About Western Chimpanzees

The geographic range of western chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, spans eight West African countries and a diverse array of habitats, from the tropical humid forests along the coast to the montane regions of Nimba and Lofa, north to the undulating highlands of the Fouta-Djallon, and the savanna mosaic that touches the Sudano Sahel. Humans and chimpanzees have coexisted in this region for thousands of years. While the human population has exploded in size in recent years, the chimpanzee population has declined precipitously, and been extirpated through a large part of its former range. In the past two decades, the number of chimpanzees in West Africa has declined by 80% – a trajectory that will continue unless concerted action backed by local, national and international support is taken immediately.