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Save Chimpanzees from Extinction

by Bronwyn Ashbaker
The Challenge

Chimpanzees in West Africa could be extinct within 40 years, unless we act now. Already, chimpanzees have disappeared from 13 of the 25 African countries they once inhabited.

The speed at which chimps are disappearing from the wild is much faster than previously predicted. Of the four chimpanzee subspecies, the pan troglodytes vellerosus population has dwindled to 8,000 – an amount that does not support a sustainable population when factored against the increased impact of hunting and deforestation. Scientists give this subspecies a mere 20 years until the end of its existence.

Chimpanzees, monkeys, and other primates have the dubious honor of being highly-desirable "bushmeat". The bushmeat trade, although illegal, thrives in African countries, gaining in popularity to the tune of more than one million metric tons of bushmeat consumed per year. Within decades, the bushmeat trade alone could wipe out the chimpanzees and their subspecies. Demand for bushmeat has spread from rural, subsistence areas to urban areas. It is the biggest threat to the future of these endangered animals.

As if killing these beautiful animals for their meat was not enough, hunters target meatier adult chimpanzees, leaving behind orphans to fend for themselves or perish.

Deforestation is an obvious threat to chimpanzee habitat; cutting down the trees and clearing the forests for crop land removes actual living space and food that the primates need to survive. But the timber industry's effect is more insidious than that. The roads that the logging companies cut into the forests bring bushmeat hunters right to the chimps' doorstep. The temptation to make quick and easy cash has caused many truck drivers to do some of the hunting themselves.

It is estimated that at this rate of development, more than 90% of primate habitats in Africa will be gone within 25 years.

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Get involved. Volunteer to support the research work and conservation efforts of the organizations that are working to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned chimpanzees, with the ultimate goal of reintroducing them to a natural environment protected from the bushmeat trade and the timber industry.

Go to the source. There are many opportunities to travel to Africa and reap the rewards of hands-on experience with chimps and their habitats. At the same time, you can get a first-person look at the complex nature of the threats to primate conservation.

  • Discovery Initiatives, based in the United Kingdom, offers rare access to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary as part of a package that includes that particular Jane Goodall Institute project as well as access to Kibale National Park and Kyambura Gorge. Trips average 12 days and are very expensive, though some of the proceeds support the chimpanzee sanctuary.
  • The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre welcomes volunteers for anywhere between a few weeks to a few months. The education centre provides inexpensive accommodation at its hostel, with access to cooking facilities.
  • The Centre for Education, Research and Conservation of Primates and Nature (CERCOPAN) is looking for volunteers who can be sensitive to the complex nature of conservation in developing countries without compromising their desire to make a difference. Volunteer opportunities range in duration from three weeks to six months or more.
  • Long-term volunteer vacations are in high demand in Africa. "Roots and Shoots" volunteers are needed in Uganda for 6-month stints at a cost of approximately $2,000. In Defense of Animals also lists 6-month stays, with accommodations and vegetarian meals provided at the Rescue Center. To be effective, volunteers must be fluent in French.

Volunteer work at chimp sanctuaries in the United States and Europe can make a huge difference, as well. Some of these volunteer vacations bring you face-to-face with chimpanzees, and deepen your appreciation for the creature so closely related to us they might be considered to be on the same branch of the primate family tree.

  • Earthwatch Institute organizes two week volunteer vacations serving chimpanzee conservation efforts and research at Central Washington University.
  • If you find yourself vacationing in Spain and would like to devote a weekend to volunteering with rescued chimpanzees, the Mona Foundation can find plenty for you to do.
  • Chimp Haven is a sanctuary in Louisiana for chimpanzees that were once used for biomedical research, in the entertainment industry, or were once exotic pets for people who got tired of them. Chimp Haven will happily work with your schedule to find a way for you to make a difference as a volunteer on any number of special projects that do not involve interaction with the chimpanzees but enable you to support those who do.
  • Save the Chimps runs sanctuaries in Florida and New Mexico for chimpanzees who have retired from research labs or entertaining. Save the Chimps does not provide opportunities for interaction with chimpanzees, but appreciates any and all related support from volunteers.

The threats to chimpanzees are many, and the odds seem insurmountable, but there are many ways to make a difference, one person at a time.

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