Ministers from 23 countries in Africa and south-east Asia have
appealed for international help to save the world's great
apes from extinction.

Urgent action was needed to protect the great apes and provide
sustainable ways of living for local communities, the UN-backed
meeting in Kinshasa agreed.

Poaching and damage to forest habitats have led gorilla,
chimpanzee, bonobo and orang-utan numbers to fall sharply.