Wild chimpanzees face existential threats from bushmeat hunting, habitat destruction, and disease. Their welfare in the wild is inseparable from their conservation status.
Wild chimpanzees experience welfare threats from snare injuries — they frequently lose hands or feet to wire snares set for other bushmeat species. These injuries cause acute and chronic pain and significantly impair survival and social functioning. Orphaned infant chimpanzees, whose mothers are killed for bushmeat, experience severe psychological trauma that can cause lasting behavioural abnormalities even after rehabilitation. Disease spillover from humans to chimpanzees, particularly respiratory viruses, can cause devastating community-level outbreaks. Protecting chimpanzee welfare in the wild requires integrated action across bushmeat trade reduction, habitat protection, and human health engagement.