Current Population
According to the World Wildlife Fund the number of chimpanzees in the world ranges from 150,000- 250,000. The majority of chimpanzees still living in their natural habitat can be found in different parts of Africa (central Africa)
In particular, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo,Cameroon contain the largest amount of chimpanzees. Other places such as Senegal, Mali, the Cabinda enclave of Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan contain smaller populations that are at serious risk. Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Burundi and Rwanda also contain endangered populations of chimpanzees. Over the last 20 years, the chimp population in Côte d'Ivoire has decreased by about 90%!
Within these locations, chimps are divided in 4 main groups: central, western, eastern, and Nigerian- Cameroon. The population for this group is estimated at about 115,000!!
Central chimpanzees are the largest of the groups and live mostly around Gabon, Cameroon, and Congo. You can find this group of chimps living around undisturbed forest areas.
Western chimpanzees are a smaller group that lives mostly around Côte D'Ivoire. The total population for this group is about 15,000- 21,000!!
Eastern chimpanzees range from the Ubangi River/Congo River in Central African Republic and DRC, to western Uganda, Rwanda and western Tanzania
Nigerian- Cameroon chimpanzees are the smallest of these sub-populations with only about 1,500 chimps!! They live mostly in Nigeria and Cameroon
As we can see the wildlife population of chimpanzees is small and getting smaller.
On the flip side we have chimpanzees across the world that are living in zoos/ wild life parks. For example, here is a map of the United States; the starts indicate zoos that have chimpanzees
According to the Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan (SSP), one benefit to chimpanzees living in zoos is the increase in life span. zoo chimps tend to live longer than chimps in the wild. Here is a list of some of the oldest living chimps that are being cared for in zoos:
Name Zoo Age
Lil Mama Lion Country Safari 72
Bon Bon Dallas Zoo 52
Cobby San Francisco Zoo 52
(kinda makes you want to go to the zoo, huh?)
Potential threats
2 of the main threats to the chimpanzee population are habitat loss and degradation, and hunting.
Habitat loss: the larger the human population grows, the greater need for more land. Unfortunately, when humans are looking for new places to build or farm we are choosing places that are home to many chimp populations. The increase in building on their land results in habitat patching which means there is space in between chimp groups and that keeps them isolated from each other with little to no room to roam. Because of the increase in deforestation in Western Africa, the amount of chimpanzees living naturally has decreased greatly, many chimps in the area are living in zoos or reservations.
Hunting has also contributed to the large decline in the chimpanzee population. In many areas poaching for meat and infants is the quite relevant. Hunters often capture infant chimps to sell them as pets. Chimps are often hurt by traps to catch other animals. A study in Congo showed the amount of chimps being killed surpassed the amount of chimps being born. The term bush meat is intended to describe the hunting of animals in the wild. the bush meat trade is causing great damage, not only to the chimpanzee population but to the wildlife population as a whole.
(pictures are too graphic too post but are helpful in understanding the pain and suffering these animals are going through)
Conservation status
Two major organizations addressing the decline in chimpanzee population are World Wildlife Fund and Bushmeat Crisis Task Force.
The World Wildlife Fund is attempting to preserve the great ape population by: establishing, strengthening, and managing protected areas, developing chimp- focused eco-tourism, stopping illegal killing of chimps. The WWF is doing this by working with the government in protecting the wild life areas where chimps are living. They are attempting to figure out different ways to stop the bushmeat trade which will decrease the number of animals being killed for sport or food.
The Bushmeat Crisis Task Force concerns themselves with bushmeat that is illegally obtained. This means the use of illegal methods for hunting (snares), hunting of endangered, threatened, or protected species, hunting in areas that are already being protected, and unsustainable offtake for commercial trade
The Crisis Task Force is addressing these problems through education and anti- poaching operations. Through educating the people of these places where bush meat is most relevant, its in the hopes of the Task Force that the government will put strict rules into effect that will lessen the occurrence of illegally killing animals.
References
it is sad to see so many different specie populations are decreasing. But after reading your blog,I am happy to see their are organization who are trying to help this problem. As we have learned in our class animals are very important that teach us so much about ourselves.
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