‘No more monkey selfies’: scientists told images could drive illegal pet trade

New guidelines say pictures posted on social media by primatologists and researchers can inadvertently damage conservation efforts

Celebrity primatologists and scientists have been urged not to post selfies with chimpanzees, orangutans and other primates on social media to help conservation efforts for threatened species.

Cuddling baby monkeys on camera and sharing Instagram posts interacting with primates at sanctuaries is strongly discouraged under new guidelines aimed at scientists, researchers and TV presenters from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on protecting the natural world.