Threatened species of Pan troglodytes
Name(s):
Threatened species of Chimpanzee
Nature
[Pan troglodytes] are currently on the "endangered" list primarily because of human pressures. Development of land reduces chimpanzee habitat and fragments their existing populations, increasing the exposure to contagious disease. Fragmentation also makes the chimpanzee more accessible for commercial exploitation in a variety of forms.
Background
[Pan troglodytes] live mainly in Central Western Africa as well as Western and Eastern Africa in habitat that comprises of tropical forests. Chimpanzees are omnivores that feed on fruits, leaves, seeds, stems, bark, insects, and meat; 60% fruits, 30% other vegetation, 10% animal matter. Chimpanzees are effective distributors of seed which insures a healthy plant diversity within the habitat and creates shelter and food for other forest dwellers, including native peoples.
Incidence
The total number of chimpanzees taken per year is not known as a precise figure, but it is probably in the thousands. The best estimates are, that there are approximately 2.85 chimps per square kilometre in those areas. Numbers of chimpanzee in the wild are rapidly decreasing.
[Pan troglodytes] is considered as "Endangered" by the IUCN. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 1".
Broader
Organization(s)
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(S) Suspect problems