‘Save our values’ — the case against Lisbon by an endangered species

THE three chimpanzees have been peering down at me lately from various lampposts. Very cute they are too, placed there courtesy of Dublin-based group Cóir, which claims a membership of 2,000 people. But the Captive Animals Protection Society is not very happy.

It has maintained the posters are of animals in captivity — “likely kept and trained specifically for use in commercials … their use not only helps continue the use of animals for commercial purposes but also diminishes their status as an endangered species requiring protection”.

It is just as well they didn’t use posters with freshwater pearl mussels or natterjack toads which, according to this week’s report compiled under the EU Habitats Directive, are also species in need of protection.