U.S. Gives Captive Chimpanzees Protected Status
July 7, 2015
Dr. Jane Goodall and other conservationists applauded the June announcement by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that all captive chimpanzees will now be classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The classification provides captive chimpanzees in the United States equal status with their relatives in the wild. The decision affects more than 700 captive chimpanzees used in biomedical research and for other purposes in the United States.
Wild chimpanzees live in tropical Africa from Lake Victoria—which lies in in east-central Africa, partly in Kenya, partly in Tanzania, and partly in Uganda—to Gambia in the west. Chimpanzees were first listed as threatened by USFWS in 1976. This status meant that wildlife scientists were concerned that populations were declining due to poaching (illegal hunting), disease, habitat destruction, human conflict, and capture for use in laboratories and zoos. In 1990, USFWS reclassified wild chimpanzees as endangered, indicating that the threat to those populations had become more severe. However, at that time, the status for all captive chimpanzees in the United States, including those in zoos, biomedical research labs, and the entertainment industry, remained as threatened.
No other species is listed under two different statuses by USFWS. Officials with USFWS defended the dual status for wild and captive chimpanzees. They hoped that it would encourage captive breeding programs that could supply chimpanzees for research without depleting wild chimp populations. Officials in the biomedical industry also worried that listing captive chimpanzees as endangered would curtail their use for research. Chimpanzees have been important laboratory animals for research on AIDS and other serious diseases that affect humans. Scientific evidence suggests that chimpanzees and their closest relatives, the bonobo, or pygmy chimpanzee, are more closely related to humans than any other animal.
Once captive chimpanzees are officially declared endangered in September, scientists who wish to use them in research must have a permit issued by USFWS. Permits will be also be required for the sale and import of chimpanzees for any reason, even for zoos or entertainment. In order to obtain such a permit, scientists must demonstrate that the planned work enhances the survival of the species and benefits chimpanzees in the wild.
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