West African Chimpanzees have declined by 90 percent

I’m sorry friends but here is even more bad news about the statue of wildlife in Africa.

West African chimpanzees have declined by 90 percent in the last 18 years in an African country that is one of the subspecies’ “final strongholds,” a new study stays.

Scientists counting the rare chimps in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) found only about 800 to 1,200 of the apes—down from about 8,000 to 12,000 in 1989-90. Ivory Coast had been thought to harbor about half of all West African chimps.

Why? Human population, hunting and deforestation

Côte d’Ivoire’s human population has grown by about 50 percent since 1990. As a result there is more hunting and deforestation. One of the country’s sanctuaries, Marahoué National Park, has lost 93 percent of its forest cover in the last six years. The habitats are damaged and occupied by people, they are no longer suitable for chimpanzees or any other animals.

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