Chimpanzees or chimps as it is commonly called and members to similar family as humans, orangutans, and gorillas are threatened to be in extinct. The two species, common chimp and the bonobo or “pygmy chimpanzee” are dwellers in the tropical forests in Central and western Africa. Gambia and Uganda has the natural habitats that are suited for chimpanzees since these love creatures primarily live in woodlands, rainforests, and grasslands. Basing from their habitat’s geographical location, there are 3 different subspecies in which they are categorized- East/Central Africa’s eastern chimpanzees, west/central Africa’s western chimpanzees, and central Africa’s central chimpanzees. And unfortunately, all these three sub species are now endangered.
There are three main reasons why these chimpanzees are threatened to be extinct from the earth and all are caused by mankind.
ILLEGAL CAPTIVATION
Chimpanzees are unlawfully caught and vended as pets. The mother chimp as well as other relatives is very protective of their young but to no avail since captors are purposely capturing them even before reaching five years old. These baby chimps are being unethically kept as pets and miserably caged, an environment that is very far from their natural habitat. It is estimated that in an attempt to save one baby chimp, 10 of them get killed along the process, according to conservationists.
HABITAT’S DESTRUCTION
This is the primary cause why these chimpanzees are now endangered- destruction of their habitat. Looking back, there were more than a million chimps are dwelling in the deep forests and open grasslands of approximately 25 African countries. Today, this number has plummeted to a disheartening of approximately 200,000. It was during the 1960’s when this drastic decrease in the chimps’ population happened. Some countries in Africa, with the initiative of the local and government officials, are doing their best in order to save what is left of these chimps in their area. But barely 6 African countries to date have the natural habitat these creatures and other wild animals need for their breeding. The rest of the African countries’ forestlands are destructed and maid into farmlands. Illegal logging and lack of reforestation programs have left the chimpanzees homeless. Various industries as well as rod construction resulted to massive cutting of the forest trees in order to provide logs.
CHIMPANZEES ARE SLAUGHTERED FOR ITS MEAT
Due to scarcity of foods, localsliving the surrounding rainforests resort to slaughtering of these poor animals just for their meat. But there are those who thoughtlessly kill these harmless chimps for the sole purpose of trading, which most of the time is illegal. Some people are willing to pay a large amount to have a taste or eat chimp’s meat. But although the sellers make a lot of profit from this trade, it cost the chimpanzees’ endangerment. With estimated 4000 chimps getting slaughtered yearly, the existence of the chimps is jeopardized.
Conservationists around the world are trying their best in spreading awareness towards local and foreign people to participate in saving these endangered animals before they become extinct.