Over quarter-million visitors and 6.4 million hits to www.GreatApeTrust.org.
 Des Moines, Iowa – January 22, 2007 – More than a quarter million Internet visitors got an online experience of Great Ape Trust of Iowa in 2006. Great Ape Trust’s nationally award-winning Web site, www.GreatApeTrust.org, recorded 263,424 visits last year and more than 6.4 million online hits. A spokesman for The Trust says Web site visits in 2006 increased 46 percent over the previous year while online hits improved 23 percent.
“2006 was a year of steady growth with twice as many Web visitors clicking on in December than at the start of the year,” said Al Setka, Director of Communications. “We’ll build on those numbers in 2007 by providing additional elements and features to our site.”
In the coming months, The Trust expects to add Web cams, weekly blogs from the orangutan and bonobo research teams, expand the number of ape video clips, incorporate an interactive timeline of primate cognitive research and implement an online gift store of Great Ape Trust merchandise.
Since January 2003, www.GreatApeTrust.org has provided visitors an online experience of Great Ape Trust. In June 2004, The Trust began offering free monthly e-newsletters to subscribers. The Web site is designed and programmed by the Great Ape Trust communications department and Trilix Marketing Group of Urbandale, IA.
“The Web site serves as the foundation of our communications efforts and presents to the world Great Ape Trust’s mission of scientific research, conservation, education and providing an honorable life for great apes,” added Setka.
Great Ape Trust Background
When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.
Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). |
Great Ape Trust is certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
