14,996 --> 00:00:17,873 [slicing] 4 00:00:19,834 --> 00:00:25,673 [shouting]. 5 00:00:25,673 --> 00:00:27,425 [Mariana Van Zeller] Tension's very high right now. 6 00:00:27,425 --> 00:00:28,801 Everybody's yelling. 7 00:00:28,801 --> 00:00:30,344 They're unhappy that we're here, 8 00:00:30,344 --> 00:00:32,346 possibly filming some of this stuff. 9 00:00:32,346 --> 00:00:34,765 [shouting]. 10 00:00:35,182 --> 00:00:37,018 [Mariana Van Zeller] The Democratic Republic of Congo 11 00:00:37,018 --> 00:00:41,439 or DRC is one of the most breathtaking places on Earth. 12 00:00:41,856 --> 00:00:45,109 But a brutal colonial history, political instability, 13 00:00:45,109 --> 00:00:48,029 and dire poverty have also shaped it 14 00:00:48,029 --> 00:00:50,781 as a nation of extreme violence. 15 00:00:50,781 --> 00:00:51,866 [Police Officer] Okay. Go. 16 00:00:51,866 --> 00:00:53,284 [Mariana Van Zeller] But now they're saying we can go. 17 00:00:53,284 --> 00:00:54,327 Go on? 18 00:00:54,327 --> 00:00:55,995 [loud chatter]. 19 00:00:55,995 --> 00:00:58,622 [Mariana Van Zeller] Okay. I'll go with you. 20 00:01:00,666 --> 00:01:05,129 So this is the local uh, port and the local market. 21 00:01:05,504 --> 00:01:07,506 And this is where we, we know that there is 22 00:01:07,506 --> 00:01:10,426 bushmeat being sold. 23 00:01:10,426 --> 00:01:12,678 Obviously, we stand out like sore thumbs here 24 00:01:12,678 --> 00:01:14,388 with the cameras. 25 00:01:14,388 --> 00:01:15,973 Everybody's like looking at us. 26 00:01:15,973 --> 00:01:17,350 [chatter] 27 00:01:17,350 --> 00:01:19,727 [Mariana Van Zeller] In the DRC, approximately two million 28 00:01:19,727 --> 00:01:22,938 pounds of bushmeat, butchered forest animals, 29 00:01:22,938 --> 00:01:25,358 are eaten every year. 30 00:01:25,358 --> 00:01:28,569 Regulations on the trade are murky, with illegally-obtained 31 00:01:28,569 --> 00:01:32,740 animals regularly offered up for sale beside legal ones. 32 00:01:33,532 --> 00:01:36,952 [shouting] 33 00:01:36,952 --> 00:01:38,871 [Mariana Van Zeller] Which explains why almost nobody 34 00:01:38,871 --> 00:01:40,331 wants us filming here. 35 00:01:40,331 --> 00:01:42,416 [shouting] 36 00:01:42,416 --> 00:01:44,293 [Mariana Van Zeller] There's dried fish being sold. 37 00:01:44,293 --> 00:01:45,920 These fried worms. 38 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,381 And, yeah, right behind me, there's a monkey being sold. 39 00:01:48,381 --> 00:01:51,675 They're actually trying to cover it up right now. 40 00:01:52,635 --> 00:01:54,804 I've been told that when you see bushmeat for sale in 41 00:01:54,804 --> 00:01:56,597 markets like this, 42 00:01:56,597 --> 00:01:59,809 live animals may also be hidden nearby. 43 00:02:00,393 --> 00:02:02,395 And that's what I'm looking for, 44 00:02:02,395 --> 00:02:05,356 endangered chimps, gorillas, and bonobos 45 00:02:05,356 --> 00:02:07,316 that have been captured in the forest and 46 00:02:07,316 --> 00:02:09,402 trafficked to the city, 47 00:02:09,402 --> 00:02:12,613 part of a multibillion dollar black market that threatens 48 00:02:12,613 --> 00:02:17,076 the very existence of the world's great apes. 49 00:02:17,076 --> 00:02:19,787 [shouting] 50 00:02:19,787 --> 00:02:23,499 [theme music plays] 51 00:02:27,169 --> 00:02:29,422 [Mariana Van Zeller] A recent report by conservation 52 00:02:29,422 --> 00:02:32,800 biologists predicts that chimps and gorillas will lose 53 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,596 about 85% of their homelands in the next 30 years. 54 00:02:39,014 --> 00:02:42,476 Protecting these endangered animals is a race against time, 55 00:02:42,476 --> 00:02:44,812 because in addition to habitat loss, 56 00:02:44,812 --> 00:02:47,648 experts are reporting the existence of 57 00:02:47,648 --> 00:02:50,151 transnational crime groups that are 58 00:02:50,151 --> 00:02:52,695 snatching animals and selling them overseas 59 00:02:52,695 --> 00:02:55,364 for astronomical sums. 60 00:02:57,992 --> 00:03:01,495 This is what brings me to the Democratic Republic of Congo. 61 00:03:01,871 --> 00:03:05,249 I want to understand the black market for these species, 62 00:03:05,249 --> 00:03:08,586 known as great apes, and to track down some of the people 63 00:03:08,586 --> 00:03:11,881 responsible for this gruesome trade. 64 00:03:12,214 --> 00:03:13,924 [Adams Cassinga] Wildlife trafficking is the fourth most 65 00:03:13,924 --> 00:03:16,135 lucrative crime in the world. 66 00:03:16,135 --> 00:03:19,597 We are talking between $20 and $30 billion. 67 00:03:20,097 --> 00:03:23,392 The DRC is the only country in the world which has got three 68 00:03:23,392 --> 00:03:26,103 of the four great apes. 69 00:03:26,103 --> 00:03:28,314 And here in the Congo Basin, 70 00:03:28,314 --> 00:03:30,858 primates, in general, are paying the price. 71 00:03:31,192 --> 00:03:33,319 [Mariana Van Zeller] Adams Cassinga is an activist 72 00:03:33,319 --> 00:03:36,071 whose organization, Conserv Congo, 73 00:03:36,071 --> 00:03:38,240 infiltrates trafficking networks 74 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,285 and tries to rescue at-risk apes. 75 00:03:41,827 --> 00:03:43,996 [Adams Cassinga] A great ape is the closest cousin 76 00:03:43,996 --> 00:03:45,915 to a human. 77 00:03:45,915 --> 00:03:49,126 It is as smart as we are. 78 00:03:49,418 --> 00:03:52,046 We are watching it but it's also watching us. 79 00:03:52,046 --> 00:03:55,966 And when it sees you, it ducks... 80 00:03:55,966 --> 00:03:57,760 then it peeps again. 81 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,304 Only a chimp can do that. 82 00:04:02,431 --> 00:04:03,807 [Mariana Van Zeller] Scientists have determined 83 00:04:03,807 --> 00:04:08,395 that we share an astonishing 98.8% of our DNA sequence 84 00:04:08,395 --> 00:04:11,023 with chimpanzees. 85 00:04:11,023 --> 00:04:13,776 They organize their social relationships in ways similar 86 00:04:13,776 --> 00:04:18,197 to humans and are capable of complex communication. 87 00:04:18,697 --> 00:04:21,951 They know intense friendships and rivalries, and also 88 00:04:21,951 --> 00:04:25,955 experience many emotions that we as humans know well. 89 00:04:26,372 --> 00:04:30,584 Among them, joy, empathy, anger, and fear. 90 00:04:31,252 --> 00:04:34,630 They also excel at problem-solving. 91 00:04:35,172 --> 00:04:36,840 [Adams Cassinga] It's very difficult to catch a great ape 92 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:38,092 into a snare. 93 00:04:38,092 --> 00:04:41,220 I'm not saying it's impossible but it's very rare. 94 00:04:41,220 --> 00:04:45,349 So the only way to catch a great ape is a gun. 95 00:04:45,349 --> 00:04:48,060 That's what kills an ape. 96 00:04:48,060 --> 00:04:49,436 [Mariana Van Zeller] By killing the family around it. 97 00:04:49,436 --> 00:04:50,521 [Adams Cassinga] Yes. 98 00:04:50,521 --> 00:04:52,106 [Mariana Van Zeller] And taking the baby chimps. 99 00:04:52,106 --> 00:04:54,608 [Adams Cassinga] Great apes flock in families. 100 00:04:54,608 --> 00:04:58,195 And before you can take a baby away from them, you've got to 101 00:04:58,195 --> 00:05:01,532 kill ten of them to have just one. 102 00:05:01,532 --> 00:05:03,951 [Mariana Van Zeller] That is such a crazy number. 103 00:05:03,951 --> 00:05:06,996 Given how protective we humans are of our babies, 104 00:05:06,996 --> 00:05:08,706 it makes sense. 105 00:05:08,706 --> 00:05:12,084 And yet it's almost impossible to fathom that there are 106 00:05:12,084 --> 00:05:16,964 people out there who are willing to slaughter entire families. 107 00:05:18,048 --> 00:05:20,259 [Adams Cassinga] We have what we refer to as tiers. 108 00:05:20,259 --> 00:05:21,302 [Mariana Van Zeller] Okay. 109 00:05:21,302 --> 00:05:23,304 [Adams Cassinga] When it comes to wildlife trafficking. 110 00:05:23,304 --> 00:05:28,475 Tier one being the hunter who kills the animal but leaves. 111 00:05:28,475 --> 00:05:29,643 [Mariana Van Zeller] Who kills or catches, 112 00:05:29,643 --> 00:05:30,728 if they want it alive. 113 00:05:30,728 --> 00:05:31,896 [Adams Cassinga] Kills and catches. 114 00:05:31,896 --> 00:05:33,022 -Yeah. -Both at the same time. 115 00:05:33,022 --> 00:05:34,982 You cannot catch before killing. 116 00:05:34,982 --> 00:05:38,193 Tier two is what we refer to as a transporter. 117 00:05:38,652 --> 00:05:40,613 These are the people who transport the products or 118 00:05:40,613 --> 00:05:44,366 the species to these areas, urban centers. 119 00:05:44,366 --> 00:05:46,243 And when he reaches here, 120 00:05:46,243 --> 00:05:48,037 there will be somebody waiting there. 121 00:05:48,037 --> 00:05:49,538 We call him a marketer. 122 00:05:49,538 --> 00:05:51,165 -Uh-hmm. -This is tier three. 123 00:05:51,165 --> 00:05:52,416 So he connects with everyone. 124 00:05:52,416 --> 00:05:53,918 [Mariana Van Zeller] So you, you've actually found, you've 125 00:05:53,918 --> 00:05:54,918 caught some of these guys in your. 126 00:05:54,918 --> 00:05:56,420 [Adams Cassinga] Of course. That's what we do every day. 127 00:05:56,420 --> 00:05:58,130 [Mariana Van Zeller] Right. That's... 128 00:05:58,130 --> 00:05:59,757 It's an uphill battle. 129 00:05:59,757 --> 00:06:03,385 Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the clips of ape rescues document 130 00:06:03,385 --> 00:06:06,555 tedious and dangerous operations, 131 00:06:06,555 --> 00:06:08,974 which sometimes free animals 132 00:06:08,974 --> 00:06:12,728 but often end up simply recording tragedies. 133 00:06:13,103 --> 00:06:15,147 [Adams Cassinga] If we had arrived here two days ago, 134 00:06:15,147 --> 00:06:16,940 we're going to find it alive. 135 00:06:16,940 --> 00:06:18,776 But she's been shot. 136 00:06:18,776 --> 00:06:21,153 And, as you can see, she had a baby. 137 00:06:21,153 --> 00:06:22,821 She has been breastfeeding. 138 00:06:22,821 --> 00:06:26,075 They only have a baby once every five years. 139 00:06:26,825 --> 00:06:29,244 It's a pity. 140 00:06:30,412 --> 00:06:32,581 [Mariana Van Zeller] And what about the hunting? 141 00:06:32,581 --> 00:06:34,166 Where is that happening right now? 142 00:06:34,166 --> 00:06:36,085 [Adams Cassinga] Anywhere there's a forest, there's a, 143 00:06:36,085 --> 00:06:37,211 there's a poacher. 144 00:06:37,211 --> 00:06:38,295 [Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 145 00:06:38,295 --> 00:06:40,631 And all of them willing to kill great apes and hunt great apes? 146 00:06:40,631 --> 00:06:42,966 [Adams Cassinga] They will kill anything that comes across. 147 00:06:42,966 --> 00:06:45,928 This is a very harsh place. 148 00:06:46,345 --> 00:06:48,555 [Mariana Van Zeller] To start our investigation, we head to 149 00:06:48,555 --> 00:06:51,809 where Adams says there's a lot of poaching activity, 150 00:06:51,809 --> 00:06:54,478 the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, 151 00:06:54,478 --> 00:06:57,731 a protected region in the eastern DRC. 152 00:06:59,650 --> 00:07:02,736 But getting to the park, like many things in the Congo, 153 00:07:02,736 --> 00:07:06,448 requires time, money, and connections. 154 00:07:06,907 --> 00:07:09,326 The Congo cannot be traversed by road. 155 00:07:09,326 --> 00:07:13,247 In fact, only about 5% of roads in the DRC are paved. 156 00:07:14,957 --> 00:07:17,960 So our trip begins with a two-hour flight east to the 157 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,921 city of Goma. 158 00:07:20,921 --> 00:07:24,508 Then a four-hour ferry to Bukavu. 159 00:07:25,467 --> 00:07:28,512 And, finally, a two hour drive in four-by-fours, 160 00:07:28,512 --> 00:07:31,265 accompanied by a prayer. 161 00:07:32,391 --> 00:07:35,853 [Horeb Bulambo] Father, we pray so that you would be at 162 00:07:35,853 --> 00:07:39,231 our departure and at our arrival and our returning time. 163 00:07:39,231 --> 00:07:40,524 Father... 164 00:07:40,524 --> 00:07:42,568 [Mariana Van Zeller] We have been joined by Horeb Bulambo, 165 00:07:42,568 --> 00:07:45,195 a renowned Congolese journalist, who, in the past, 166 00:07:45,195 --> 00:07:47,322 has braved these treacherous roads and 167 00:07:47,322 --> 00:07:49,199 made contact with poachers. 168 00:07:49,199 --> 00:07:50,534 [Horeb Bulambo] In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 169 00:07:50,534 --> 00:07:51,493 [All] Amen. 170 00:07:51,493 --> 00:07:52,661 [Mariana Van Zeller] So do you guys do that 171 00:07:52,661 --> 00:07:53,620 every time you go out? 172 00:07:55,873 --> 00:07:57,207 [Mariana Van Zeller] Have you been, you've been up 173 00:07:57,207 --> 00:07:57,875 several times before? 174 00:07:57,875 --> 00:07:59,001 [Horeb Bulambo] Several times, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 175 00:08:07,885 --> 00:08:09,261 [Mariana Van Zeller] And which is why also we're all 176 00:08:09,261 --> 00:08:09,845 wearing protective gear. 177 00:08:11,847 --> 00:08:14,266 [Horeb Bulambo] Okay. Thank you. 178 00:08:16,727 --> 00:08:18,270 [Mariana Van Zeller] Okay. 179 00:08:18,270 --> 00:08:20,856 Horeb has learned that an active band of poachers 180 00:08:20,856 --> 00:08:23,275 is operating 20 miles north of here. 181 00:08:23,275 --> 00:08:25,986 But in this war-torn region of the DRC, 182 00:08:25,986 --> 00:08:28,655 it's a very risky journey. 183 00:08:28,655 --> 00:08:31,992 We're entering the park, but it also is ungoverned territory. 184 00:08:33,494 --> 00:08:35,704 This is very concentrated area for military checkpoints. 185 00:08:35,704 --> 00:08:37,539 There's another one right here. 186 00:08:37,539 --> 00:08:40,000 We just passed by one. 187 00:08:41,084 --> 00:08:42,961 And that's because we're entering, basically, 188 00:08:42,961 --> 00:08:45,506 rebel territory. 189 00:08:45,839 --> 00:08:48,342 [gunfire] 190 00:08:48,342 --> 00:08:51,887 For over 25 years, this area has served as a staging ground 191 00:08:51,887 --> 00:08:53,889 for armed rebel groups. 192 00:08:54,765 --> 00:08:58,018 The stories of robberies, killings, and rapes here 193 00:08:58,018 --> 00:09:00,312 are all too real. 194 00:09:12,616 --> 00:09:14,868 Coming up on a very muddy, 195 00:09:14,868 --> 00:09:17,996 I mean, it's a crater in the floor. 196 00:09:20,457 --> 00:09:23,126 Holy moly. 197 00:09:27,798 --> 00:09:29,299 He says to go here. 198 00:09:29,299 --> 00:09:31,343 Oh, now, he's stuck. 199 00:09:35,806 --> 00:09:37,140 [Horeb Bulambo] Let's push from the front. 200 00:09:37,140 --> 00:09:38,517 [Man] That's it. 201 00:09:38,517 --> 00:09:39,518 [Horeb Bulambo] No, it's blocked. 202 00:09:39,518 --> 00:09:41,019 We can't go forward. 203 00:09:41,019 --> 00:09:42,563 [Mariana Van Zeller] Not the best place to get stuck, 204 00:09:42,563 --> 00:09:44,982 for sure. 205 00:09:45,482 --> 00:09:48,569 In fact, it's one of the worst. 206 00:09:48,569 --> 00:09:51,530 It's so dangerous that should our team fail in our attempt 207 00:09:51,530 --> 00:09:54,408 to pull the car free, we've been told to abandon it 208 00:09:54,408 --> 00:09:56,952 rather than wait for help. 209 00:09:57,244 --> 00:10:00,164 [speaking native language]. 210 00:10:07,629 --> 00:10:09,464 [Man] Woo! 211 00:10:11,133 --> 00:10:17,723 [♪ mysterious ambient music] 212 00:10:21,602 --> 00:10:23,020 [Mariana Van Zeller] Thank you. 213 00:10:23,020 --> 00:10:24,021 [Horeb Bulambo] Yeah. 214 00:10:24,021 --> 00:10:25,355 -Okay. This is it? -Yeah. This is the way. 215 00:10:25,355 --> 00:10:26,565 [Mariana Van Zeller] Go from here? 216 00:10:26,565 --> 00:10:29,860 Four long hours later, we've arrived in an area where Horeb 217 00:10:29,860 --> 00:10:32,988 has arranged a meeting with a group suspected of trafficking 218 00:10:32,988 --> 00:10:36,074 and killing great apes. 219 00:10:39,328 --> 00:10:40,370 [Horeb Bulambo] Down there. 220 00:10:40,370 --> 00:10:41,371 [Mariana Van Zeller] Okay. 221 00:10:41,371 --> 00:10:43,457 [Horeb Bulambo] He's hidden in a hidden place. 222 00:10:44,333 --> 00:10:45,918 [speaking native language]. 223 00:10:45,918 --> 00:10:47,419 [Mariana Van Zeller] Oh, this is it. 224 00:10:47,419 --> 00:10:49,504 This is where they have their camp. 225 00:10:54,009 --> 00:10:58,138 [♪ mysterious tense music] 226 00:10:58,138 --> 00:10:59,181 [speaking native language]. 227 00:10:59,181 --> 00:11:00,307 [Mariana Van Zeller] Okay. 228 00:11:00,307 --> 00:11:02,434 He's putting on his disguise right here. 229 00:11:02,434 --> 00:11:05,354 We've made contact with a man we're calling Jean, the leader 230 00:11:05,354 --> 00:11:07,230 of a clan of Batwa Pygmies 231 00:11:07,230 --> 00:11:09,691 that is rumored to be poaching great apes. 232 00:11:12,486 --> 00:11:13,779 [Mariana Van Zeller] Oh, wow. Holy moly. 233 00:11:13,779 --> 00:11:15,197 It's a, so it's a trap, basically. 234 00:11:15,197 --> 00:11:17,407 They got, okay. Oh. 235 00:11:20,035 --> 00:11:21,244 [Mariana Van Zeller] Very delicious? 236 00:11:21,244 --> 00:11:23,038 [laughing] 237 00:11:26,750 --> 00:11:30,420 The Batwa are an at-risk group in the DRC. 238 00:11:30,712 --> 00:11:32,631 Compared to the majority Bantu people, 239 00:11:32,631 --> 00:11:35,550 who represent 80% of the population, 240 00:11:35,550 --> 00:11:38,053 they number less than 1% 241 00:11:38,053 --> 00:11:41,098 and have experienced widespread discrimination. 242 00:11:55,779 --> 00:11:56,863 [Mariana Van Zeller] Wow. 243 00:11:56,863 --> 00:11:59,324 So he's saying, basically, that the government calls this 244 00:11:59,324 --> 00:12:02,327 a park, a protected area, but they call it, this, 245 00:12:02,327 --> 00:12:04,204 their home, their land. 246 00:12:04,204 --> 00:12:07,582 They also say that you're poaching, illegally, 247 00:12:07,582 --> 00:12:09,543 endangered species. 248 00:12:27,811 --> 00:12:30,188 [Mariana Van Zeller] On a prior trip here, Horeb had been told 249 00:12:30,188 --> 00:12:33,275 that this group was catching chimpanzees in the park. 250 00:12:33,275 --> 00:12:35,068 But if that's not the case, 251 00:12:35,068 --> 00:12:37,612 we've just taken a very treacherous journey 252 00:12:37,612 --> 00:12:39,865 for nothing. 253 00:12:39,865 --> 00:12:41,158 We're not here to judge. 254 00:12:41,158 --> 00:12:42,117 [Jean] Yeah. 255 00:12:42,117 --> 00:12:43,535 [Mariana Van Zeller] We're just here to understand and 256 00:12:43,535 --> 00:12:44,953 ask questions. 257 00:13:23,450 --> 00:13:24,451 [Mariana Van Zeller] Hmm. 258 00:13:51,561 --> 00:13:53,688 [Mariana Van Zeller] While higher level traffickers might 259 00:13:53,688 --> 00:13:56,399 ultimately earn life-changing sums, 260 00:13:56,399 --> 00:13:59,945 Jean's take is only enough to feed his family 261 00:13:59,945 --> 00:14:01,321 for about a week. 262 00:14:18,380 --> 00:14:20,132 [Mariana Van Zeller] Like humans, chimps normally 263 00:14:20,132 --> 00:14:23,218 give birth to just one baby at a time. 264 00:14:23,218 --> 00:14:25,971 And for the first five years of its life, that baby 265 00:14:25,971 --> 00:14:29,141 never strays far from its mother. 266 00:14:29,141 --> 00:14:33,812 When you hear the baby crying and screaming and 267 00:14:33,812 --> 00:14:35,522 the mother coming, do you feel bad? 268 00:14:35,522 --> 00:14:36,690 Do you feel sad? 269 00:14:43,655 --> 00:14:46,449 [chopping] 270 00:14:46,783 --> 00:14:48,910 [Mariana Van Zeller] It's only after we finished talking and 271 00:14:48,910 --> 00:14:51,454 a measure of trust has been established that they decide 272 00:14:51,454 --> 00:14:55,083 to take me to one more location in the bush. 273 00:14:57,335 --> 00:14:59,462 So the animals try to come through here, 274 00:14:59,462 --> 00:15:00,797 they step on this, and they're trapped. 275 00:15:17,814 --> 00:15:19,482 [Mariana Van Zeller] Jean's group is collecting $10 for a 276 00:15:19,482 --> 00:15:24,529 baby chimp, a pittance even for first-tier traffickers. 277 00:15:24,529 --> 00:15:27,115 But it's complicated to lay blame. 278 00:15:27,115 --> 00:15:29,201 Although they have drawn first blood, 279 00:15:29,201 --> 00:15:30,702 the men I've just met 280 00:15:30,702 --> 00:15:32,954 feel that they have no other option. 281 00:15:33,288 --> 00:15:35,582 [Adams Cassinga] Let's not think in a monolithic way. 282 00:15:35,582 --> 00:15:39,002 Not every poacher do this because that's what they 283 00:15:39,002 --> 00:15:40,378 wanted to do. 284 00:15:40,378 --> 00:15:44,216 But there are those who are compelled to do it 285 00:15:44,216 --> 00:15:46,009 because of life's hardships. 286 00:15:46,009 --> 00:15:47,010 [Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 287 00:15:47,010 --> 00:15:48,803 [Adams Cassinga] If you go in the so-called "protected areas" 288 00:15:48,803 --> 00:15:50,805 are, there are no schools. 289 00:15:50,805 --> 00:15:52,599 There are no hospitals. 290 00:15:52,599 --> 00:15:54,267 There is nothing. 291 00:15:54,267 --> 00:15:56,269 So if the state is going to say, 292 00:15:56,269 --> 00:15:59,648 "Don't touch. Get out of there," 293 00:15:59,648 --> 00:16:03,944 it has to come up with ways and means on how 294 00:16:03,944 --> 00:16:07,447 these people can also live a decent lifestyle. 295 00:16:07,822 --> 00:16:09,449 [Mariana Van Zeller] In the absence of legitimate 296 00:16:09,449 --> 00:16:12,953 opportunities, the black market provides its own. 297 00:16:12,953 --> 00:16:15,747 In this case, tier two smugglers who transport 298 00:16:15,747 --> 00:16:20,293 captured animals and bring them to major cities in the DRC. 299 00:16:21,002 --> 00:16:23,338 I'm wondering what sort of quick money they can make for 300 00:16:23,338 --> 00:16:27,133 a baby ape they've just purchased for $10. 301 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:30,929 It's been incredibly difficult 302 00:16:30,929 --> 00:16:33,139 to make contact with a transporter, 303 00:16:33,139 --> 00:16:37,477 but, finally, one of Horeb's contacts comes through. 304 00:16:38,436 --> 00:16:41,356 The guy we're meeting asked us to meet him here, 305 00:16:41,356 --> 00:16:43,858 in a church on the outskirts of town, in a place where 306 00:16:43,858 --> 00:16:45,902 he sort of felt safe. 307 00:16:45,902 --> 00:16:47,612 We don't know much about him. 308 00:16:47,612 --> 00:16:49,114 We know we can call him Jacques. 309 00:16:49,114 --> 00:16:50,824 That's what he wants to be known as. 310 00:16:50,824 --> 00:16:52,951 And that he was involved in the trade. 311 00:16:58,915 --> 00:17:00,709 [door shuts] 312 00:17:07,090 --> 00:17:13,972 [singing in foreign language] 313 00:17:13,972 --> 00:17:16,474 [door opens] 314 00:17:18,768 --> 00:17:20,020 [door shuts] 315 00:17:21,396 --> 00:17:22,689 [Mariana Van Zeller] Thank you for coming. 316 00:17:25,942 --> 00:17:27,861 [Mariana Van Zeller] At the edge of a protected forest 317 00:17:27,861 --> 00:17:29,821 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 318 00:17:29,821 --> 00:17:34,326 I'm meeting a man who says he's wanted by the police. 319 00:17:34,326 --> 00:17:35,618 Are you religious? 320 00:17:35,618 --> 00:17:37,662 Is that why you wanted to meet here in the church? 321 00:17:43,543 --> 00:17:44,586 [Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 322 00:17:44,586 --> 00:17:46,338 So can you tell me what you do? 323 00:17:54,054 --> 00:17:56,014 [Mariana Van Zeller] How many chimps do you think you've sold? 324 00:18:13,573 --> 00:18:14,866 [Mariana Van Zeller] And who were they? They were... 325 00:18:23,458 --> 00:18:25,168 [Mariana Van Zeller] How much were you buying the 326 00:18:25,168 --> 00:18:28,213 chimpanzees and how much were you selling them for? 327 00:19:04,124 --> 00:19:05,834 [Mariana Van Zeller] But how do you carry the chimpanzees, 328 00:19:05,834 --> 00:19:06,918 the baby chimpanzees? 329 00:19:06,918 --> 00:19:09,295 Where? In a cage or, where? 330 00:19:15,009 --> 00:19:16,511 [Mariana Van Zeller] Were you ever stopped by the authorities? 331 00:19:17,512 --> 00:19:18,263 [Mariana Van Zeller] Oui? 332 00:19:26,104 --> 00:19:27,021 [speaking English] How much money? 333 00:19:31,109 --> 00:19:33,903 [Mariana Van Zeller] $50 goes a long way here. 334 00:19:33,903 --> 00:19:37,073 It's about a month's wage for an average worker. 335 00:19:37,073 --> 00:19:40,326 And when poverty meets weak institutions, 336 00:19:40,326 --> 00:19:42,495 as it does throughout the DRC, 337 00:19:42,495 --> 00:19:46,207 it sets the stage for a thriving black market. 338 00:19:46,207 --> 00:19:48,084 Why did you stop? 339 00:20:07,729 --> 00:20:09,606 [Mariana Van Zeller] For tier two middlemen like Jacques, 340 00:20:09,606 --> 00:20:13,860 the next step is to ship apes up the Congo River to the capital, 341 00:20:13,860 --> 00:20:17,113 Kinshasa, and hope they survive the journey. 342 00:20:18,448 --> 00:20:20,700 [Adams Cassinga] So along the way, they will die of disease, 343 00:20:20,700 --> 00:20:24,871 they will die of stress, they will die of hunger, 344 00:20:24,871 --> 00:20:28,166 they will die of suffocation because they're being concealed, 345 00:20:28,166 --> 00:20:30,543 and so on and so forth. 346 00:20:30,794 --> 00:20:32,462 [Mariana Van Zeller] Adams Cassinga says the babies 347 00:20:32,462 --> 00:20:36,007 that reach the capital alive will now be sold to traffickers 348 00:20:36,007 --> 00:20:38,384 on the third tier. 349 00:20:38,384 --> 00:20:40,178 [Adams Cassinga] These are the movers and the shakers 350 00:20:40,178 --> 00:20:41,679 of the trade. 351 00:20:41,679 --> 00:20:45,225 He's gonna charge you $5,000, and he had, for something 352 00:20:45,225 --> 00:20:48,937 which he has bought for maybe $500. 353 00:20:55,485 --> 00:20:57,987 [Mariana Van Zeller] To locate third-tier traffickers, 354 00:20:57,987 --> 00:21:00,490 those who have contact with foreign buyers, 355 00:21:00,490 --> 00:21:05,328 Adams has suggested I visit a live animal market in Kinshasa. 356 00:21:15,838 --> 00:21:16,965 [Mariana Van Zeller] Yeah. Okay. 357 00:21:16,965 --> 00:21:19,759 So we're gonna try and go film this live animal market that 358 00:21:19,759 --> 00:21:21,469 he says is right on the side of the street. 359 00:21:21,469 --> 00:21:23,555 It's about 10 minutes from here. 360 00:21:28,142 --> 00:21:31,271 Oh, wow. You see that? 361 00:21:36,234 --> 00:21:38,903 [clinking] 362 00:21:41,990 --> 00:21:45,451 Basically, I can see there's like a monkey that's chained 363 00:21:45,451 --> 00:21:47,245 and a bunch of other animals 364 00:21:47,245 --> 00:21:49,455 right here on the side of the road. 365 00:21:51,666 --> 00:21:54,794 Oh, wow. 366 00:22:07,890 --> 00:22:10,518 [birds chirping] 367 00:22:10,518 --> 00:22:13,563 [Mariana Van Zeller] Hello. Good. I'm Mariana. 368 00:22:13,563 --> 00:22:14,731 Gadhafi? 369 00:22:14,731 --> 00:22:16,524 - Oui. -Gadhafi. 370 00:22:21,863 --> 00:22:23,531 [Mariana Van Zeller] So he's saying they're selling this, 371 00:22:23,531 --> 00:22:25,658 this monkey for $250. 372 00:22:29,037 --> 00:22:31,289 [Mariana Van Zeller] 130 for the grey parrots. 373 00:22:31,289 --> 00:22:32,999 These are actually endangered species. 374 00:22:32,999 --> 00:22:34,626 They're called grey parrots. 375 00:22:34,626 --> 00:22:36,502 They're endangered. 376 00:22:36,502 --> 00:22:38,087 There's five of them here. 377 00:22:38,087 --> 00:22:40,673 And a bunch more over there, actually. 378 00:22:41,716 --> 00:22:44,552 Despite the open trade in endangered animals, 379 00:22:44,552 --> 00:22:46,512 like these grey parrots, 380 00:22:46,512 --> 00:22:49,098 I've heard that animal sellers won't risk 381 00:22:49,098 --> 00:22:52,685 selling chimps or other great apes out in the open. 382 00:22:53,019 --> 00:22:55,855 So I'm talking to this man, Gadhafi, to see if he'll 383 00:22:55,855 --> 00:22:58,691 open up about how they're trafficked. 384 00:22:58,691 --> 00:23:00,610 What type of a monkey is this? 385 00:23:03,446 --> 00:23:04,364 [Mariana Van Zeller] A baboon? 386 00:23:06,032 --> 00:23:07,158 [Mariana Van Zeller] Six months? 387 00:23:07,158 --> 00:23:08,409 Oh, so it's a baby baboon. 388 00:23:12,205 --> 00:23:14,040 [Mariana Van Zeller] $650. 389 00:23:16,084 --> 00:23:19,253 The owner of the market sees him talking to us and decides 390 00:23:19,253 --> 00:23:23,257 he wants to talk too, but he wants his identity protected. 391 00:23:24,425 --> 00:23:27,095 So baboon, monkey, grey parrots, 392 00:23:27,095 --> 00:23:29,514 rabbits, python, turtle. 393 00:23:50,118 --> 00:23:51,619 [Mariana Van Zeller] He said it would be dangerous for him 394 00:23:51,619 --> 00:23:53,579 to give us any names. 395 00:23:53,579 --> 00:23:56,416 But Gadhafi here was also looking at me and trying to 396 00:23:56,416 --> 00:23:59,168 say that it's something that we can talk when we leave this 397 00:23:59,168 --> 00:24:02,505 place, that he can give us some more information. 398 00:24:06,759 --> 00:24:11,180 Gadhafi has agreed to meet us out of earshot of his boss. 399 00:24:11,180 --> 00:24:13,975 Do you know any chimps for sale here in Kinshasa, in the city? 400 00:24:40,793 --> 00:24:42,336 [Mariana Van Zeller] How much do they pay, the people that 401 00:24:42,336 --> 00:24:44,005 buy for you? 402 00:24:57,226 --> 00:24:58,561 [Mariana Van Zeller] Have you ever been caught by 403 00:24:58,561 --> 00:24:59,187 the authorities? 404 00:25:07,779 --> 00:25:09,155 [Mariana Van Zeller] Do you know where the chimps go 405 00:25:09,155 --> 00:25:10,031 when they leave the country? 406 00:25:13,826 --> 00:25:15,244 [Mariana Van Zeller] You don't care where it goes? 407 00:25:18,122 --> 00:25:19,791 [Mariana Van Zeller] You know, unfortunately, I kept pressing 408 00:25:19,791 --> 00:25:22,794 and trying to get to possibly see a live chimp somewhere. 409 00:25:22,794 --> 00:25:24,837 You know, they weren't really willing to reveal 410 00:25:24,837 --> 00:25:26,589 much information about that. 411 00:25:26,589 --> 00:25:28,341 They say that usually it's actually done 412 00:25:28,341 --> 00:25:29,884 on command per order. 413 00:25:29,884 --> 00:25:31,928 So once somebody comes here and orders a chimp, 414 00:25:31,928 --> 00:25:33,763 he can get it. 415 00:25:34,055 --> 00:25:36,724 It's rare that baby chimps are intercepted, 416 00:25:36,724 --> 00:25:40,102 but when it happens, many are brought here, 417 00:25:40,102 --> 00:25:43,397 to the Lwiro Rehabilitation Center. 418 00:25:43,397 --> 00:25:45,650 Wow. There's chimps right here. 419 00:25:45,650 --> 00:25:47,652 That's a really big one here. 420 00:25:47,652 --> 00:25:49,403 Wow. 421 00:25:49,403 --> 00:25:52,365 These are the so-called "lucky ones". 422 00:25:52,365 --> 00:25:54,951 Many were rescued from poachers or outgrew 423 00:25:54,951 --> 00:25:57,203 their utility as pets. 424 00:25:57,203 --> 00:26:00,873 But in all cases, they were taken in after young lives 425 00:26:00,873 --> 00:26:04,335 filled with trauma. 426 00:26:04,335 --> 00:26:05,753 How old is this guy? 427 00:26:09,006 --> 00:26:11,801 [Mariana Van Zeller] Luis Flores is head veterinarian here. 428 00:26:11,801 --> 00:26:13,803 What's their state when they're first rescued, 429 00:26:13,803 --> 00:26:15,304 when they first arrive? 430 00:26:15,304 --> 00:26:16,931 Mentally, how do they arrive here? 431 00:26:30,278 --> 00:26:31,946 [Mariana Van Zeller] A lot of these babies have actually 432 00:26:31,946 --> 00:26:34,407 seen their mothers being killed in front of them. 433 00:27:05,855 --> 00:27:07,148 [Mariana] To export, as part of a trafficking network? 434 00:27:08,900 --> 00:27:10,443 [Mariana Van Zeller] So on the one hand, you have people who 435 00:27:10,443 --> 00:27:11,485 kill them for meat. 436 00:27:11,485 --> 00:27:12,570 [Luis Flores] Yeah. 437 00:27:12,570 --> 00:27:14,071 [Mariana Van Zeller] And on the other, you have the people 438 00:27:14,071 --> 00:27:15,198 that catch them and... 439 00:27:16,824 --> 00:27:18,659 [Mariana Van Zeller] So where are they going? 440 00:27:25,833 --> 00:27:27,084 [Mariana Van Zeller] So the UAE, Dubai, and... 441 00:27:27,084 --> 00:27:27,835 [Luis Flores] Yeah. 442 00:27:35,968 --> 00:27:38,804 [Daniel Stiles] The Arabian Gulf is the biggest market now 443 00:27:38,804 --> 00:27:43,100 for the great apes as exotic pets, 444 00:27:43,100 --> 00:27:48,856 and to go into these big safari park-type zoos, wildlife parks. 445 00:27:49,231 --> 00:27:51,734 [Mariana Van Zeller] Back in LA, I meet up with Daniel Stiles, 446 00:27:51,734 --> 00:27:55,905 one of the world's foremost experts on wildlife trafficking. 447 00:27:55,905 --> 00:27:58,950 He confirms what I heard in the DRC, that one of the 448 00:27:58,950 --> 00:28:02,995 biggest markets for baby apes is currently in the Middle East. 449 00:28:02,995 --> 00:28:04,538 So this is how they sell them? 450 00:28:04,538 --> 00:28:05,581 [Daniel Stiles] Yup. 451 00:28:05,581 --> 00:28:08,459 So this is like an advertisement by a supplier in Kinshasa. 452 00:28:08,459 --> 00:28:09,627 [Mariana Van Zeller] Yeah. 453 00:28:09,627 --> 00:28:11,671 [Daniel Stiles] He says, "Does anybody want these chimps?" 454 00:28:11,671 --> 00:28:13,422 And if anybody does, whoop, they're on a plane and they're 455 00:28:13,422 --> 00:28:15,883 off to Dubai. 456 00:28:15,883 --> 00:28:19,470 These are the ones that didn't survive the poor transport. 457 00:28:20,554 --> 00:28:22,556 That one's been damaged in capture. 458 00:28:22,556 --> 00:28:23,724 [Mariana Van Zeller] You can see his head. 459 00:28:23,724 --> 00:28:24,642 [Daniel Stiles] Yeah. 460 00:28:24,642 --> 00:28:27,144 [Mariana Van Zeller] He has injuries on his head. 461 00:28:27,144 --> 00:28:28,354 [Daniel Stiles] That's a gorilla. 462 00:28:28,354 --> 00:28:29,438 [Mariana Van Zeller] Ugh. 463 00:28:29,438 --> 00:28:31,524 [Daniel Stiles] They're the most desired of the great apes. 464 00:28:31,524 --> 00:28:36,070 I've got prices actually offered by a trafficker in Dubai. 465 00:28:36,070 --> 00:28:38,322 The equivalent is over $500,000. 466 00:28:38,322 --> 00:28:39,865 [Mariana Van Zeller] Half a million dollars? 467 00:28:39,865 --> 00:28:40,950 [Daniel Stiles] Half a million dollars. 468 00:28:40,950 --> 00:28:42,076 [Mariana Van Zeller] For a gorilla? 469 00:28:42,076 --> 00:28:43,786 [Daniel Stiles] Of which there are many in the Gulf. 470 00:28:43,786 --> 00:28:45,079 Many. 471 00:28:45,079 --> 00:28:48,582 A lot of private wildlife parks are springing up, 472 00:28:48,582 --> 00:28:51,502 belonging to private individuals, and they're 473 00:28:51,502 --> 00:28:53,879 patterned after ones we have here in the US. 474 00:28:53,879 --> 00:28:55,172 [Mariana Van Zeller] Hmm. 475 00:28:55,172 --> 00:28:56,716 [Daniel Stiles] And I think you've heard of Doc Antle. 476 00:28:56,716 --> 00:28:59,343 [Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-hmm. I have indeed. 477 00:29:00,302 --> 00:29:02,638 Three years ago, I investigated Doc Antle 478 00:29:02,638 --> 00:29:05,182 and his operation in South Carolina, 479 00:29:05,182 --> 00:29:07,435 a so-called "animal sanctuary" 480 00:29:07,435 --> 00:29:10,563 that was charging visitors $500 to take selfies 481 00:29:10,563 --> 00:29:12,732 with baby animals. 482 00:29:12,732 --> 00:29:15,901 [Doc Antle] I am the only one qualified in this activity 483 00:29:15,901 --> 00:29:17,528 of raising cubs. 484 00:29:17,528 --> 00:29:19,905 [Mariana Van Zeller] Antle was later arrested by the FBI and 485 00:29:19,905 --> 00:29:23,826 has recently been convicted of four felony counts 486 00:29:23,826 --> 00:29:26,287 related to wildlife trafficking. 487 00:29:27,329 --> 00:29:29,040 [Daniel Stiles] He is one of the prime ones that have 488 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:31,208 sort of inspired these guys, I think. 489 00:29:31,208 --> 00:29:33,961 They're linking the wildlife park with the 490 00:29:33,961 --> 00:29:35,296 social media accounts. 491 00:29:35,296 --> 00:29:36,464 [Mariana Van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 492 00:29:36,464 --> 00:29:37,715 [Daniel Stiles] To drum up business. 493 00:29:37,715 --> 00:29:41,260 That's the biggest new thing that's evolving now in, 494 00:29:41,260 --> 00:29:43,846 in great ape trade. 495 00:29:43,846 --> 00:29:45,514 [Mariana Van Zeller] Once upon a time in Hollywood, 496 00:29:45,514 --> 00:29:49,060 great apes were routinely used to drum up attention and dollars 497 00:29:49,060 --> 00:29:51,395 at the box office. 498 00:29:51,395 --> 00:29:54,315 Today, the screens are smaller, but the same dynamic 499 00:29:54,315 --> 00:29:56,233 is at play overseas, 500 00:29:56,233 --> 00:29:59,445 where baby animals draw likes on social media 501 00:29:59,445 --> 00:30:03,032 and attract paying customers to private zoos. 502 00:30:03,657 --> 00:30:07,745 [cheering] 503 00:30:08,162 --> 00:30:11,248 But now that I know how the market works, it's impossible 504 00:30:11,248 --> 00:30:14,085 to see a baby chimp in captivity without wondering 505 00:30:14,085 --> 00:30:17,296 just how it reached foreign soil. 506 00:30:17,546 --> 00:30:20,049 That's why I set my sights on investigating 507 00:30:20,049 --> 00:30:21,759 this social media post 508 00:30:21,759 --> 00:30:25,012 about a baby chimp named Koba by Jasem Ali, 509 00:30:25,012 --> 00:30:29,016 a man who calls himself the UAE lion king. 510 00:30:36,357 --> 00:30:37,858 [Mariana Van Zeller] Given the complexities of 511 00:30:37,858 --> 00:30:39,568 captive breeding programs, 512 00:30:39,568 --> 00:30:42,530 Daniel Stiles told me that it was very unlikely that 513 00:30:42,530 --> 00:30:45,908 there are any located in the UAE. 514 00:30:45,908 --> 00:30:48,494 So how would this baby chimp, named Koba, 515 00:30:48,494 --> 00:30:50,162 leave his home country, 516 00:30:50,162 --> 00:30:53,040 possibly the DRC, where I had just been, 517 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,628 and suddenly arrive in a zoo 3,000 miles away? 518 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,298 I wanted to go to the UAE to investigate, but our request 519 00:31:01,298 --> 00:31:03,884 to film in the country was denied. 520 00:31:03,884 --> 00:31:06,929 So I sought help from an insider. 521 00:31:07,179 --> 00:31:08,597 [Zara Hovelsas] The people you are up against are 522 00:31:08,597 --> 00:31:10,224 extremely powerful. 523 00:31:10,224 --> 00:31:12,351 They have a lot of money and they can just, you know, 524 00:31:12,351 --> 00:31:14,937 do whatever they want. 525 00:31:14,937 --> 00:31:17,398 [Mariana Van Zeller] Zara Hovelsas is a Swedish national 526 00:31:17,398 --> 00:31:20,067 who lived as an expat in the UAE, and spent years 527 00:31:20,067 --> 00:31:23,320 volunteering and caring for animals at the RAK Zoo, 528 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,740 owned by Jasem Ali. 529 00:31:26,740 --> 00:31:31,912 So we've got a big tiger and somebody on top of the tiger. 530 00:31:31,912 --> 00:31:33,205 Is that him? 531 00:31:33,205 --> 00:31:34,540 [Zara Hovelsas] That would be him, yeah. 532 00:31:34,540 --> 00:31:35,749 [Mariana] Lionking_UAE? Is that, that's his... 533 00:31:35,749 --> 00:31:36,667 [Zara Hovelsas] Uh-huh. 534 00:31:39,295 --> 00:31:41,463 [Mariana Van Zeller] Jasem Ali opened RAK Zoo with government 535 00:31:41,463 --> 00:31:43,966 support in 2009. 536 00:31:43,966 --> 00:31:46,969 He claims his mission is to rescue animals neglected or 537 00:31:46,969 --> 00:31:49,722 mistreated by their previous owner. 538 00:31:49,722 --> 00:31:52,266 And this is the zoo that we've actually been investigating as 539 00:31:52,266 --> 00:31:54,476 you know, because they have a new baby chimp 540 00:31:54,476 --> 00:31:55,644 that has just arrived. 541 00:31:55,644 --> 00:31:57,730 -Koba. -Koba. Yeah. 542 00:31:58,522 --> 00:32:00,524 [Zara Hovelsas] The comments are just, people are loving it. 543 00:32:00,524 --> 00:32:02,234 "I want one. I want to see it." 544 00:32:02,234 --> 00:32:03,736 [Mariana Van Zeller] "Oh, my God. He looks so cute." Yeah. 545 00:32:03,736 --> 00:32:05,112 This one says, "I could watch this on repeat. 546 00:32:05,112 --> 00:32:06,697 The love and tenderness he gives and receives from the 547 00:32:06,697 --> 00:32:09,158 animals, so attractive." 548 00:32:10,326 --> 00:32:12,786 This baby couldn't have been born there. 549 00:32:12,786 --> 00:32:13,746 [Zara Hovelsas] No. 550 00:32:13,746 --> 00:32:15,789 [Mariana Van Zeller] They have to have come from somewhere in 551 00:32:15,789 --> 00:32:17,541 Africa probably, right? 552 00:32:17,541 --> 00:32:18,667 [Zara Hovelsas] Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. 553 00:32:18,667 --> 00:32:21,879 For that baby to be there in his arms now, her whole family 554 00:32:21,879 --> 00:32:23,923 would have had to be shot. 555 00:32:23,923 --> 00:32:26,091 She would have been pried from her dead mother's arms, 556 00:32:26,091 --> 00:32:28,928 shipped over in the most horrific way, 557 00:32:28,928 --> 00:32:31,555 or on someone's private jet. 558 00:32:31,555 --> 00:32:32,890 [Mariana Van Zeller] So you still have people that 559 00:32:32,890 --> 00:32:34,016 you work with? 560 00:32:34,016 --> 00:32:35,059 [Zara Hovelsas] Yeah. Yeah. 561 00:32:35,059 --> 00:32:36,560 [Mariana Van Zeller] And do you think that they are people 562 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:38,270 who can help us try to figure out where this animal came from? 563 00:32:38,270 --> 00:32:40,022 [Zara Hovelsas] Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. 564 00:32:40,439 --> 00:32:43,317 [Mariana Van Zeller] Less than a week later, Zara asked two 565 00:32:43,317 --> 00:32:47,029 friends to visit the RAK Zoo, where a handler woke Koba up 566 00:32:47,029 --> 00:32:49,531 so they could purchase time with her. 567 00:32:49,531 --> 00:32:51,158 [Zoo Worker] Koba. Koba. 568 00:33:19,728 --> 00:33:20,980 [Zoo Worker] No. No. She's here. 569 00:33:20,980 --> 00:33:22,690 But before, we put, you know. 570 00:33:36,495 --> 00:33:38,664 [Mariana Van Zeller] While we can't come out and say that 571 00:33:38,664 --> 00:33:42,293 these claims are untrue, we can say that at one year old, 572 00:33:42,293 --> 00:33:45,713 a chimp is normally inseparable from its mother. 573 00:33:45,713 --> 00:33:48,299 And when Zara followed up with the same trainer, 574 00:33:48,299 --> 00:33:51,302 he contradicted what he told the visitors and said that 575 00:33:51,302 --> 00:33:54,596 he didn't actually know if the baby's family was at the zoo. 576 00:33:55,097 --> 00:33:57,808 We reached out to Jasem Ali to ask if he wanted to respond 577 00:33:57,808 --> 00:33:59,268 to our story. 578 00:33:59,268 --> 00:34:01,312 Through an assistant, he repeated the claim that 579 00:34:01,312 --> 00:34:03,230 Koba was born at his zoo. 580 00:34:03,230 --> 00:34:05,232 Although, when asked to provide any evidence, 581 00:34:05,232 --> 00:34:06,734 they refused. 582 00:34:06,734 --> 00:34:09,862 Zara says that illegal wildlife trafficking in the UAE 583 00:34:09,862 --> 00:34:13,157 is widespread, evidenced by sellers openly advertising 584 00:34:13,157 --> 00:34:15,326 animals on social media. 585 00:34:15,326 --> 00:34:17,411 So I can reach out to any of them and say, 586 00:34:17,411 --> 00:34:19,288 "Hey, do you guys happen to have a chimp for sale?" 587 00:34:19,288 --> 00:34:20,873 [Zara Hovelsas] Yeah, and I see in the comments all the time, 588 00:34:20,873 --> 00:34:22,374 "How much do you sell them for?" 589 00:34:22,374 --> 00:34:24,168 And then they probably DM them. 590 00:34:24,168 --> 00:34:25,961 [Mariana Van Zeller] And, in fact, that's what Zara did 591 00:34:25,961 --> 00:34:27,671 right after our conversation 592 00:34:27,671 --> 00:34:30,466 and found a trafficker on Instagram. 593 00:34:31,842 --> 00:34:38,390 [text tones] 594 00:34:43,270 --> 00:34:48,275 [text tones] 595 00:34:48,275 --> 00:34:51,528 An animal that may have been bought for $10 to $50 in the 596 00:34:51,528 --> 00:34:56,116 very forest I just left is now on sale in the UAE 597 00:34:56,116 --> 00:34:59,578 for $350,000, 598 00:34:59,578 --> 00:35:03,082 and, most likely, it got there illegally. 599 00:35:04,708 --> 00:35:07,503 For great apes to cross most international borders, 600 00:35:07,503 --> 00:35:11,215 they must carry paperwork authorized by CITES, 601 00:35:11,215 --> 00:35:15,511 a global treaty between 184 parties that issues permits to 602 00:35:15,511 --> 00:35:19,223 regulate the trade of captive wild animals and maintains a 603 00:35:19,223 --> 00:35:22,309 database to track their movements. 604 00:35:22,309 --> 00:35:24,269 [Ivonne Higuero] The world is looking to us and has 605 00:35:24,269 --> 00:35:26,814 confidence in us to play our part 606 00:35:26,814 --> 00:35:28,899 in addressing these challenges. 607 00:35:28,899 --> 00:35:30,234 [Mariana Van Zeller] Ivonne Higuero is the 608 00:35:30,234 --> 00:35:32,820 secretary general of CITES. 609 00:35:32,820 --> 00:35:36,365 So any great ape, any chimpanzee, any bonobo, 610 00:35:36,365 --> 00:35:40,953 any gorilla that is leaving, for example, the DRC, 611 00:35:40,953 --> 00:35:43,038 that trade is not legal, correct? 612 00:35:43,038 --> 00:35:45,874 [Ivonne Higuero] Normally. Normally, yes. 613 00:35:45,874 --> 00:35:47,501 [Mariana Van Zeller] We spent some time in the DRC, in the 614 00:35:47,501 --> 00:35:50,337 Congo, investigating the wildlife trafficking, 615 00:35:50,337 --> 00:35:51,964 particularly of great apes. 616 00:35:51,964 --> 00:35:56,218 And if you go on social media, for example, you'll find a lot 617 00:35:56,218 --> 00:36:00,556 of chimpanzees and sometimes even gorillas and bonobos in 618 00:36:00,556 --> 00:36:04,101 places like Dubai, in zoos, 619 00:36:04,101 --> 00:36:07,396 in safaris, and private homes. 620 00:36:07,396 --> 00:36:10,315 We were told by experts too that these great apes, 621 00:36:10,315 --> 00:36:12,901 that it's not possible for these chimpanzees, for example, 622 00:36:12,901 --> 00:36:15,154 to be bred in captivity. 623 00:36:15,154 --> 00:36:17,573 That they, if they have baby chimpanzees, 624 00:36:17,573 --> 00:36:19,408 they must be coming from the wild. 625 00:36:19,408 --> 00:36:21,243 Is that correct? 626 00:36:21,243 --> 00:36:23,579 [Ivonne Higuero] They're very difficult to breed in captivity. 627 00:36:23,579 --> 00:36:27,499 If there are baby chimpanzees, this is a concern because 628 00:36:27,499 --> 00:36:30,461 obviously, yes, there must be something that is going on. 629 00:36:30,461 --> 00:36:31,879 [Mariana Van Zeller] So this is the one particular case 630 00:36:31,879 --> 00:36:33,964 that I do want to bring to your attention and I'd love if 631 00:36:33,964 --> 00:36:36,175 you can investigate further. 632 00:36:36,175 --> 00:36:38,010 It's a baby chimp call, that goes by the name of 633 00:36:38,010 --> 00:36:39,553 Kobo or Koba. 634 00:36:39,553 --> 00:36:41,013 And he's at RAK Zoo. 635 00:36:41,013 --> 00:36:42,639 He's about one year old, more or less. 636 00:36:42,639 --> 00:36:43,932 [Ivonne Higuero] We will check. 637 00:36:43,932 --> 00:36:45,476 That I can definitely look into. 638 00:36:45,476 --> 00:36:49,229 I will try to find out about this particular chimpanzee. 639 00:36:49,646 --> 00:36:51,315 [Mariana Van Zeller] But the secretary general's office 640 00:36:51,315 --> 00:36:54,485 later told us that they would not investigate Koba unless 641 00:36:54,485 --> 00:36:57,696 we could provide evidence that the chimp was illegally taken 642 00:36:57,696 --> 00:36:59,782 from the wild. 643 00:36:59,782 --> 00:37:02,451 They suggested we reach out to a local CITES delegate 644 00:37:02,451 --> 00:37:03,744 in the UAE. 645 00:37:03,744 --> 00:37:06,538 And we did. Several times. 646 00:37:06,538 --> 00:37:09,291 But they never provided answers. 647 00:37:09,291 --> 00:37:12,002 If it all feels like a bureaucratic runaround, 648 00:37:12,002 --> 00:37:15,839 it's because CITES has no actual enforcement arm. 649 00:37:15,839 --> 00:37:18,717 Even if it was determined that Koba was trafficked, 650 00:37:18,717 --> 00:37:22,304 CITES can't send a team in to rescue him. 651 00:37:22,304 --> 00:37:24,264 [speaking native language]. 652 00:37:24,264 --> 00:37:26,266 [Mariana Van Zeller] And so the grim reality is that 653 00:37:26,266 --> 00:37:28,810 protecting apes requires an approach 654 00:37:28,810 --> 00:37:30,812 that goes beyond treaties. 655 00:37:30,812 --> 00:37:35,317 And in the DRC, that approach includes putting AK-47s 656 00:37:35,317 --> 00:37:38,612 in the hands of rangers. 657 00:37:46,411 --> 00:37:48,789 [Mariana Van Zeller] In the DRC, the race is on to protect 658 00:37:48,789 --> 00:37:52,084 great apes before they're killed for meat 659 00:37:52,084 --> 00:37:54,878 or trafficked abroad. 660 00:37:56,463 --> 00:37:59,633 Towards the end of my journey, I joined a patrol with a group 661 00:37:59,633 --> 00:38:03,554 of rangers led by a man named Juvenal Muganka. 662 00:38:03,929 --> 00:38:05,806 [Juvenal Muganka] Be careful here. 663 00:38:06,181 --> 00:38:07,766 [Mariana Van Zeller] The greatest danger to gorillas is 664 00:38:07,766 --> 00:38:10,561 habitat loss, but there are others. 665 00:38:10,561 --> 00:38:13,522 We're actually in rebel territory, which is why a lot 666 00:38:13,522 --> 00:38:15,148 of these guys are also carrying guns, 667 00:38:15,148 --> 00:38:17,401 in case there's poachers. 668 00:38:17,401 --> 00:38:19,945 And there's a lot of landmines in this area. 669 00:38:19,945 --> 00:38:21,947 [Juvenal Muganka] Careful. There is gorilla poop here. 670 00:38:21,947 --> 00:38:23,198 [Mariana Van Zeller] Whoa. 671 00:38:23,198 --> 00:38:24,741 So this is gorilla poop right here? 672 00:38:24,741 --> 00:38:26,868 [Juvenal Muganka] Yeah. 673 00:38:27,202 --> 00:38:28,745 [Mariana Van Zeller] So we're going in the right direction? 674 00:38:28,745 --> 00:38:30,163 [Juvenal Muganka] Yeah. 675 00:38:39,965 --> 00:38:41,300 [Mariana Van Zeller] So, by nest, you mean this is 676 00:38:41,300 --> 00:38:43,093 where they slept, this was their bed last night. 677 00:38:43,093 --> 00:38:44,261 [Juvenal Muganka] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 678 00:38:44,261 --> 00:38:47,306 The gorillas were here last night. 679 00:38:50,392 --> 00:38:51,894 [Mariana Van Zeller] Trekking through the forest, you can 680 00:38:51,894 --> 00:38:54,229 see what an incredibly difficult place this is 681 00:38:54,229 --> 00:38:57,316 to navigate, let alone patrol. 682 00:38:57,316 --> 00:38:58,900 Juvenal? 683 00:38:58,900 --> 00:39:00,235 [Juvenal Muganka] Yes? 684 00:39:00,235 --> 00:39:01,570 [Mariana Van Zeller] There you are. 685 00:39:01,570 --> 00:39:03,155 It's really slippery here now. 686 00:39:03,155 --> 00:39:05,073 [Juvenal Muganka] Yeah. Be careful. 687 00:39:05,908 --> 00:39:07,701 [Mariana Van Zeller] In two hours, we've traveled barely 688 00:39:07,701 --> 00:39:10,829 more than a mile. 689 00:39:12,748 --> 00:39:15,626 And then as we enter a particularly dense section of 690 00:39:15,626 --> 00:39:18,670 the forest, the patrol stops. 691 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:30,557 [Juvenal Muganka] Yeah. He's here. 692 00:39:30,557 --> 00:39:32,017 [speaking native language]. 693 00:39:32,017 --> 00:39:33,310 [Mariana Van Zeller] Oh, my God. It's right here. 694 00:39:33,310 --> 00:39:35,896 Look, it's right here. 695 00:39:35,896 --> 00:39:39,107 Oh my god. It's right in there. 696 00:39:39,107 --> 00:39:42,110 [speaking native language]. 697 00:39:46,156 --> 00:39:50,577 [mimicking growling] 698 00:39:50,577 --> 00:39:52,704 [Mariana Van Zeller] He's starting to make the noises. 699 00:39:52,704 --> 00:39:55,082 Juvenal is starting to make the growling noises. 700 00:39:55,082 --> 00:39:57,000 [mimicking growling] 701 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:58,418 Oh, my God. 702 00:39:58,418 --> 00:40:00,629 Come on. Let's go. 703 00:40:00,629 --> 00:40:03,382 Right there. 704 00:40:06,301 --> 00:40:12,224 [chewing] 705 00:40:15,352 --> 00:40:18,563 This is crazy. 706 00:40:29,950 --> 00:40:33,996 Nothing can prepare you for this, the majesty of a 707 00:40:33,996 --> 00:40:36,581 full-grown silverback, 708 00:40:40,002 --> 00:40:43,505 not in a cage or behind steel bars, 709 00:40:43,505 --> 00:40:49,010 but as free as you or me, in its own habitat, 710 00:40:49,010 --> 00:40:53,557 caring for its family, living without fear. 711 00:40:54,391 --> 00:40:55,934 [Mariana gasping] 712 00:41:15,328 --> 00:41:18,623 [♪ peaceful music] 713 00:41:18,623 --> 00:41:20,083 [Mariana Van Zeller] The mother is actually holding a 714 00:41:20,083 --> 00:41:23,712 baby gorilla that was born just last week. 715 00:41:25,672 --> 00:41:28,842 Yeah, I mean, to know that they're basically 716 00:41:28,842 --> 00:41:31,720 killing the families, killing the silverbacks 717 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:36,808 so they could take and sell the baby gorillas, 718 00:41:36,808 --> 00:41:40,395 so there's a lot of incentive to kill these animals. 719 00:41:41,396 --> 00:41:43,190 But still, you know, when you're in the presence of 720 00:41:43,190 --> 00:41:45,984 these animals here, it's really hard to understand 721 00:41:45,984 --> 00:41:48,945 how somebody could do that. 722 00:41:50,363 --> 00:41:54,284 Yeah, so if we keep on this way, you know, by the time 723 00:41:54,284 --> 00:41:58,663 my son is my age, there might be no gorillas left. 724 00:41:58,663 --> 00:42:04,586 Like that's a really emotional and sad, sad thought, 725 00:42:04,586 --> 00:42:07,798 as beautiful as this moment is. 726 00:42:10,675 --> 00:42:13,804 It really is special and you feel so privileged to, 727 00:42:13,804 --> 00:42:16,723 to be here and, and see this. 728 00:42:18,391 --> 00:42:20,936 Juvenal, what does it feel to you 729 00:42:20,936 --> 00:42:21,978 every time you see a gorilla? 730 00:42:21,978 --> 00:42:24,815 For, for me, it was incredibly emotional, but for you? 731 00:42:41,331 --> 00:42:44,459 [Mariana Van Zeller] Juvenal, you're making me cry. 732 00:42:46,711 --> 00:42:50,382 Do you think that in 30 years, we'll still be able to see 733 00:42:50,382 --> 00:42:51,758 gorillas in the wild like this? 734 00:43:02,352 --> 00:43:04,229 [Mariana Van Zeller] Compared to all the other black markets 735 00:43:04,229 --> 00:43:08,275 I've covered, this was one of the most emotional for me. 736 00:43:08,608 --> 00:43:11,111 I've got goosebumps everywhere. 737 00:43:18,410 --> 00:43:21,997 To know how much suffering, how much death humans caused 738 00:43:21,997 --> 00:43:25,208 to these great apes is beyond imagination. 739 00:43:26,126 --> 00:43:28,587 But there are ways we can help. 740 00:43:28,587 --> 00:43:31,715 We can take a stand against the exploitation of apes for 741 00:43:31,715 --> 00:43:35,093 entertainment and reduce demand. 742 00:43:35,594 --> 00:43:38,388 We can work to alleviate poverty and help people 743 00:43:38,388 --> 00:43:41,516 find alternatives to poaching. 744 00:43:41,516 --> 00:43:44,644 And we can put more resources into protecting great apes 745 00:43:44,644 --> 00:43:48,607 in the wild and preserving their habitats. 746 00:43:49,274 --> 00:43:52,652 There is still time, but barely. 747 00:44:01,411 --> 00:44:02,954 Captioned by Cotter Media Group.