The illegal bushmeat trade in central and west Africa kills thousands of chimpanzees annually, devastating populations and causing immense individual suffering in our closest living relatives.
The bushmeat trade inflicts layered welfare harms on chimpanzees. Adults shot or snared experience acute pain and death. Orphaned infants who survive lose the extended parental care they require for years of development, suffering profound social deprivation that causes lasting psychological harm. Even chimpanzees who are not targeted are affected as communities are fragmented and cultural knowledge transmission is disrupted. The emotional complexity of chimpanzees — their grief responses, long-term friendships, and sophisticated social politics — means that community disruption causes suffering beyond individual deaths. Effective responses combine law enforcement against poaching, community livelihood alternatives, and demand reduction in urban markets.