The bushmeat trade kills millions of wild primates annually across Central and West Africa, leaving orphaned infants that require intensive long-term sanctuary care before any possibility of rehabilitation and release.
Infant primates captured from killed mothers experience profound trauma. Their strong attachment bonds mean witnessing their mother's death and being violently separated causes acute psychological distress that can manifest as permanent behavioural damage. Infants require surrogate care that approximates maternal bonding — physical contact, emotional warmth, and social learning — across years of sanctuary residence. Many traumatised individuals show persistent psychological problems including stereotypic behaviours, social dysfunction, and chronic stress responses even after years of rehabilitation. The long duration of sanctuary care required — up to a decade for chimpanzees — means that each individual taken from the wild imposes enormous welfare costs across that entire period.