Bushmeat hunting threatens wild chimpanzee populations across Africa through direct killing and as a driver of habitat loss and disease.
Bushmeat hunting causes direct death and severe welfare harm to surviving animals. Orphaned infants traumatized by witnessing their mother's killing develop post-traumatic stress behaviors. Those entering the illegal pet trade face inadequate housing and social isolation. Even non-lethal effects of hunting pressure cause chronic stress, altered ranging behavior, and disrupted social structures in surviving groups.