How has Human Influence effected Chimpanzees?
Humans have one of the largest and most significant effects on the sustainability of the chimpanzee species. There are three main factors affecting chimpanzee populations and they all directly relate to human activity. The first is the poaching of chimpanzees to satisfy the demands of the growing, illegal bush meat trade. Many animal species have traditionally been used as a primary source of protein for the African tribes ranging from the western to central African countries, but recent over-hunting by bush meat poachers has led to a serious decline in chimpanzee populations. There have also been many poachers who have alternatively chosen to sell chimpanzees through illegal wildlife trafficking rings as pets rather than just kill them for their meat.
The second factor affecting chimpanzee sustainability is habitat loss and degradation. Through logging, farming and deforestation, the chimpanzee habitats have become smaller and more isolated. The destruction of forests, is especially detrimental since it is occupied by a wide variety of species and leads to reduced biodiversity in the given region. Many African countries have prioritized globalization and development rather than conservation, which in turn vastly reduces the attention given and needed to successfully preserve and protect chimpanzee populations.
Both hunting and habitat loss affect the current chimpanzee populations but also affect the future sustainability of the species. The newly decreased and isolated populations lack genetic diversity and are more vulnerable to increased deaths tolls as a result of disease (Jin, 2012). For example, in 2002 an outbreak of Ebola swept across the Northern Congo and there were reports of substantial great ape causalities along with human casualties. The more recent Ebola breakout has drastically reduced the central chimpanzee and the western lowland gorilla populations. Due to humans lowering the chimpanzee populations through hunting and logging, we in turn render chimpanzees to become more susceptible to disease and an exponential decay in their population size is expected until these unsustainable and destructive habits cease.
Humans have one of the largest and most significant effects on the sustainability of the chimpanzee species. There are three main factors affecting chimpanzee populations and they all directly relate to human activity. The first is the poaching of chimpanzees to satisfy the demands of the growing, illegal bush meat trade. Many animal species have traditionally been used as a primary source of protein for the African tribes ranging from the western to central African countries, but recent over-hunting by bush meat poachers has led to a serious decline in chimpanzee populations. There have also been many poachers who have alternatively chosen to sell chimpanzees through illegal wildlife trafficking rings as pets rather than just kill them for their meat.
The second factor affecting chimpanzee sustainability is habitat loss and degradation. Through logging, farming and deforestation, the chimpanzee habitats have become smaller and more isolated. The destruction of forests, is especially detrimental since it is occupied by a wide variety of species and leads to reduced biodiversity in the given region. Many African countries have prioritized globalization and development rather than conservation, which in turn vastly reduces the attention given and needed to successfully preserve and protect chimpanzee populations.
Both hunting and habitat loss affect the current chimpanzee populations but also affect the future sustainability of the species. The newly decreased and isolated populations lack genetic diversity and are more vulnerable to increased deaths tolls as a result of disease (Jin, 2012). For example, in 2002 an outbreak of Ebola swept across the Northern Congo and there were reports of substantial great ape causalities along with human casualties. The more recent Ebola breakout has drastically reduced the central chimpanzee and the western lowland gorilla populations. Due to humans lowering the chimpanzee populations through hunting and logging, we in turn render chimpanzees to become more susceptible to disease and an exponential decay in their population size is expected until these unsustainable and destructive habits cease.
This video highlights a few of the main causes for the decline of the chimpanzee population and their risk of extinction; poaching and the illegal bushmeat trade.
Human Conservation Biology
While there are many factors affecting chimpanzee populations and their sustainability, there are also many programs currently underway to help combat these factors. One for example is WWF African Great Ape Program created by the World Wildlife Fund. Ranging from the western coast of Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WWF has established, strengthened, and managed national parks and other protected areas for endangered African Apes like chimpanzees. WWF prioritizes stopping the killing and illegal trade of chimpanzees by supporting government efforts to prevent them. They also prioritize developing chimpanzee-focused tourism in hopes of raising awareness of the drastic decline of chimpanzee populations.
In a different manner than WWF, the US Wildlife Service has attempted to help protect chimpanzee populations by proposing a bill, which would put all chimpanzees under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013) . By passing this bill, all chimpanzees both captive and wild would be considered endangered. Because of this chimpanzees used in experimental facilities would be more protected and scientists using chimpanzees in experiments would need more permits and have greater restrictions leading to a humane treatment of chimpanzees in labs. This proposal will hopefully increase the general population due to the decrease in chimpanzee availability and the regulations and restrictions placed on those that are used in experiments.
There are many non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) that have also made an effort to support and protect chimpanzee populations similar to the WWF and US Wildlife Service. In Canada for example, Fauna is a chimpanzee sanctuary that provides refuge to apes that have been part of illegal trade to those used in experimental facilities. Through donations and volunteering these organizations, like Fauna, hope to bring attention the endangerment that faces chimpanzees and help promote a global movement of conservation in the hope of a prosperous and ecologically healthy future for all species.
To aid and donate to the chimpanzee conservation cause, go to https://my.janegoodall.org/donate?reset=1&id=21