![]() was the only developed nation that was conducting research on chimpanzees. Until this new regulation took effect, the U.S. ![]() “Permits will be issued for these activities only for scientific purposes that benefit the species in the wild, or to enhance the propagation or survival of chimpanzees, including habitat restoration and research on chimpanzees in the wild that contributes to improved management and recovery.” “Certain activities involving chimpanzees will be prohibited without a permit, including import and export of the animals into and out of the United States, ‘take’ (defined by the ESA as harm, harass, kill, injure, etc.) within the United States, and interstate and foreign commerce. Fish and Wildlife Service this past June: That was very convenient for some people.īut this “split-listing” was going to come to an end on September 14, according to a press release by the U.S. alone-were categorized as merely “threatened.” Because captive chimps were relegated to a lower conservation status, it was possible to transport them across state lines for commercial purposes, sell them as pets, and use them in research facilities with a relatively low burden of paperwork. In 1990, wild chimpanzees were classified as fully “endangered” under the ESA and entitled to full protection under the law. are now classified as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). They include weak environmental governance (particularly lack of law enforcement and inadequate governance of industry), inconsistencies in legislation across countries, inadequate financial and logistical resources for chimpanzee conservation, and lack of consideration of chimpanzees in land-use planning.As of yesterday, all chimpanzees in the U.S. Multiple indirect drivers also continue to threaten chimpanzees in the region. Specifically, habitat loss and poaching were identified as the two highest threats to chimpanzees, followed by industrial and artisanal mining, disease, negative interactions between people and chimpanzees, industrial agriculture and road infrastructure development. ![]() A considerable amount of new data has improved our knowledge of the distribution and status patterns of this subspecies since the first action plan was published in 2003, and an analysis of the threats to chimpanzee populations highlights the need to address these threats and their drivers. verus, based on expert evaluation of the best scientific knowledge available to date. The plan presents the status and threats to P. In light of this, western chimpanzees are on a trajectory towards extinction unless drastic measures are taken immediately. There is, therefore, a pressing need to mitigate, reduce or remove ongoing threats in the face of the clear pattern of chimpanzee losses, and to capitalise on conservation opportunities as they arise. Already, nearly 40% of western chimpanzees live within 5 km of a human settlement and nearly 60% within 5 km of a road. Rates of habitat loss are likely to escalate, as annual forest loss is predicted to reach 20% by 2030 and over 60% by the year 2050. West Africa is anticipated to experience one of the world’s highest rates of urban and industrialised development. This subspecies occurs in a region with high human population growth, exposing it to potential conflicts of interest with both large- and small-scale developments. Much of the population is unprotected, with only 17% of western chimpanzees residing in protected areas, leaving 83% under no formal protection. Over 10% of the western chimpanzee’s current geographic range is habitat already earmarked for large-scale infrastructure development, and this in addition to extensive overlap with land targeted for industrial extraction, or suitable for agricultural plantations. The four chimpanzee subspecies have experienced an overall range reduction of 20% in just eight years, and much of this contraction can be linked to habitat loss, poaching and disease. The population is estimated to have declined by 80% between 19, to approximately 52,800 individuals. Of the four recognised chimpanzee subspecies, Pan troglodytes verus is under the greatest threat. It occurs in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone, but has been extirpated in three countries – Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo. In 2016, IUCN uplisted the western chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes verus, from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered”, reflecting the subspecies’ increasingly dire conservation status. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |