Citations Posted 2008 Blocked Texas Endangering Censorship Continuation :
"And just as in human society, where reason promotes virtue, so too does it breed vice (O'Dell 2007)."
Taxonomic Overview & Distribution
Sometimes called the common chimpanzee to distinguish it from bonobos (P. paniscus) concentrated south of the Congo river of central Africa, Pan Troglodytes dominates north of the Congo, a population of approximately 300,000 individuals fanning from equatorial Guinea to southwestern Tanzania. The four subspecies of Pan Troglodytes bare geographical common names such as, central (P. t. troglodytes), western (P.t. verus), eastern (P. t. schweinfurthii), and the Nigeria-Cameroon (P. t. vellerosus).
The Central Chimpanzee populates south of the Sanaga River of Cameroon, west Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and north of the Congo River. The western species is found in southeastern Senegal, southwest Mali, and southerner Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’ivoire and Ghana. The eastern subspecies occupies an eastern position in the Central African Republic, southwest Sudan and north of the Congo. Isolated occupation also has been recorded in Rwanda and Uganda. The Nigeria or better know as the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee occupies both countries; however, is mostly found in Cameroon (Inskipp 2005).
Pan Troglodytes live in groups of about 35 individuals, and can exceed 100 members. The robust chimpanzee exhibits adaptive traits to a changing habitat; geological and modern human encroachments.
Unlike most primates, they are not limited to lowland fruit bearing trees and can be found in evergreen forest, woodlands and savanna. Although, they can subsist and do live in dry areas, they must have an outcropping of trees, patches of forest, to survive. Their resilience against the elements has been associated with their social structure and learned behavior (Inskipp 2005).
The reasoning ability of this primate is astonishing and well documented. This suggest a well organized community that we least understand. Most primates can be observed in isolation and relevant facts about the species social order can be determined. Chimpanzee’s social structures are complex and least understood. Chimpanzee researchers Duane Rumbaugh and Bill Fields explain:
“language research with apes during the last 50 years provides strong evidence for their use of words (manual gestures or graphic patterns) as meaningful symbols to things and there quantities (temperature color ect),
person or peers, activities, or as places for food, rest, chasing, and so on. Apes can also comprehend with fairly complex structures (Rumbaugh Box 3.1 pp 48).”
The complexity of this primates social structure allows it to sustain populations of different climates altitudes (2000m) and diet. Chimpanzee societies are made up of individuals that associate learned behavior, and rely on group relationships to survive.
"And just as in human society, where reason promotes virtue, so too does it breed vice (O'Dell 2007)."
Chimpanzee raiding parties have been observed attacking neighboring chimpanzee communities. These clashes are planned, orchestrated and deadly. Male chimps actively seek apes outside their own community and kill which sometimes includes death of infants.
Infanticide has been observed but is not a conclusive trait because few observers have reported intentional killings. Within their own group, seldom is another chimp killed. Sixteen percent of a chimpanzee’s diet consists of meat which they share usually after a hunting party.
It is unclear if the sharing is a tactic to horde or a means of social status or both. Sharing of vegetation, insects and [Fresh Sugery Ripe Fruit]fruit is common between mother and infant but seldom observed between adults.
Male chimpanzees usually stay within their own group of lineage forming alliances while females will transfer to other groups after leaving there mothers. Females bond together and observation suggest that this could be tactic to ward off unwanted males and possibly to avoid predators such as the leopard and lion. Female relationship also allows for share knowledge of known food resources seasonal and famine foods (Inskipp 2005).
Chimpanzees live and adapt in diverse geographical habitats. Each group form a “fission-fusion dynamic” in order to exploit the variety of seasonal food resources. Like most primates, chimpanzees prefer sugary ripe fruit. In the absence of this high calorie diet they will eat low tannin leafs and vegetation. The diet of a chimpanzee consist of over 300 types of vegetation mostly fruit, flowers and seeds. Much of this food requires learned behavior for access or preparation to eat.
Tools are often used such as breaking nuts or fishing for termites. This ape like most also eats earth seemly to fulfill a nutrient need or medicinal purpose such as an upset stomach. Figs are an option when available and fig leaves make up a good portion of the diet while eating figs as found in feces samples. Feces samples of all subspecies include various other foods including, honey, termites and ants (Inskipp 2005).
Habitat & Diet
Chimpanzees are omnivores but do engage in hunting parties that sublimate the diet with red meat, usually the red colobus monkey. They are skill hunters in jungle as well as savanna which include small animals such as the wild pig, small antelope and other species of monkey. It is not clear if the urge to hunt is to satisfy nutrients in famine periods or to form communal bonds or both.
At the end of the hunt meat is shared amongst hunting
participants then passed to what seems to be friends in a pecking order fashion that may not include the high ranking females and alpha male (Stanford 1998).
Reproductive Behavior
Reproductive behavior among chimps is selective when the female is best suited for pregnancy. She usually seeks out a male of high social status within the group. Copulation with juveniles and males of lower status is common. Copulation is sometimes guarded by a group of males and a swelling female.
Chimpanzees have a low reproductive rate reaching sexual maturity in about 10 to 13 years; however, usually conceive after 15 to 16 years of age. During this time the female will mate with different males until she is able to conceive in another group.
Chimpanzee reproduction is slow for many reasons. The most obvious is the high mortality rate. The mortality rate of chimpanzees averages about 15 years which allow for only about three or four offspring per mean. Offspring investment for social status takes it toll In one study females were observed spending more time rearing male offspring and less mature females spent 11 months investment in their daughters. Infants are totally dependant of their mothers, an investment that also tends to slow reproductively. It is important to note that the aggressive tendency of the males and other groups lead to many infant deaths observed as accidents (Inskipp).
Principal Threats
The biggest threat to the survival of the chimpanzee is aggressive tendencies. Some chimpanzee’s carcasses have been noted to have been killed by leopards and lions; however, these are rare cases. Some cultures within its range still illegally hunt the chimp for bush meat. Others of this species are taken for laboratory experiments and the illegal animal trade. Diseases also take their toll on this primate species especially Ebola. Ebola causes sever cases of diarrhea that can, and does cause death. Ebola of a resent strain killed of 12 chimps in the Tai Forest of Cote d’ivoire. Most notably, this hardy primate will transfer to new areas once deforestation has taken it toll; however, groups are often caught in isolated pockets and can not retreat to another habitat (Inskipp)..
Conservation Priorities
The common chimpanzee has been classified as
endangered by the World Conservation Union or the IUCN which translates to a very high risk of extinction in the future. The eastern and western fragmented pockets are the most affected areas. Human encroachment by first logging leaves inroads to the forests that sustain the chimpanzee population.
Unmanaged logging destroys the ecosystem necessary to support the vegetation, particularly in the case of rain forest with poor soil and mutually dependant plants and fauna. History has shown even in the areas where selective logging was effective, humans make inroads to the forest and exploit the environment first by hunting, then agriculture, and finally industrial mining including oil.
Although most hunting is for other bush meat and not intentional, reports of Chimpanzees with missing limbs form wire snares are reported.
Currently protected areas cover all four species of
chimpanzees with a population of about 300,000.
Scientific teams monitor and determine the success
score of each country which include: Cameroon Korup
National park, and Dja Faunal Reserve, CAR Dzanga-
Sangha, Congo Odzala National Park, Cote d’Ivoire
Marahoue National Park and Tai National Park, DRC
Huri Forest Reserve, Equatorial Guinea Monte Alen
National Park, Gabon Lope National park, Nigeria
Cross River National Park, Uganda Kibale National
Park, and the United Republic of Tanzania Mahle
Mountains National Park (Inskipp Table 4.3 pp79).
The mean score of all parks was recently 3.4 which
show reasonable confidents in the overall success of
these protected areas (Inskipp).
The success of these protected areas comes mostly
from the positive public attitude and effective law
enforcement, large protective area size, low human
population, the presence on nongovernmental
organizations and ecological continuity. The lowest
scores come from more populated areas of West Africa
and bush eating culture with high human populations.
Primate education and public awareness have by far
proven to be the most effect tool for primate survival.
Once the local communities, usually poor farmers, have
become aware of the importance of the chimpanzee,
hunting and destruction are deterred, foreign investment shifts to eco-travelers and allows opportune politicians to decree public land. Primatologists capitalize on ape awareness, and invite local scientist to first world academia which strengthens the tie back home for global environmental investment (Inskipp).
Awareness is only a start, serous observation of a expanding population requires global activism followed by global capital investment, especially from first world countries that do not harbor primates; however, harbor the capital necessary to save the environment
that they share.
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