Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, with rich social and cognitive lives that make their welfare both morally significant and threatened by habitat destruction and illegal hunting.
Wild chimpanzees experience welfare threats that are both immediate and chronic. Habitat destruction reduces territory quality and food security, forcing chimpanzees into smaller ranges with greater human contact and associated stress. Hunting, whether for bushmeat or to capture infants for the pet trade, involves intense fear, social trauma, and physical suffering. Orphaned chimpanzees who witness the killing of their mothers suffer psychological trauma that affects them for years; sanctuary rehabilitation requires intensive long-term care. Disease transmission from human researchers, tourists, and local populations represents a growing welfare and conservation threat. Chimpanzee conservation requires integrated approaches that address habitat, bushmeat trade, disease, and human-wildlife coexistence simultaneously.