Conservation & Threats
Habitat LossHabitat loss is linked to the ever-increasing demands for land by the exploding human population and the commercial demands for natural resources. Africa currently has one of the highest human growth rates in the world, with its population doubling every 24 years – a population that requires homes and livelihoods. Habitat loss is a significant threat to chimpanzees, as their communities live within a home range of anywhere between 5 and 400 km2. With encroachment and forest fragmentation, chimp communities and group cohesion are also disrupted, which can cause significant problems, such as decreased genetic flow and territorial conflicts. |
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Chimpanzee habitat is lost due to:
Forest encroachment |
Forests are cleared for living space, growing crops and grazing for domestic livestock. Forest wood is also cut for firewood, charcoal, and building materials. |
Deforestation (logging and mining) |
Forest concessions are sold to timber, mining and oil companies from the developed world, which allows loggers, miners and oil operators to cut trees and drill. This deforestation turns forests into desert and breaks up chimpanzee communities so that many populations become too fragmented to be viable. It also completely disturbs the territorial organization of affected chimpanzee communities, who must find new territory or engage in territorial disputes with different chimp communities. |
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What are the solutions?Slowing human population growth and moving to sustainable forest management are solutions. Neither option is rapid or straightforward. The Jane Goodall Institute's approach is to work with local communities to improve health, education and income generation as the first steps in successfully protecting habitat for wild animals. Once communities’ basic needs are met, and they are equipped with skills and tools to improve their lives, natural resources can be used more sustainably to decrease habitat loss. JGI’s community-centred conservation initiatives offer these solutions for both the people and the wildlife species of many African countries. |
Watch a video about deforestation
