DJ Geribo

The focus of study for primatologist, Jane Goodall, the chimpanzee are our closest cousins, sharing 98% of our genes. Highly social animals, they care for their offspring for years and can live to over 50. 

Living in Central Africa, the chimpanzees spend most of their days in the trees. As usual, humans are pushing chimpanzees toward extinction with a population of from 172,700 to 299,700 living in the wild. The chimpanzee has already disappeared from four countries. 

Another threat is poaching with bushmeat in Central and Western Africa considered to be a major food source. Also, the infant chimpanzees are taken and sold in cities as pets. Another threat is the outbreak of Ebola that has killed tens of thousands of great apes.

Organizations like World Wildlife Fund are protecting chimpanzees through antipoaching and effective law enforcement and by helping governments to establish and manage national parks. You can help by supporting organizations like World Wildlife Fund to reduce the bushmeat trade and stop illegal poaching.