West African Chimpanzees Arrival at Chester Zoo in UK Gives Hopes for Rare Animal Conservation and Protection

The birth of a new West African Chimpanzees at the Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom helped to bring hope for conservation and protection efforts for critically endangered animals.

(Photo : by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
January 26, 2010 in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Chimpanzee at Chester Zoo is also called one of the rarest chimpanzees. Experts and scientists called for urgent efforts to save the species from extinction.

Western Chimpanzee at Chester Zoo

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, western chimpanzees are classified as critically endangered, suffering from habitat loss, hunting and climate change threats.

The Guardian reported that the population of the rare western chimpanzees has declined, reaching about 18,000 chimpanzees.

Commonly, the habitat of western chimpanzees can be found in parts of west Africa in the jungles and forests. However, their rare species have ways to adapt to their environment for survival.

As a result, the birth of a male chimpanzee at the Chester Zoon is a sign of hope for the animal's species.

The Guardian reported that the baby chimpanzee was in good shape and health and happily bonding with his mother.

The report explained that the chimpanzees would be named after a pop or rock star, adding that some of the names in the Chester Zoo are related to rock stars.

The birth of the male western Chimpanzee helps add more population as the said animal suffers greatly. As a result, the zoo has been working hard to conserve the animal.

According to the New England Primate Conservancy, western chimpanzees are considered extinct in some countries. In addition, the report said that the rare chimpanzees are smaller than the Central Chimpanzees.

However, they could live up to 50 years in captivity and 15 to 25 years in the jungle or wild.

Meanwhile, conservation zoo director Mark Jordan explained that the western Chimpanzee lost about 80% of its population in the last 25 years.

The arrival of the new western chimpanzees at the Western Zoo also marks hope that the animal would be saved from possible extinction.

In addition, the CBC report said that the western Chimpanzees in captivity help to protect the critically endangered animal from the threat of extinction due to population decline.

Know more about the Chimpanzee

The New England Primate Conservancy said that female western Chimpanzee appears smaller than male ones.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) added that the chimpanzees or chimps are social animals, enjoying their time on tree tops.

WWF explained that chimpanzees are also considered one of humans' closes cousins due to their unique behavior and genes.

The report added that chimps suffer from pervasive threats. It is because the disease also infects Chimpanzees.

Also Read: Fascinating Study Finds First Evidence of Lasting Social Relationships of Chimpanzees and Gorillas in Wild

However, the report emphasized that poaching is a top threat to chimps. They can become victims of hunting and bushmeat rampant in West and Central Africa.

The infant or younger chimpanzees are taken away to be sold in black markets or cities.

Due to rapid decline, the conservation and protection of chimpanzees are important for the environment and the animal's rare species.