This World Chimpanzee Day, join Cerys and the team as they explore the history, ecology and conservation of chimps.
Pic Credit: mtanenbaum via Pixabay
Chimpanzees, also known as Chimps, are an iconic species that are valued and loved across the globe. Highly sociable and inquisitive, these animals share many similarities with humans, reflecting the close evolutionary history between great apes and humans.[1] Conservation solutions for chimps are highly sought after, which may be driven by biophilia, value for medicine or wider conservation efforts.
Chimps are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, with a range of factors threatening their populations. Since 1960, chimp populations have declined by half. The illegal wildlife trade is one of the largest threats to many exotic species populations, chimpanzees included. Hunting for bushmeat has occurred throughout history, but commercialisation of this industry has created a new level of demand for this resource. Alongside the bushmeat trade, the illegal pet trade has grown exponentially, with over 14,000 individuals estimated to have been lost to the pet trade.
Pic Credit: MLbay via Pixabay
Disease is also having catastrophic effects on wild chimpanzee populations. The occurrence of COVID-19 brought the effects of disease on wildlife to the forefront of conservation. Jane Goodall, an icon known for her passion for primates, came forward in the midst of the pandemic to describe just how lethal these diseases can be. Jane stated that ‘pathogens producing even the mildest symptoms in humans, can be very lethal to great apes’. Diseases such as Ebola, which are common in the natural wild habitats of these species, have been recorded to kill tens of thousands of chimps.[1]
Pic Credit: gerritbril via Pixabay
So, why should we be prioritising the conservation and protection of these animals? Chimpanzees are described as ecosystem engineers and are crucial in maintaining the diversity of Central African forests, where they are commonly found. Recorded losses of chimps have been known to correlate with declines in populations of other species, such as elephants and other great apes – protecting chimps, protects others. Further, interest into the similar evolutionary histories of great apes places a huge pressure on conservation to ensure that there are continued resources to study and understand the evolutionary history of humans.
This raises the question – what is being done to protect these species? There are vast records of research into great apes, with huge interest in the chimpanzee species. There is promising evidence for active solutions being implemented to conserve and protect these animals. One example of this is a monitoring programme that has been implemented in the Republic of Congo, whereby locals are able to aid the efforts. This works to encourage locals to value the animals in a new way and hopes to tackle the long waiting periods between sample collection and diagnosis.
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