Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, face severe welfare threats from the illegal bushmeat trade, habitat loss, and disease, with orphan chimpanzees requiring intensive long-term rehabilitation.
Key Facts
Wild chimpanzee populations have declined from over 1 million to around 170,000-300,000 today
Chimpanzees are classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List
The bushmeat trade kills thousands of chimpanzees annually and creates large numbers of orphans
Chimpanzee sanctuaries across Africa house thousands of orphans rescued from the bushmeat trade
Chimpanzees are highly intelligent, emotionally complex animals with rich social and cultural lives
Welfare Considerations
Chimpanzee welfare encompasses profound suffering at individual and population levels. Killed in the bushmeat trade, chimpanzees suffer traumatic deaths. Orphaned infants rescued from hunters experience the trauma of witnessing their mothers' deaths and require years of intensive psychological rehabilitation. Habitat loss from forest clearance for agriculture leaves surviving chimpanzees in increasingly fragmented, resource-poor environments. Disease transmission from humans poses growing threats. Sanctuaries providing lifetime care for unreleasable orphans must balance the complex social needs of traumatised individuals.
What You Can Do
Support chimpanzee sanctuaries providing rescue and rehabilitation across Africa
Advocate for stronger enforcement of bushmeat trade laws in chimpanzee range countries
Never support keeping chimpanzees as pets or using them for entertainment
Donate to forest conservation projects protecting chimpanzee habitat
Learn about chimpanzee cognition and culture to understand the depth of their welfare needs