Marc van Roosmalen

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Dr. Marc van Roosmalen (born 24 July 1947, Tilburg) is a Dutch primatologist living in Manaus in Brazil. He was elected as one of the "Heroes of the Planet" by Time Magazine in 2000.[1] His research has led to the identification of several new monkey species, as well as other animals and plants. He is also an activist in the protection of the Brazilian rainforest.[2] Van Roosmalen was awarded the honour of Officer in the order of the Golden Arch by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in 1997.[3][4]

In 2002, he was fined by the IBAMA (Brazilian Ministry of the Environment's Enforcement Agency) for illegal transportation of monkeys and orquids from the unexplored Amazonian region of Serra do Aracá. In April of 2003, Roosmalen was fired from his job with the INPA (Brazilian National Institute of Amazonian Research) for illegally exportation of environmental genetic samples to outside Brazil.[5]

In 2007, he was arrested by the Brazilian government for illegally keeping orphaned monkeys in a monkey refuge at his house in the Amazon and for misappropriation of Brazilian public funds.[5] He was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison. Van Roosmalen claims that he applied for permits for his monkey preserve, which he could legally do after he didn't receive a response within 45 days. The bulk of his sentence was for an embezzling charge after he was accused of stealing scaffolding tower in 1996. The tower did disappeared at some point, but it was never found in Van Roosmalen's possession. The rightful owner of the tower was never asked to testify at his trial. Van Roosmalen was not given the special treatment that most prisoners with advanced college degrees receive when imprisoned in Brazil. He was placed in the notorious Raimundo Vidal Pessoa Penitentiary ;he claims two murders occurred during his incarceration. At one point Van Roosmalen shared a cell with two violent crack addicts whose drug debts he paid.[6] It is speculated that the Brazilian government was bribed by the woodcutting and soya industries because of his active protectionist stance towards the Amazon rain forest. He is currently free on appeal.[7][8] The WWF is investigating his case and is expecting worldwide support for van Roosmalen.

Van Roosmalen told a Wired News reporter that he has a video of two ex-policemen knocking on his door immediately after tucking revolvers into their pants. Believing that he would be killed if he stayed, he and his wife are on the run with no plans to return to their home in Manaus as of May 2008.[6]

Van Roosmalen's Porcupine and Roosmalens' Dwarf Marmoset are discovered by and named after him. He named the Prince Bernhard's Titi after Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, co-founder and former president of the WWF.


[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ TIME.com: Heroes for the Planet, 03/06/00 - Marc van Roosmalen
  2. ^ http://marcvanroosmalen.org/bijlage/curriculum_vitae.pdf
  3. ^ http://marcvanroosmalen.org/pages/aboutpag.html
  4. ^ Orde van de Gouden Ark
  5. ^ a b Pesquisador holandês é condenado no Amazonas. - Folha Online
  6. ^ a b Why Does This Prominent Amazon Researcher Face 14 Years in Prison for Biopiracy? - Wired Article
  7. ^ As Brazil Defends Its Bounty, Rules Ensnare Scientists - New York Times
  8. ^ DutchNews.nl - 'Hero' biologist jailed in Brazil