David Attenborough to host 'Hope 4 Apes' evening

Apes are humans' closest animal relatives, but our activity is putting them at risk. Many species, including orangutans, are classified as endangered or critically endangered.
The name orangutan literally translates as ‘person of the forest’. There are two distinct species: Sumatran and Bornean. The former are critically endangered, with less than 6,500 remaining in the wild and the latter endangered, numbering less than 50,000. Orangutans breed more slowly than any other primate, with the female only producing a baby once every seven-to-eight years on average. Infants are dependent on their mothers for at least five years, learning about survival in the forest Photograph: Nick Tignonsini/SOS

Gibbons are also part of the ape family and live in small family groups, spending the majority of their time in trees. There are 16 species in total, split between four genera Photograph: Nick Lyon/www.films4.org/SOS

Orangutans are the only strictly arboreal great ape, spending their whole lives in the forest canopy, even building nests up there to sleep in. Other great apes climb and build nests in the trees, but tend to spend their lives on the ground Photograph: Nick Tignonsini/SOS

Chimpanzees are more closely related to us than they are to gorillas, sharing 95-98% of our DNA. They are extremely intelligent animals, capable of feeling complex emotions Photograph: Helen Buckland/SOS

Gorillas are the largest of the great apes but despite their imposing appearance they are peaceful and intelligent creatures Photograph: Andy Rouse/Corbis

Chimpanzees have opposable thumbs, making it easier to use tools and grip when climbing. Like humans, chimpanzees also have unique fingerprints Photograph: Fernando Turmo/JGI/SOS

Apes are sometimes referred to as the gardeners of the forest, due to the role they play in seed dispersal. If apes were to become extinct it would have a knock on effect on the fragile ecosystem Photograph: Nick Tignonsini/SOS

Across equatorial Africa and south-east Asia, forests are being cleared for agriculture, commercial logging and mining. More than 80% of agricultural expansion in the tropics between 1980 and 2000 came at the expense of forests. This 2010 photograph was taken during an aerial survey mission by Greenpeace over Sumatra island, it shows the rainforest canopy of Sungai Sembilang national park Photograph: Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images

More than half of the world’s rainforests have already been lost; the rest could disappear within the next century if the current rate of deforestation continues. In this photograph, taken in August 2010 during an aerial survey organised by Greenpeace, we can see the stacks of timber that have been logged on a vast pulpwood concession in the Kerumutan peat swamp forest in Riau, Sumatra island Photograph: Romeo Gacad/AFP

Gorillas, like all apes, face a combination of threats. They are hunted for bushmeat, their habitat is being stripped away, and they are increasingly threatened by diseases such as ebola from contact with people Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

A worker harvests palm oil fruit at a plantation in Pelalawan, Riau province, Indonesia in August 2010.
Agriculture is displacing forests at an alarming rate. The palm oil industry is responsible for clearing millions of hectares of forests, pushing both orangutans and gibbons towards extinction. Palm oil is now said to be found in half of all packaged products in our supermarkets Photograph: Dimas Ardian/Getty Images

Apes are also put at risk by the illegal pet trade. Each baby gibbon on the market is likely to have lost its family - killed by poachers in order to capture the young Photograph: Nick Lyon/www.films4.org/SOS

The pet trade is closely linked to deforestation, as logging roads fragment the forest, the poachers benefit from increased access. Hundreds of pet gibbons are confiscated each year and end up in rescue centres Photograph: Nick Lyon/www.films4.org/SOS

There are thought to be only around 200,000 chimpanzees remaining in the wild. A century ago, there were one million. Hunting for bushmeat is one of the most serious threats to their survival. After killing their families for bushmeat, baby chimpanzees are often sold as pets on the black market. These abducted baby chimps in Uganda were photographed in the baskets the poachers use to transport and sell them Photograph: JGI/SOS

Gorilla hands are eaten or used in traditional medicine Photograph: Ian Redmond/SOS

Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park, central Kalimantan
Protecting the forests is crucial if we are to save the apes. By doing so, we also protect thousands of other species and help in the global battle to prevent climate change Photograph: Nick Lyon/www.films4.org/SOS

Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringer), at the Virunga volcanoes in Rwanda.
Thanks to massive conservation efforts by groups from around the world, mountain gorillas are known to be increasing in numbers Photograph: Last Refuge/Corbis

Habitat restoration is a key element of ape conservation. From Sumatra to Uganda, conservation groups are working with local communities to plant trees, restored damaged habitats and build crucial forest corridors Photograph: Helen Buckland/SOS

Sustainable livelihood projects such as agroforestry, ecotourism and beekeeping are helping local communities create a brighter future for their forests and the species living within them.
The orangutan information centre has a tree planting project near Besitang where they have reclaimed 500 hectares of land from illegal palm oil plantations. They are now restoring it to become forest again Photograph: Layton Thompson/SOS

Environmental education projects are being used to highlight the plight of all apes and inspire the next generation of ape conservationists Photograph: Layton Thompson/SOS

The caretaker at the Tchimounga sanctuary feeds the hungry orphan chimps.
Rescue and rehabilitation centres continue to help apes saved from the pet and bushmeat trade or left homeless due to deforestation. In this sanctuary in the Republic of Congo chimps are helped in their hundreds
Photograph: Lisa Pharoah/JGI/SOS